This is a significant opportunity for a dynamic leader to use their skills, the power of law, and the strength of partnership to deliver meaningful results for the environment, health, and communities in the Gulf region and across the nation. The Managing Attorney will grow a team and work with them to chart a course for a new regional office of the largest public interest environmental law firm in the country. Litigation and management are equally important skill sets for this position, and the successful candidate will be committed to excellence in both areas.

The Managing Attorney will be based in Houston, TX, and report to a Vice President of Litigation based in Washington, D.C.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Leadership:

• Leads the planned Gulf office in shaping its litigation and legal advocacy docket and related regional strategies that align with organization-wide strategic plans, core values, priorities, and other administrative policies and guidance.
• Leads and collaborates with the Gulf Regional team in setting clear direction aligned with Earthjustice strategy, mission, and vision.
• Provides litigation leadership by litigating personally and working collaboratively with attorneys in the office to maximize the quality and impact of the office’s total litigation effort.
• Cultivates new and diverse clients, allies and partners.
• Builds and maintains effective working relationships with clients, communities, environmental groups, and other partners across the Gulf region.
• Works closely and productively with Earthjustice’s policy, communications, and fundraising teams to advance programmatic and institutional goals.
• Serves as an ambassador and spokesperson for the office and the organization, by, among other things, working effectively with the news media, government officials, and supporters.
• Serves as an active member of the Managing Attorneys group, to help provide institutional leadership and set broader institutional priorities and direction.

Management:

• Manage and lead a diverse team with emotional intelligence and cultural competency.
• Manages and guides the development of office staff to ensure they have the training, mentoring, resources, feedback, and support to maximize their performance and skills development.
• Creates a learning culture, including by implementing practices related to delivering timely and high-quality feedback and by fostering growth through creativity and risk-taking.
• Provides staff with consistent and ongoing performance feedback, both positive and constructive, and acts as a coach and mentor.
• Ensures that any direct reports who have supervisory responsibility are properly executing those functions.
• Communicates effectively with staff and encourages them to provide ongoing feedback and raise concerns.
• Resolves interpersonal conflict among team members and brings in outside facilitators as needed.
• Effects and manages organizational and office change through strategic thinking and transparent communication.
• Communicate institutional vision, policies, objectives and initiatives to staff within the planned Gulf Regional office, to keep them abreast of organizational changes and developments.
• Creates or identifies strategic opportunities for team building and individual and overall staff engagement with one another.
• Directly supervise staff and oversee the administrative functions of the office.
• Work to maximize employee satisfaction and the quality of the team’s work.
• Work with team members to celebrate successes and learn from setbacks.
• Foster a work environment that advances Earthjustice’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
• Develops and embraces practices and policies that promote a respectful and inclusive workplace and that foster community and teamwork among a diverse group of staff.
• Recruits and hires qualified candidates to support and grow a highly effective Gulf Regional office team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Continued Personal Learning:

• Participates in organization-wide initiatives and trainings that contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
• Utilizes internal and external resources to support their personal and professional development in a way that increases awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.