State Director

State Director, Georgia

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) seeks a Director for the Georgia State Office. The State Office staff will work with and alongside in‑state networks, community partners and allies who are closest to the challenges in their respective states, as well as SPLC’s departments (Communications; Legal; Policy; Political; and Programs) and campaigns. The State Director will guide their state‑based strategy in collaboration with other SPLC leaders and will provide administrative leadership for the office locations.

A results‑driven and experienced advocate, who is passionate about protecting the rights of exploited and oppressed communities in the South and manifesting a true multiracial democracy, the State Director will manage a team of staff and work in partnership with the SPLC’s Leadership Team with respect to work being done in Georgia and regionally. As a key institutional representative for the Center in the state, the GA State Director will proactively develop and maintain relationships with legal, policy, and advocacy groups, community organizations, cultural leaders, and other key allies to build capacity and to collaborate, and advance solutions that dismantle systems of oppression and foster a culture that allows all residents to thrive.

Experienced. Demonstrated experience in social justice/civil rights work, including a robust set of longstanding relationships and experiences with the Georgia racial justice movement ecosystem, both within the Atlanta Metro Area as well as the Blackbelt counties in Southern Georgia. Proven supervisory experience that includes hiring, training and conducting staff performance evaluations.

Communicative. Ability to respectfully and confidently communicate verbally and in writing across lines of racial, cultural, and socio‑economic differences.

A leader. A strong leadership profile including practical experiences working with community organizations, impacted communities, policy and grassroots within impacted communities in Southern Georgia.

An Advocate. Demonstrated experience working on local government, policy and grassroots advocacy in Metro Atlanta and Southern Georgia to connect residents with city and county officials.

Collaborative. Demonstrated ability to work with internal departments, external organizations, political and business stakeholders, and community members.

Innovative and Strategic. Ability to craft an overall strategy of the state office that will ensure SPLC is doing effective community work and that the state office has established long term goals and is not only being reactive to current issues.

Mission, Vision & Values Alignment. Demonstrates an understanding of and a commitment to SPLC's mission, vision and values.

Launch the SPLC state‑based office model in Georgia to support strategies, goals and objectives of the office.

Manage a team of high‑performing professionals by providing training, assigning duties, and conducting performance evaluations.

Develop and implement SPLC’s state‑based goals and strategies in alignment with local and regional priorities and furtherance of the organization’s impact goals.

Support staff efforts to build lasting coalitions with state and local organizations, activists, and elected officials that will build trust within the communities.

Lead efforts to establish the SPLC as a trusted partner within Metro‑Atlanta and Southern Georgia.

Ensure lobbying activities comply with all state and local lobbying and ethical rules and requirements.

Uphold our JEDI principles by seeking diverse collaborators and partners that can deliver genuine, authentic and impactful work while ensuring their contributions are directed towards the shared mission, vision and values of the center and state office.

Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

We are committed to equitable hiring practices; therefore, you must meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for the role.

• At least ten (10) years of experience in social justice/civil rights work, including a robust set of…