Deputy Executive Director

Position Description

The Institute for Law & Organizing uses collaborative, power‑building campaigns to combat anti‑Black racism related to dispossession and displacement from housing and other property. The Institute uses law, community organizing, and research to fuel its campaigns, which are responsive to community priorities and direction. The Institute’s first campaign is the Coalition for Property Tax Justice (illegalforeclosures.org), which has three goals: 1) Stop illegally inflated property taxes in Detroit and throughout the nation; 2) Stop the ongoing property tax foreclosures in Detroit until the City calculates them in accordance with the law; and 3) Fight for compensation for affected Detroit homeowners. Once this campaign is over, community leaders have made clear that the next campaign must deal with home repair.

Are you interested in helping others to understand, use, and shape the law to combat anti‑Black racism related to housing and property dispossession? The Institute is seeking a Deputy Executive Director to partner with our Founder in supporting impacted community members. This role requires a high degree of intellectual agility to pivot strategies in real‑time to achieve justice‑oriented results. As a key strategic partner, you will create strategies, manage operational systems, drive research, and turn foundational success into a sustainable legacy, all while maintaining the flexibility to navigate the twists and turns inherent in grassroots organizing.

Reporting directly to the Founder and Executive Director, the successful candidate will be someone who embraces rapidly shifting priorities as an opportunity for growth and impact, rather than a disruption to the mission. This position is primarily remote but ideally based in the Detroit, Michigan metro area.

Job Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, create and implement the strategy for the Institute’s research, legal, and organizing projects.
• Strengthen organizational systems, policies, and workflows to support effective work.
• Manage a diverse team, providing direct oversight to student fellows, contractors, and full‑time staff and handling specific community or partner‑facing portfolios.
• Design and implement management systems that allow the team to meet rigorous project milestones within a flexible staffing model, ensuring that, although there is a rotating group of student fellows, long‑term goals are achieved.
• Lead the continuous recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of new team members, ensuring that the transition process is seamless and that new team members are quickly integrated into the Institute’s culture and workflows.
• Demonstrate a willingness to engage in all levels of the work—from high‑stakes partner meetings to the granular execution of daily tasks—ensuring project momentum regardless of the current team’s composition.
• Develop and oversee budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and the strategic allocation of resources across multiple workstreams.
• Support fundraising efforts by arranging donor meetings and completing donor reports.
• Act as a primary ambassador for the Institute, articulately presenting the mission and impact to the public, community leaders, and external stakeholders.

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