NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. · 2 months ago
Deputy Director, Archives and Research
Washington, DC 20005, USA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$147K/yr - $184K/yr
10+ years expThe NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. The Deputy Director of Archives and Research will lead the Research and Archives teams, develop strategic goals, and enhance LDF’s capacity to fight for racial equity and justice through innovative research and archival projects.
EducationLegalNational Security
Responsibilities
Reports directly to the TMI Director and provides supervision across both the Research and Archives teams
Serve as a thought-partner with the TMI Director to develop and implement strategic goals for the department, ensuring alignment with broader organizational objectives
Lead department meetings and retreats, including agenda development in collaboration with the TMI Director and Managers, to ensure strategic alignment and team engagement
Collaborate with TMI Director on budgeting and the recruitment and hiring of key Research and Archives staff, including TMI fellows and scholars, to ensure alignment with organizational and departmental needs and strategic priorities
Guide and mentor staff to fully understand and effectively execute their job responsibilities, fostering accountability through performance reviews, professional development, and leadership opportunities
Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to enhance departmental initiatives and resources, which include managing budgets, grant compliance, and vendor contracts in coordination with the TMI Director
Develop and complete annual professional development plans to stay current on developments in the field
Represents TMI in public forums, including conferences, media appearances, and other external engagements, to elevate the Institute’s research, archival projects, and advocacy
Help identify and support cross-functional projects that connect research, archives, and public education
Lead in coordination with the TMI Director the strategy, development, and execution of archival projects to preserve and promote LDF’s civil rights legacy in collaboration with the team
Work with the Archives Department on refinement, implementation, and management of LDF’s efforts to review its archived records for publication
Work with the Archives Department on the dissemination and promotion of LDF’s archival records, including those housed at the Library of Congress, both internally and externally
Support archives team members through meetings to ensure work product meets high-quality standards, maintains TMI’s voice, and advances LDF advocacy goals within an established timeframe and budget
Develop and support the implementation of the research agenda to align with TMI and LDF’s strategic priorities, including qualitative and quantitative research design, public-facing reports, and policy briefs in collaboration with TMI Director
Supervise research team members, including senior researchers, fellows, and associated team members, to ensure products meet high-quality research standards, maintain TMI’s voice, advance LDF advocacy goals, and are completed within an established timeframe and budget
Support TMI researchers in the preparation and submission of IRB applications, grant submissions, and the submission of grant reports of research activities
Review research findings for publication, ensuring that reports, papers, and presentations accurately reflect the data and adhere to ethical standards across all research stages, from proposal to publication, to prevent misconduct and promote transparency
Coordinate the evaluation of TMI’s publications for external review in collaboration with the TMI Director to ensure the integrity and quality of research outputs. Selecting appropriate reviewers, facilitating constructive dialogue, and synthesizing insights guide revisions or project advancements, maintaining scholarly excellence and innovation
Supervise the oversight of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), National Police Funding Database, and the Death Row USA Report, ensuring the reports and website data are current
Develop and update research policies and procedures (manual)
Oversee interdepartmental rapid research requests, ensuring that requests are aligned with LDF’s strategic priorities
Provide editorial oversight and strategic review of TMI’s research publications to ensure rigor, clarity, and alignment with LDF’s advocacy goals
Facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars and advocacy partners
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. preferred, J.D. and/or MLIS, or equivalent advanced terminal degree in a relevant field (e.g., law, history, archival studies, Black studies, political science)
Minimum 10 years of professional experience with expertise in public history, academic research, or civil rights advocacy, including supervisory experience
A minimum of 8 years of experience managing staff, including nonprofit program management, with a demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams
Strong written and oral communication skills, with a strong track record of published work in academic (peer-reviewed or law review), policy, or public-facing outlets
Deep knowledge of Black history, civil rights history, and contemporary racial justice issues
Significant experience working within nonprofit or academic institutions
Proven success managing diverse, multidisciplinary teams across program areas
Adaptable, collaborative, self-motivated, creative problem solver with careful attention to detail
Experience with public speaking with the ability to effectively represent LDF's mission to diverse external audiences
Preferred
Demonstrated expertise in archival management, collections development, and historical research
Experience developing and managing publications, research workflows, and strategic campaigns
Experience managing budgets
Successful record of using multiple campaign strategies to achieve positive social change, including, for example, advocacy, research, archives, organizing, communications, and litigation
Familiarity with open-access publication platforms, data visualization tools, or digital humanities methods is a plus
Benefits
LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package.
Company
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.
LDF is the nation’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$0.3MKey Investors
NikeLumina Foundation
2023-02-15Grant
2022-02-15Grant· $0.3M
Leadership Team
Kevin Thomson
CFO
Claude Johnson
Chief Development Officer
Recent News
2025-11-19
2025-10-09
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