Associate Director, Vera Louisiana

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

About the team:

Since 2006, Vera has been working in New Orleans to not only safely reduce the jail population footprint, but also to pilot alternatives addressing the needs of New Orleanians outside of the criminal legal system. We have become a nexus for advancing evidence-based reform and have demonstrated that change is not only possible but within reach. Today, Vera Louisiana’s work focuses on two strategic priorities: increasing investments in thriving communities to increase safety and addressing Louisiana’s carceral impact in cities, parishes, and statewide.  

The Associate Director will manage and support policy development and advocacy aimed at ending mass incarceration and securing investments in safe, thriving communities locally and statewide. The Associate Director will collaborate with the program director to develop policy and advocacy strategy and implementation; manage advocacy and policy team members performing related work; explore opportunities for partnership with government and community leaders and organizations across Louisiana; write policy reports and memos; and draft strategic communications. Externally, the Associate Director helps the Director build and maintain relationships with elected officials, government bodies, and advocates across the state to enact criminal legal system reforms, defend against regressive policies, practices and narratives, and construct new narratives.

The ideal candidate has an understanding of the criminal legal system and legislative system in Louisiana and wants to work towards a vision of community safety that builds and supports thriving communities. This is a full-time position based in Louisiana. Qualified applicants must be able to travel to Baton Rouge regularly for state legislative advocacy, during regular and special legislative sessions, and across the state to build and maintain Vera Louisiana’s presence and advocacy. 

About the role:

Program Strategy, Management and Development

• Collaborate with Director on overall policy and advocacy strategy of Vera Louisiana team
• Manage and develop partnerships, communications and work plans
• Assist in the development of annual plans and other internal facing strategic documents
• Drafting, editing, and supervising team members’ drafting of diverse written deliverables, including longer reports, briefing memos, strategic communications for external audiences
• Conducting research and synthesizing existing research, data, and talking points in order to develop and author effective publications and communications tools as well as speck in programs such as convenings, webinars, and community presentations
• Serve as a subject matter expert to team on topics that may include criminal legal system reform policy analysis, development and advocacy
• Liaise with other teams, projects, and departments across Vera to advance Vera Louisiana goals

Staff Supervision

• Manage, assign, review, and provide feedback on the work of Program Managers, Senior Program Associates, Program Associates, and Interns
• Collaborate with Vera Louisiana’s research team leadership to efficiently integrate the team’s data and research into Vera Louisiana’s policy and advocacy strategy and deliverables
• Meet regularly with staff to support day-to-day project management and continual professional development
• Lead regular policy/advocacy team meetings, strategy sessions, and debriefs to help the team work together seamlessly and effectively
• Take a leadership role in the recruitment, interviewing, selection, and onboarding of new team members

Community Outreach and Public Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners and government officials
• Provide collaboration, thought leadership and robust participation in partner coalitions
• Communicate regularly and collaborate with advocacy partners to build momentum for reforms
• In collaboration with Director, represent Vera Louisiana in public at meetings, public hearings, and conferences

Other Job Duties as Assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Advanced degree in public policy, social work, political science, criminal justice, or related field + 9 – 12 years of relevant experience; or relevant work or educational background and lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered
• Deep understanding of the Louisiana criminal legal system
• Ability to discuss race equity issues within the criminal legal system
• Demonstrated ability to manage a project, including assigned staff, from start to finish
• Experience designing and running advocacy projects
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams and managing diverse social backgrounds and identities
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both externally and internally with team members
• Experience producing independently written communication to diverse media and audiences including community members, government officials, members of the public and other stakeholders

Preferred: 

• Juris doctor or graduate degree in public policy, social work, political science, criminal justice, or related field; or equivalent work experience; or relevant work or educational background and lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system
• Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system
• Experience managing, supervising, or leading a team
• Experience designing and implementing successful advocacy campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to work with advocates, government officials, criminal legal system personnel, practitioners, and people who are directly impacted by the criminal legal system

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

• Experience and comfort speaking publicly, including giving public comment and testimony and speaking on panels at conferences and meetings
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Comfort interpreting criminal justice data and social science or legal research
• Ability to travel periodically across the state 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our New Orleans, LA office or will be remotely-based within Louisiana.   Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $129,000 - $134,000. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff - both personally and professionally - is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here. 

Application Process:

To receive further consideration for this career opportunity, applicants are asked preliminary questions about logistics, their interest and qualifications. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional details about their experience via a phone screen/form in advance of an invitation for a virtual or in-person interview with the team. Some searches may explore scenarios during the interview process and/or an assessment prior to reference checks and a hiring decision.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Associate Director, Vera Louisiana
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status. 

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission. 

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.

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