Head of Legal

Head of Legal, Systemic Justice

€65k- €80k

Systemic Justice is a unique human rights NGO that sees the world differently. We work to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice. Because we believe that those most impacted by systemic injustice should be at the centre of judicial remedy, we partner with communities to co-create and co-implement litigation strategies, and litigate cases that challenge the structures perpetuating inequality, injustice and harm. You could call it an applied philosophy of law.

Systemic Justice operates three legal workstreams. Legal programmes help to create the conditions for communities to engage more effectively with strategic litigation as a tool for change on their own terms, while legal casework involves developing and pursuing strategic litigation cases that challenge systemic injustices. And we are committed to building a Community of Practice which enables lawyers to understand and embrace a more community-centred approach to their work.

This role oversees all three workstreams, plus strategic and operational leadership of our expert legal team and practice. So it’s a far broader remit than merely litigation: working with communities (including legal peers) on building capacity and knowledge is just as important to our mission, and you must show that you understand the fundamental integration of these aspects.

Relevant career paths for strong candidates could include a managing lawyer or legal director with litigation experience, to a senior leader within an NGO whose background is in legal practice and litigation, or a chief legal officer / head of litigation. You must also bring an absolute commitment to community leadership, the ability to build meaningful relationships with diverse groups, and a passion for making strategic litigation more accessible and powerful for justice movements.

Our work is rooted in our foundational values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the injustices we work to address, as well as people who examine their unconscious bias and take responsibility for creating diverse, equitable, inclusive work environments. We invite anyone who does not have lived experience with systems of oppression to reflect on their suitability for this role, and (if they choose to apply) to address this at the outset.

For more information, please visit https://lead-systemicjustice.co.uk  If you have any queries that are not covered in the candidate materials, you can email us at [email removed - click apply for more details]  Alternative formats for candidate information may be requested at your initial contact.

Closing date: 7 May 2025.