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About the Role

This senior leadership role involves shaping Vera's vision for criminal justice reform in New York at both city and state levels. The Director requires extensive knowledge of New York's criminal justice system, policy workings, strong stakeholder relationships, and proven experience leading policy change campaigns. The role demands a commitment to race equity and inclusion, a passion for social change, and relevant professional or lived experience with the criminal justice system.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, design, and implementation of advocacy strategies for GJNY policy campaigns.
Manage and execute GJNY’s work in research, writing, publications, projects, partnerships, and other deliverables.
Manage and operationalize various components of the team’s strategy, ensuring cohesion of workstreams.
Lead c4 and political advocacy campaigns with Vera Action to create political buy-in for new approaches to safety, accountability, and justice.
Develop and measure metrics to discern the impact of the established strategy.
Work closely with Vera’s Research, Communications, and Advocacy capacity teams to support the development and execution of the Restoring Promise strategy.
Partner with the development department to accomplish fundraising goals, cultivate funder relationships, and support proposal creation and reporting deadlines.
Manage GJNY’s stakeholder relationships at all levels of government in New York City, Albany, and across the state.
Manage relationships with advocates, community leaders, organizers, and organizations impacting work in New York.
Navigate complex political dynamics to advance GJNY’s work.
Lead and/or partner with other organizations, coalitions, or relevant groups to advance GJNY’s goals.
Represent Vera as an expert in media outlets, conferences, webinars, and other external events.
Serve as an organizational spokesperson in media, public forums, and conferences, including as Vera’s primary expert on New York criminal justice issues to journalists.
Draft and edit program reports, proposals, presentations, and internal/external blog posts to communicate updates on GJNY’s work.
Oversee and own the overall supervision and development of direct and indirect staff reports.
Manage professional development, goal setting, advancement, and accountability for staff, aligned with anti-racism, equity, and an inclusive workplace.
Manage all elements of the team’s operations, including budget, deadlines, and staff deployment.
Maintain regular contact with the finance department to develop, track, and manage budgets.

Requirements

Advanced degree and 12+ years of relevant experience, or applicable work or life experience in lieu of a degree.
Firsthand and extensive experience with New York’s criminal justice system as an advocate, practitioner, policymaker, lawyer, researcher, or directly impacted individual.
Experience managing staff, including those newer to the work world and those with more years of experience.
Expertise creating advocacy strategies from idea to infrastructure to implementation, including grassroots organizing and coalition building.

Skills

Curiosity and willingness to research, read, talk to people, and learn constantly about New York’s dynamic and evolving criminal justice field.
Ability to translate knowledge into strategic implementation and changes to policy and practice.
Demonstrated ability to produce excellent writing in a variety of settings, from longer reports, briefing memos, to media opinions and editorials.
Relevant work or educational background and lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal justice system.

Location

Brooklyn, NY office
Hybrid schedule (in-office generally 10 days per month)

Work Type

Hybrid

Experience Level

12+ years of relevant experience
Senior leader within the organization

Education Level

Advanced degree (or applicable work or life experience in lieu of degree)
Juris doctor or graduate degree in a social science or related field (or equivalent work experience)

Salary/Compensations

$152,000-157,000

Benefits

Merit pay
Generous paid time off
Comprehensive health insurance plan
Student loan repayment benefits
Professional development training opportunities
Up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work
Employer-funded retirement plan
Flexible time

About the Company

The Vera Institute of Justice leads the Greater Justice New York (GJNY) Program.
Vera's role is reforming New York’s criminal justice and public safety systems.
Vera operates as a 501(c)(3) function, frequently collaborating with Vera Action, its 501(c)(4) sister organization.
Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world.
Vera values diverse experiences, including educational background and justice system contact, and depends on a diverse staff to carry out its mission.

Equal Opportunity

Vera is an equal opportunity 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.