About Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)
What is NMIC?
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) is "a community-based, not-for-profit settlement house founded in 1979 that has grown into a leading multi-service agency" in New York City. Its mission is "to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of the people in our community on their paths to secure and prosperous futures." NMIC opened in March 1979 on 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue with two attorneys and four community organizers, offering free legal services to recent immigrants, mostly from the Dominican Republic. Today it provides free services to residents of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx across six core areas: housing, immigration, benefits and finance, health, education and career, and holistic services such as domestic violence support, case coordination and community organizing. NMIC serves about 14,000 people a year, and its site counts $14.2 million a year in cash benefits. Along the way it founded a Domestic Violence Project in 1998, developed two worker cooperatives (the cleaning co-op Ecomundo and NannyBee, a childcare service owned and run by nannies), and it runs YouthBuild, a paid five-month program for young adults aged 17 to 24.
Where will I work?
In Washington Heights, on a hybrid schedule. NMIC's main office at 45 Wadsworth Avenue "offers our full array of integrated services"; a Bronx office handles housing and immigration legal services, and a Court office provides emergency eviction prevention. All four current postings are hybrid: the Housing Attorney role is "required 2 days per week in office", and the Immigration Attorney role is "averaging 3 days per week in person". Legal roles include time in court.
What is the NMIC team like?
NMIC says it has grown "from a staff of two to a staff of over 120 dedicated professionals." Executive Director Maria Lizardo joined in 1998 as Director of Social Services, and the New York State Senate gave her a 2025 Women of Distinction Award. Deputy Executive Director Greg Bangser started in the Legal Services Department in 2005, the same year the current Director of Legal, Organizing & Advocacy Services joined the legal staff. "Every NMIC staff member has an important role in our operations, and we value the abilities, experience and background that they bring with them," the careers page says. Supervising attorneys are expected to "Mentor attorneys to support their professional development". The four roles open in September 2026 are a Communications Associate, a Housing Attorney, a Supervising Housing Attorney and an Immigration Attorney, and each publishes a salary range, from $60,000–$75,000 up to $104,880–$118,128.
Work-Life Balance
NMIC's time off is generous for a US employer. Its postings list "20 vacation days, 15 sick days, 5 personal days, 11 agency holidays, plus the week off from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day"; some postings list 12 agency holidays. That comes to at least 36 days a year before sick leave, and three of the four current postings add the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day on top. The hybrid model means two or three days a week in person for the roles that specify it.
Perks and Benefits
- 20 vacation days, 5 personal days and 15 sick days a year
- 11 or 12 agency holidays, plus the week off from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day on most postings
- Medical, dental, life and disability insurance
- A 401(k) with an agency contribution
- Hybrid work from the Washington Heights main office
- Salary ranges published on every posting
- Mentorship from supervising attorneys