Program Director I

Job Description

This recruitment is being managed by NPAG. For consideration please apply at this link: https://recruitcrm.io/apply/17793124534500079448GXt

****Do no apply or submit application materials directly to the State Bar. All information should be sent through the application link above. ***

The Director of Grants oversees the administration of the legal aid grant portfolio of the largest state bar in the country-approximately $300 million distributed annually across multiple grant programs to more than 110 legal aid nonprofit organizations statewide. The Director leads a grants team of more than 20 staff and is accountable for the integrity, compliance, efficiency, and continuous improvement of the State Bar's grantmaking operations.

The Director serves as a key staff partner to the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC), helping advance the LSTFC's 2024-2028 strategic plan, the State Bar's 2022-2027 strategic plan, and ensures that every grant program is administered responsibly, equitably, and in alignment with the State Bar's mission to close the justice gap in California. This is a senior leadership role that blends program strategy, fiscal and compliance oversight, stakeholder engagement, and people management. This role reports directly to the OA&I Program Director II and functions as a core member of the OA&I executive leadership team, contributing to strategic direction and organizational leadership. This is, above all, a hands-on leadership role grounded in day-to-day grants management and staff supervision, combined with fiscal and compliance oversight, stakeholder engagement, and program strategy.

About the Office

The Office of Access & Inclusion (OA&I) works to increase access to legal services and to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. As the state's largest funder of civil legal aid, OA&I supports free legal services to indigent Californians and advances initiatives to expand legal access to low- and moderate-income communities. OA&I also works to strengthen the pipeline into the legal profession to better reflect California's diversity, address disparities in retention and advancement, and advance strategies that support inclusive and equitable practices among legal employers. OA&I has a staff of approximately 30, including a dedicated grants team of more than 20. In partnership with the LSTFC - the 24-member body that oversees grantmaking and access to justice work - and the State Bar's Board of Trustees, OA&I distributed roughly $300 million in 2026 to 118 nonprofit legal aid organizations serving all 58 California counties. These organizations provide free legal help to low income and underserved Californians on the civil matters that shape people's lives - such as housing and eviction, domestic violence, immigration, consumer debt, and access to public benefits - ensuring that the promise of justice does not depend on the ability to pay.

We are a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all of our employees and prospective employees experience fairness, dignity, and respect.

The State Bar of California

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