Associate Director of Partnerships

Job Title: Associate Director of Partnerships

Location: CLEAR Project, CUNY School of Law, New York City

Full/Part Time: Full-Time, Hybrid

The Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility project (CLEAR) seeks a full-time Associate Director to support CLEAR’s movement building efforts in partnership with communities targeted by federal or local law enforcement agencies in the name of national security.

CLEAR is housed at Main Street Legal Services, Inc., the non-profit clinical arm of CUNY School of Law. CLEAR provides holistic legal services and support to clients, communities, and movements targeted by so-called counterterrorism or national security law enforcement practices. Learn more about CLEAR here.

The Associate Director of Partnerships will report to the CLEAR Director and will work closely and meet regularly (on a weekly or biweekly basis) with CLEAR attorneys, students, and other staff. Work will be performed remotely or in person, depending on the nature of the task at hand.

The Associate Director serves as an ambassador who is primarily responsible for maintaining existing relationships and building new ones with movement partners, and working with various coalitions to advance their interests in New York City and nationwide. Furthermore, this public-facing role is meant to enable CLEAR to serve as indispensable partner and core stakeholder within the scope of community work being done in areas of national security, policing, and/or racial justice issues. Duties and responsibilities include the following:

  • Proactively identify, build and nurture high-impact partnerships with movement leaders, grass-roots activists, legal aid networks, and faith-based and community organizations across NYC and nationwide.

  • Act as a primary spokesperson and community liaison, organizing and facilitating virtual and in-person events, community forums, and educational sessions.

  • Represent CLEAR in supporting ongoing campaigns and coalition work, aligning CLEAR’s resources and advocacy power with partner goals to advance shared movement priorities.

  • Execute outreach strategies virtually or in-person to market CLEAR’s Know-Your-Rights’ workshops and other engagements directly to mosques, organizing circles, community centers, schools and beyond.

  • Collaborate with CLEAR attorneys, students, and other staff in co-designing and guiding the development of accessible, actionable educational materials, toolkits, and advocacy campaigns concerning national security, policing, and/or racial justice issues.

  • Design and build data collection efforts to inform briefing materials, policy recommendations, and inform grassroots decision making.

  • Maintain accurate records of engagement metrics, coalition activities, and outcomes to fulfill grant compliance requirements and support ongoing development efforts.

Relevant qualifications include the following:

  • Bachelor’s or Associate degree

  • A minimum of 3 years of experience in community/movement facing organizing work around any of the following: national security, surveillance, immigrant rights, civil rights, racial justice, or criminal justice

  • Exceptional organizational skills

  • Experience leading and/or implementing advocacy campaigns

  • Experience working in coalition spaces to advance movement objectives

  • Availability for evening and/or weekend events, if necessary

  • Proficiency in MS Office software, with other design software skills a plus

  • Residence in New York City area required

Familiarity with U.S. Muslim communities and/or the issues affecting the clients, communities, and movements that CLEAR serves is preferred. Proficiency in languages other than English would be a plus. A successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, and can carry a multi-faceted and complex workload, to work independently, and to adhere strictly to internal and external deadlines. Being self-driven—that is to say able to both take initiatives and, importantly, follow through on them reliably and independently without the need for outside prompting—is a key trait.

Compensation: Salary range: $86,000-$95,000 (dependent on experience). Benefits include paid holidays, paid time off, sick days, flexible spending accounts, and health insurance.

Application Process
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and two professional references in PDF form to cunyclear@law.cuny.edu.

Closing Date
Open until filled. Review of applications will begin November 2026. Target start date is January 2027.

Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to enhancing our diverse community by actively encouraging people with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women to apply. We take pride in our pluralistic community and continue to seek excellence through diversity and inclusion. EO/AA Employer.

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