Description

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.

This role allows up to four days a week of remote work and requires regular travel.
 

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.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties, or equivalent academic achievement. 
• Master’s degree in a relevant field may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.
• An advanced degree preferred (JD, MPA, MPP, MBA, or comparable).

Experience
     

• Minimum five (5) years of experience at and/or above the journey-level that included responsibility for such professional-level activities such as budgeting, administrative analysis, program development, marketing, evaluation, human resources management, and/or work contributing to the development of operational procedures or plans. 
• Minimum three (3) years’ management/supervisory experience administering personnel and budget requirements. 

Preferred Experiences/Qualifications

•      JD strongly preferred.
•      A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in grants administration, philanthropy, nonprofit administration, or public-sector         program management preferred.
•      A minimum of five (5) years of management or supervisory experience, including leading professional staff preferred.
•      Knowledge of California’s civil legal aid ecosystem and familiarity with IOLTA, EAF, and related public funding sources.
•      Experience administering grants in a government, judicial branch, or philanthropic environment, including working with a governing board or                commission.
•      Familiarity with nonprofit fiscal compliance and GAAP, and with grants-management systems (e.g., SmartSimple).
•      Understanding of the state legislative and budget process as it relates to program funding.
•      Demonstrated experience overseeing compliance and/or fiscal monitoring of a grant or program portfolio.
•      Experience navigating and drafting recommendations related to complex and sometimes novel compliance issues.

Key Competencies

•      Strategic and systems thinking, with the ability to translate goals into operational plans and measurable results.
•      Sound judgment in matters of compliance, fiscal integrity, and risk management.
•      Strong people leadership, including staff development and change management.
•      Excellent written and verbal communication, including preparing materials for commissioners, trustees, and policymakers.
•      A demonstrated commitment to access to justice, equity, and public service.