Manager of Advocacy Services

Manager of Advocacy Services

Full-time (40 hours), mostly first shift with some on call responsibilities. 

Sojourner Family Peace Center employs dedicated, hardworking professionals who want to be of service to others and make a difference in Milwaukee and surrounding communities. If you have a desire to help support survivors and work with passionate colleagues, whose personal and professional experience is as diverse as the clients we serve, this may be the position for you.

Overview

The Manager of Advocacy Services supports the Director of Advocacy Services by providing direct supervisory, operational, and service-quality leadership for assigned advocacy programs and staff. The Manager helps ensure consistent, trauma-informed, survivor-centered service delivery; supports day-to-day coordination, staff coaching, documentation follow-through, and program compliance; and assists with implementation of change management. This position serves as a key operational leader within Advocacy Services, helping translate department expectations into daily practice.

Total Rewards Program We Provide 

Competitive Pay

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance 

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Group Life Insurance

403B Retirement Plan with Generous Match

Comprehensive Wellness Program

Flexible Spending Accounts

Generous PTO Policy 

5 Wellness Days 

Paid Holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Voluntary Benefits through Colonial Life Insurance

Professional Development Opportunities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program & Operational Support

1. Support day-to-day operations of assigned Advocacy Services programs, ensuring services are delivered consistently, safely, and in alignment with agency and program expectations.

2. Coordinate staff schedules, coverage, daily workflow, service logistics, documentation follow-up, and routine operational problem-solving in collaboration with the Director of Advocacy Services.
3. Monitor daily service needs, client flow, partner communication, supplies, and operational barriers.
4. Support implementation of tools, procedures, workflows, and service improvements across assigned advocacy teams.
5. Provide limited direct advocacy support as needed during urgent, specialized, or coverage-related circumstances.

Program Quality, Documentation, and Compliance

6. Monitor assigned staff documentation, data entry, case records, client follow-up, and routine quality checks for timeliness, accuracy, and compliance.

7. Support adherence to agency policies, grant expectations, program procedures, safety protocols, and applicable legal or regulatory requirements.
8. Assist the Director with tracking service trends, client needs, program outcomes, operational risks, and opportunities for improvement.
9. Support preparation of program information, service data, outcome updates, and documentation needed for reports, grants, audits, or internal review.
10. Help ensure advocacy services are delivered in a culturally responsive, confidential, client-centered, and trauma-informed manner.

Internal and External Coordination

11. Coordinate with internal teams and community partners to support client safety, service continuity, referrals, and access to resources.

12. Maintain working knowledge of domestic violence resources, civil and criminal legal systems, community supports, and advocacy service practices.
13. Participate in partner meetings, outreach, trainings, and department activities as assigned and in alignment with program priorities.
14. Communicate routine program updates, service needs, and operational concerns in a clear and timely manner.

Professional Standards

15. Ability to work a regular schedule and have regular attendance at the workplace.
16. Practice agency policies and safety in the workplace.
17. Participate in all mandatory meetings and trainings. 
18. Uphold and exhibit the agency’s Core Values.
19. All other work-related duties and projects as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, criminal justice, psychology, public health, or related field required.

• A minimum of 3 years of related advocacy, human services, victim services, crisis response, legal advocacy, or survivor-serving experience required.
• Prior supervisory, lead-worker, program coordination, or team leadership experience required.
• Experience working with adults and/or children exposed to interpersonal violence, trauma, crisis, or related barriers.
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed, survivor-centered, culturally responsive, and confidential service delivery.
• Strong communication, organization, documentation, problem-solving, and crisis intervention skills.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master’s degree preferred.

• Knowledge of local community resources and the domestic violence victim advocacy service system preferred.
• Experience with civil or criminal legal advocacy, safety planning, case documentation, partner coordination, or staff training preferred.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish or other languages preferred.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Ensure that employees are aware of, read and understand agency and department policies. Hold staff accountable for adhering to handbook and all other agency policies, attending new hire orientation, mandatory trainings and meetings.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

Knowledge Requirements

Sensitivity and understanding of domestic violence issues, knowledge of community resources, comprehension of the criminal justice system, communication skills, and ability to advocate for the needs of clients. Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, and measurement of these effects. Knowledge of principles and processes for providing effective client service, including needs assessments, meeting quality standard for services and evaluation of client satisfaction. Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, strategies for effective group facilitation.

Individuals must have experience working with adults and/or children exposed to interpersonal violence. Demonstrate career progression and increasing roles of responsibility; exceptional strategic planning, analytical, research, writing and oral advocacy skills. Ability to articulate legal concepts and complex issues and communicate them tactfully and effectively to a variety of audiences; initiative, vision and ability to develop and implement short and long-term integrated advocacy strategies. 

Communication Skills

Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with vendors, clients, partners and other employees of the organization. Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to read, comprehend and follow instructions, correspondence, publications and memos. Ability to prepare letters, database entries, reports, memos, correspondence, and documentation. Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business articles, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to prepare reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. 

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to work effectively independently and to work as a collaborative member of a team.

Other Skills and Abilities

Individual must have experience working with adults and/or children exposed to interpersonal violence with demonstrated career progression and increasing roles of responsibility; exceptional strategic planning, analytical, research, writing and oral advocacy skills, as well as the ability to articulate legal concepts and complex issues and communicate them tactfully and effectively to a variety of audiences; initiative, vision and ability to develop and implement short and long-term integrated advocacy strategies. 

Familiarity with trauma and domestic violence and knowledge of the domestic violence victim advocacy service system is required. Ability to listen and help clients develop personal plans for safety and assess their needs for legal and other support services; to handle multiple cases simultaneously, pay close attention to detail, have critical problem solving skills, think strategically and work as a member of the team; to work with men and women from culturally diverse backgrounds and make and maintain community connections to resources.

Must have transportation and travel as necessary along with work on-site in community based agencies located throughout the City of Milwaukee. Evening and weekend hours may be required. Requires the ability to operate a variety of standard business machines, such as a computer and the job related software, a keyboard, telephone, photocopier, postage machine, etc.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. 

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The position is an office-based position.

Apply using our online application system at http://familypeacecenter.org/careers. The review process will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Please apply and upload your resume directly to our web site; we do not access resumes posted in Indeed.  

Sojourner complies with all federal, state, and local employment laws, providing equal employment opportunities without discrimination. In accordance with federal requirements, we will ensure that hiring, promotion, and workplace practices remain aligned with applicable laws and regulations.

Visit our Website at http://familypeacecenter.org