NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.
Deputy Director, TMI
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, us, 20022
The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)
LDF is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.
LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system.
In 2015, LDF celebrated its 75th anniversary with the launch of the Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI). The Institute is a collaborative research and archival hub within LDF that combines a multidisciplinary approach to advocacy with LDF’s traditional litigation strengths to advance a modern vision of racial justice.
Through TMI, LDF generates and integrates innovative research, advocacy, archival materials, and strategic communications aimed at educating the public and key decision‑makers.
In 2024, TMI launched LDF Recollection: A Civil Rights Legal Archive. The website contains stories and primary source materials documenting the history of LDF and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. The archive contains over 12,000 legal documents, letters, photographs, press releases, original oral history interviews, and other materials.
LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office at least two days per week, unless otherwise indicated.
Above and beyond a resume and cover letter, applicants are expected to submit an independently authored piece of writing. It should primarily reflect your own work even if it has been reviewed or edited by others.
Responsibilities Departmental Leadership
Reports directly to the TMI Director and provides supervision across both the Research and Archives teams.
Serves as a thought partner with the TMI Director to develop and implement strategic goals for the department, ensuring alignment with broader organizational objectives.
Leads department meetings and retreats, including agenda development in collaboration with the TMI Director and Managers, to ensure strategic alignment and team engagement.
Collaborates with TMI Director on budgeting and the recruitment and hiring of key Research and Archives staff, including TMI fellows and scholars.
Guides and mentors staff to fully understand and effectively execute their job responsibilities, fostering accountability through performance reviews, professional development, and leadership opportunities.
Builds and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders to enhance departmental initiatives and resources, which include managing budgets, grant compliance, and vendor contracts in coordination with the TMI Director.
Develops and completes annual professional development plans to stay current on developments in the field.
Represents TMI in public forums, including conferences, media appearances, and other external engagements, to elevate the Institute’s research, archival projects, and advocacy.
Helps identify and support cross‑functional projects that connect research, archives, and public education.
Archives Oversight
Leads in coordination with the TMI Director the strategy, development, and execution of archival projects to preserve and promote LDF’s civil rights legacy in collaboration with the team.
Works with the Archives Department on refinement, implementation, and management of LDF’s efforts to review its archived records for publication.
Works with the Archives Department on the dissemination and promotion of LDF’s archival records, including those housed at the Library of Congress.
Supports archives team members through meetings to ensure work product meets high‑quality standards, maintains TMI’s voice, and advances LDF advocacy goals within established timeframe and budget.
Research Oversight
Develops and supports the implementation of the research agenda to align with TMI and LDF’s strategic priorities, including qualitative and quantitative research design, public‑facing reports, and policy briefs in collaboration with TMI Director.
Supervises research team members, including senior researchers, fellows, and associated team members, to ensure products meet high‑quality research standards, maintain TMI’s voice, advance LDF advocacy goals, and are completed within established timeframe and budget.
Supports TMI researchers in the preparation and submission of IRB applications, grant submissions, and the submission of grant reports of research activities.
Reviews research findings for publication, ensuring that reports, papers, and presentations accurately reflect the data and adhere to ethical standards across all research stages.
Coordinates the evaluation of TMI’s publications for external review in collaboration with the TMI Director.
Supervises the oversight of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), National Police Funding Database, and the Death Row USA Report.
Develops and updates research policies and procedures (manual).
Oversees interdepartmental rapid research requests, ensuring that requests are aligned with LDF’s strategic priorities.
Provides editorial oversight and strategic review of TMI’s research publications to ensure rigor, clarity, and alignment with LDF’s advocacy goals.
Facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars and advocacy partners.
Qualifications
Ph.D. preferred, J.D. and/or MLIS, or equivalent advanced terminal degree in a relevant field (e.g., law, history, archival studies, Black studies, political science).
Minimum 10 years of professional experience with expertise in public history, academic research, or civil rights advocacy, including supervisory experience.
A minimum of 8 years of experience managing staff, including nonprofit program management, with a demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams.
Strong written and oral communication skills, with a strong track record of published work in academic (peer‑reviewed or law review), policy, or public‑facing outlets.
Deep knowledge of Black history, civil rights history, and contemporary racial justice issues.
Significant experience working within nonprofit or academic institutions.
Proven success managing diverse, multidisciplinary teams across program areas.
Adaptable, collaborative, self‑motivated, creative problem solver with careful attention to detail.
Experience with public speaking, with the ability to effectively represent LDF’s mission to diverse external audiences.
Preferred
Demonstrated expertise in archival management, collections development, and historical research.
Experience developing and managing publications, research workflows, and strategic campaigns.
Experience managing budgets.
Successful record of using multiple campaign strategies to achieve positive social change, including advocacy, research, archives, organizing, communications, and litigation.
Familiarity with open‑access publication platforms, data visualization tools, or digital humanities methods is a plus.
This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment, and LDF may exercise its employment‑at‑will rights at any time.
The Salary Range For This Position Is NY: $147,200-$184,000
DC: $140,800-$176,000
LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.
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LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system.
In 2015, LDF celebrated its 75th anniversary with the launch of the Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI). The Institute is a collaborative research and archival hub within LDF that combines a multidisciplinary approach to advocacy with LDF’s traditional litigation strengths to advance a modern vision of racial justice.
Through TMI, LDF generates and integrates innovative research, advocacy, archival materials, and strategic communications aimed at educating the public and key decision‑makers.
In 2024, TMI launched LDF Recollection: A Civil Rights Legal Archive. The website contains stories and primary source materials documenting the history of LDF and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. The archive contains over 12,000 legal documents, letters, photographs, press releases, original oral history interviews, and other materials.
LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office at least two days per week, unless otherwise indicated.
Above and beyond a resume and cover letter, applicants are expected to submit an independently authored piece of writing. It should primarily reflect your own work even if it has been reviewed or edited by others.
Responsibilities Departmental Leadership
Reports directly to the TMI Director and provides supervision across both the Research and Archives teams.
Serves as a thought partner with the TMI Director to develop and implement strategic goals for the department, ensuring alignment with broader organizational objectives.
Leads department meetings and retreats, including agenda development in collaboration with the TMI Director and Managers, to ensure strategic alignment and team engagement.
Collaborates with TMI Director on budgeting and the recruitment and hiring of key Research and Archives staff, including TMI fellows and scholars.
Guides and mentors staff to fully understand and effectively execute their job responsibilities, fostering accountability through performance reviews, professional development, and leadership opportunities.
Builds and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders to enhance departmental initiatives and resources, which include managing budgets, grant compliance, and vendor contracts in coordination with the TMI Director.
Develops and completes annual professional development plans to stay current on developments in the field.
Represents TMI in public forums, including conferences, media appearances, and other external engagements, to elevate the Institute’s research, archival projects, and advocacy.
Helps identify and support cross‑functional projects that connect research, archives, and public education.
Archives Oversight
Leads in coordination with the TMI Director the strategy, development, and execution of archival projects to preserve and promote LDF’s civil rights legacy in collaboration with the team.
Works with the Archives Department on refinement, implementation, and management of LDF’s efforts to review its archived records for publication.
Works with the Archives Department on the dissemination and promotion of LDF’s archival records, including those housed at the Library of Congress.
Supports archives team members through meetings to ensure work product meets high‑quality standards, maintains TMI’s voice, and advances LDF advocacy goals within established timeframe and budget.
Research Oversight
Develops and supports the implementation of the research agenda to align with TMI and LDF’s strategic priorities, including qualitative and quantitative research design, public‑facing reports, and policy briefs in collaboration with TMI Director.
Supervises research team members, including senior researchers, fellows, and associated team members, to ensure products meet high‑quality research standards, maintain TMI’s voice, advance LDF advocacy goals, and are completed within established timeframe and budget.
Supports TMI researchers in the preparation and submission of IRB applications, grant submissions, and the submission of grant reports of research activities.
Reviews research findings for publication, ensuring that reports, papers, and presentations accurately reflect the data and adhere to ethical standards across all research stages.
Coordinates the evaluation of TMI’s publications for external review in collaboration with the TMI Director.
Supervises the oversight of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), National Police Funding Database, and the Death Row USA Report.
Develops and updates research policies and procedures (manual).
Oversees interdepartmental rapid research requests, ensuring that requests are aligned with LDF’s strategic priorities.
Provides editorial oversight and strategic review of TMI’s research publications to ensure rigor, clarity, and alignment with LDF’s advocacy goals.
Facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars and advocacy partners.
Qualifications
Ph.D. preferred, J.D. and/or MLIS, or equivalent advanced terminal degree in a relevant field (e.g., law, history, archival studies, Black studies, political science).
Minimum 10 years of professional experience with expertise in public history, academic research, or civil rights advocacy, including supervisory experience.
A minimum of 8 years of experience managing staff, including nonprofit program management, with a demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams.
Strong written and oral communication skills, with a strong track record of published work in academic (peer‑reviewed or law review), policy, or public‑facing outlets.
Deep knowledge of Black history, civil rights history, and contemporary racial justice issues.
Significant experience working within nonprofit or academic institutions.
Proven success managing diverse, multidisciplinary teams across program areas.
Adaptable, collaborative, self‑motivated, creative problem solver with careful attention to detail.
Experience with public speaking, with the ability to effectively represent LDF’s mission to diverse external audiences.
Preferred
Demonstrated expertise in archival management, collections development, and historical research.
Experience developing and managing publications, research workflows, and strategic campaigns.
Experience managing budgets.
Successful record of using multiple campaign strategies to achieve positive social change, including advocacy, research, archives, organizing, communications, and litigation.
Familiarity with open‑access publication platforms, data visualization tools, or digital humanities methods is a plus.
This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment, and LDF may exercise its employment‑at‑will rights at any time.
The Salary Range For This Position Is NY: $147,200-$184,000
DC: $140,800-$176,000
LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.
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