Freedom Advocates Program Manager
Sanctuary of the South (SOS) Full-Time Contractor | Hybrid – South Florida | Reports to: Executive Director of Sanctuary of the South
Who We Are
Sanctuary of the South is a grassroots, private legal services organization serving immigrant communities across the South. We provide sliding scale legal services, community advocacy, and safety planning, free from government and funding restrictions. We are beholden only to the communities we serve, operating as a living experiment in justice, care, and collective power.
Freedom Advocates is a pilot program developed in collaboration between Sanctuary of the South and the Workers Circle, uniting grassroots advocacy and legal assistance to realize due process and win freedom for every immigrant detained in the United States.
About This Role
The Freedom Advocates Program Manager will sit at the heart of one of the most urgent legal efforts currently underway in the country. People are being detained, disappeared, and deported in violation of their constitutional rights. At “Alligator Alcatraz” and detention centers like it across the Southeast, thousands of individuals are without legal counsel, without recourse, and without anyone fighting for them in the system. This program exists to change that, and you will be the person who helps build the Program architecture and who makes it run.
As Program Manager, you will serve as the operational and relational hub of the Freedom Advocates pilot, coordinating the intake of detained individuals and their families, managing the deployment of Freedom Advocate attorneys, and ensuring that every piece of this program moves with the urgency and care the moment demands. You will work at the nexus of legal teams, community advocates, detained individuals, and their families, holding together a complex, fast-moving effort while keeping the humanity of each case at the center.
This is a full-time contracted position housed under Sanctuary of the South. The role may require both on-site presence at and around the Alligator Alcatraz detention center and surrounding Freedom Vigil sites, as well as remote coordination capacity. Ideal candidates will be located in the South Florida area.
What You'll Do
Intake & Case Coordination
Manage the intake process for detained individuals and their families seeking legal consultations through the Freedom Advocates program
Collect and organize intake information accurately and confidentially, ensuring all documentation meets the standards required for legal assessment
Coordinate initial consultations between detained individuals and Freedom Advocate attorneys, both on-site at the detention center and through the Freedom Vigils
Track each case from initial consultation through assessment, ensuring attorneys have what they need to determine bond eligibility and habeas corpus viability
Maintain clear, organized records of all case documentation, deadlines, and status updates in coordination with SOS's legal and administrative infrastructure
Program Operations & Management
Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Freedom Advocates pilot, ensuring the program runs efficiently, ethically, and in alignment with SOS's mission and values
Coordinate the deployment of Freedom Advocate’s affiliated law firms, managing scheduling, communication, and logistical needs across the coalition
Serve as the primary point of contact between SOS, participating law firms, the Workers Circle, and other coalition partners
Monitor program metrics, track outcomes, and produce regular reports on consultation volume, case assessments, bond and habeas filings, and overall program progress
Support SOS's accounting and documentation requirements for philanthropic and foundation grant reporting
Identify operational gaps or bottlenecks and work proactively with SOS leadership to address them
Community & Family Liaison
Work alongside the Workers Circle's community catalyst to connect families at Freedom Vigils with legal resources and program intake
Build trust with detained individuals and their families through compassionate, culturally responsive communication that centers dignity at every touchpoint
Coordinate the collection of community support materials (e.g., character letters, testimony, and other documentation) from Freedom Vigil participants and local advocates for use in bond and habeas motions
Ensure families are informed, supported, and connected throughout the legal process, not left navigating it alone
Coalition Coordination
Liaise with nonprofit partners, pro bono attorneys, and advocacy organizations joining the Freedom Advocates coalition under the direction of SOS
Support the Workers Circle in connecting grassroots advocates to meaningful, legally appropriate roles within active cases
Participate in coalition planning conversations as the program scales beyond the pilot phase
What We're Looking For
Required
Demonstrated experience in immigrants’ rights, immigration law, and/or direct immigration services;
Demonstrated experience in program management, legal case coordination, or a comparable operational role in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple cases, relationships, and moving parts simultaneously without losing attention to detail
Experience working directly with vulnerable communities, particularly those navigating legal, immigration, or crisis situations
Deep commitment to confidentiality, ethical standards, and the protection of people whose safety may depend on how information is handled
Ability to communicate clearly and compassionately across lines of language, culture, power, and lived experience
Willingness and ability to work on-site at and around detention facilities and Freedom Vigil sites, which may require irregular hours
Alignment with SOS's mission and values: compassion, justice, equity, community care, and resilience
Fluent in Spanish and English
Preferred
Familiarity with federal court proceedings, such as petitions for habeas corpus
Experience coordinating across multi-organizational coalitions or partnerships
Background in intake coordination or case management within a legal services context
How We Work
SOS operates under a model of open, timely communication, shared goals, and mutual respect across all roles. This role will require a particularly high degree of relational agility, moving fluidly between detained individuals and their families, coalition attorneys, grassroots advocates, and SOS leadership while keeping everyone oriented toward the same goal.
Given the nature of this work, standard hours will be arranged collaboratively and may at times require flexibility beyond a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. SOS takes seriously its commitment to team well-being and will work with the Program Manager to ensure that the demands of this role are sustainable. All SOS policies around self-care, time off, and mutual accountability apply to this position.
Compensation
This is a full-time contracted position with an annual salary of $65,000. Compensation is funded through the Freedom Advocates pilot budget, with a guaranteed grant fund of at least one year. This will hopefully be a long-term position, but additional years are contingent on program funding. SOS and the Workers Circle are actively pursuing philanthropic and foundation grants to support this program and will communicate transparently with the incoming Program Manager about funding status throughout the hiring process.
To Apply
Send a resume and a brief note (no more than one page) telling us who you are and why this work matters to you to sos@sanctuaryofthesouth.com. No traditional cover letter needed — we want to hear from you in your own voice.
