Who we are:
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.
Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, 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.
Who you are:
Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships department is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and staff development across Vera’s initiatives to pass legislation, change policy, and create change at scale. We work to ensure that the goals of our advocacy campaigns align with the people and communities most impacted by criminal justice and immigration policies, and we collaborate with movement and advocacy partners to produce the right knowledge and ideas needed to change policies and legislation at the right time.
Vera’s advocacy department serves the following core functions:
- Providing state and local government and movement strategy guidance to Vera’s national and place-based initiatives, with a focus on lobbying, campaigns, and coalition work; Vera Insights, a rapid response data and evidence team responsible for developing and producing data and knowledge to key partners and audiences;
- Federal Policy expertise to lead Vera's advocacy strategies in DC; and
- Vera Action, an independent (c)(4) entity.
The learning goals of this internship include fostering skills in project management, information system design, and developing an understanding of the role advocacy plays in the criminal legal and immigration systems.
You are passionate about social and racial justice and motivated to help drive change. You are enthusiastic, collaborative, curious, and kind, and you value working with and helping others. You like creating processes to help teams function, and you like building information systems.
What you'll do:
Assist with the creation of multiple informational dashboards using Smartsheets software
- Review and gather information from team members to populate dashboard.
- Gather and synthesize information from staff outside of the Advocacy and Partnerships department
Manage SharePoint Database
- Update and maintain SharePoint data
Help create procedures to ensure the quality control of department data and information sharing
- Assist with the creation of mechanisms for extracting data from multiple units and compiling data into a single storage location
Assist with designing procedures for project management
- Researching and brainstorming the most effective project management models
Other ad hoc duties as assigned by Manager, including but not limited to
- Provide support for special events
- Limited research support
What qualifications are we looking for?
Preferred:
- Education in program management or equivalent work experience
- Ability to create Smartsheet dashboards
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:
- Proficiency in Smartsheets software.
- Exceptional organization skills
- Ability to pay attention to details.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Knowledge of project management software and models.
- Efficient at training and assisting staff with learning new digital platforms.
- Interest in criminal justice reform, racial equity, and justice
Technical knowledge we need you to be prepared to use:
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
- Smartsheet’s
- Asana
- Zoom
- Slack
- Outlook
Location:
Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.
Schedule:
The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 5th and August 11th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.
Compensation:
The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.
How to apply:
Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People Resources / Operations Intern, Advocacy & Partnerships
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.
As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.
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
