Director of Programs

Position Overview

Legal Aid of Western Missouri is entering a period of growth and organizational renewal. With a new Executive Director leading the way, the organization is strengthening its senior leadership structure to better support and expand its reach across a 40-county service area. This role is a key part of that effort, helping shape strategy, improve program performance, and advance advocacy priorities.

The Director of Programs is a senior leadership position focused on keeping legal services consistent, high-quality, and aligned with the organization’s mission. This role oversees legal programs across all offices, supports attorneys and managing attorneys, and helps guide the delivery of civil legal aid across the region.

What You Will Do

• Lead the strategic direction of all legal programs and provide direct supervision to managing attorneys in six offices.
• Set clear expectations for quality, efficiency, and client-centered legal representation while supporting complex and innovative legal work.
• Build a positive, learning-focused workplace through mentorship, professional growth support, retention efforts, and balanced workload distribution.
• Strengthen client service strategy by identifying unmet legal needs, broadening access for underserved communities, and keeping programs responsive to changing community needs.
• Monitor case management practices and ensure adherence to professional responsibility standards and funding requirements.
• Stay current on the law across practice areas and create training materials and learning resources on internal policies, procedures, and legal topics.
• Work with the Director of Operations to review and improve operational support for legal teams and staff.
• Contribute to organizational planning, policy development, and overall strategy as a member of the senior leadership team.
• Partner with Development, Finance, Human Resources, and Client Access teams on grants, funder reporting, budgeting, compliance, hiring, employee relations, and client access matters.
• Represent the organization in external partnerships, coalitions, bar associations, courts, and community-facing collaborations.

About the Organization

Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free civil legal help to people who need it most and have the fewest resources. With offices in Kansas City, Joplin, St. Joseph, and Warrensburg, the organization serves a 40-county region where 295,000 people live in poverty. Its work helps ensure that access to justice is available to everyone, not only those who can afford legal representation.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this role is $120,000 to $180,000, depending on years of experience and the organization’s formal pay scale. The expected hiring range is $120,000 to $150,000, with final placement influenced by relevant experience, budget considerations, and internal pay alignment.

Benefits include health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement contributions, generous leave, and support for continuing legal education and bar dues.