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 working 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 Program Associate will work closely with programmatic and research staff on the Vera Louisiana Team to advance Vera Louisiana’s local and statewide work that promotes investments in safe, thriving communities, reform of the criminal legal system driving decarceration, and establishment of community-based models preventing and addressing violence and crises. They will draft program materials, contribute to effective communications strategies, manage coalitions and collaborations with community partners, and advocate to elected and government officials in public meetings. Ideally, the Program Associate has experience with and a basic understanding of the criminal legal and/or immigration systems in Louisiana. 

About the role:

Advocacy and collaboration 

  • Foster relationships with external partners, including being the primary contact, developing agendas for coalition meetings, facilitating meetings, providing or designating notetaking etc.
  • Connect external partners to our resources and internal experts to support key campaigns.
  • Strengthen existing partnerships with local organizations, including those led by system-impacted people, in the criminal justice reform and related sectors to manage a unified coalition to increase city budget investments and advance policy changes;
  • Build relationships with local policymakers and government partners to educate them on Vera Louisiana issues;
  • Lead coalition meetings and serve as main point of contact for partners;
  • Draft memos, fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, and reports that focus on issues related to criminal legal system reform, decarceration, prosecution reform and investments in violence/crime prevention initiatives

Project Management and Organization 

  • Drive several projects at once and be able to multitask or shift priorities, while maintaining timelines and meeting deadlines;
  • Provide support to Vera Louisiana research department projects;
  • Connect with Vera’s Communications, People Resources, Research, and IT departments, and/or any other internal Vera team to push projects forward;
  • Assist in the drafting, review, editing, and development of other program materials, as necessary
  • Develop and update internal task management trackers and calendars
  • Take notes and track action items in internal and external meetings, helping to manage workflow and priorities 

Communications 

  • Help draft talking points, op-eds or other communications materials from Vera Louisiana’s work and share them internally and with external partners as needed;
  • Co-develop communications strategy that connects our work with the public
  • Co-develop and draft bi-monthly newsletters to our email list highlighting our work;
  • Suggest any updates/edits to the Communications team regarding Vera Louisiana products on our internal site. Submit any inquiries or future projects to the Communications team internal tracker

What qualifications are we looking for?

  • A bachelor’s degree in political science, criminal justice, or other related field + 3 – 5 years of work experience. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered   

Preferred: 

  • Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system
  • A basic understanding of the criminal legal system in Louisiana
  • A deep commitment to racial equity and advancing anti-racism, both in our workplace and in the world. You incorporate this value, share it with others, and lead with these principles. 

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

  • Exceptional attention to detail with task-management and organizational skills
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and effective time management skills
  • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, effectively, and efficiently, both independently and collaboratively with colleagues
  • Exhibited ability to take initiative to organize, prioritize and follow through on work assignments
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills, including active listening and collaboration with diverse people
  • Understand the impact of structural racism and oppression and be able to speak about commitment to community building, equal justice, and racial equity 

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

  • Zoom, PowerPoint, Microsoft Office Suite, Google, Slack, Asana and other relevant software 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our New Orleans, LA, office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $77,000 - $80,000. 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. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325.

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 / Program Associate, 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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