Job Description

WHO WE ARE

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, envisions a society that respects the dignity of every person and safeguards justice for everyone. Vera is committed to securing equal justice, ending mass incarceration, and strengthening families and communities.

• We study problems that impede human dignity and justice.
• We pilot solutions that are at once transformative and achievable.
• We engage diverse communities in informed debate.
• And we harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice.

We work with others who share our vision to tackle the most pressing injustices of our day—from mass incarceration, racial disparities, and the loss of public trust in law enforcement to the unmet needs of people who are vulnerable, marginalized, and harmed by crime and violence. Vera has offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. Vera is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We hire employees that reflect our values: respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, and race equity. If you want to learn more about life at Vera click here.

THE INITIATIVE TO END GIRLS' INCARCERATION

We are Vera’s Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration team. We believe that communities and systems cannot ensure freedom and justice for all kids without being responsive to how gender and sexism intersect with racism to drive youth incarceration.

We work to end the incarceration of youth on the girls’ side of the juvenile justice system by building stronger, safer, and more equitable communities where girls and gender expansive youth of color are no longer criminalized for the violence and discrimination they face.

Through our initiative, we partner with “Getting to Zero” sites across the country to create new programs and enact systemic changes that will better support the safety and well-being of girls and gender expansive youth in their communities, address the root causes of their incarceration, and permanently close the doors to girls’ juvenile detention and placement facilities.

Our change process blends the practice experience and data generated by government systems with national research and the expertise of the young people, grassroots organizers, advocates, and service providers that are closest to the challenges we aim to address.

Over the coming few years, we are looking to leverage the success of the work across our sites to develop local and statewide advocacy campaigns that catalyze and focus movement-building efforts on getting to zero and to push for legislative and policy changes at the local, state, and federal level that can further our site-based work.

Our efforts are rooted in the following core values:

• Justice and Equity: All young people have a right to equitable access to resources within their communities, as well as equal protection of the law. Public systems, families and communities are accountable to youth, regardless of their identities.
• Self Determination and Freedom: All young people have a right to self-determination—to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be valued as experts in their own lives. Gender-responsive reform means recognizing girls’ resistance as strength, celebrating their power, and promoting their freedom.
• Safety and Safe Spaces: All young people have a right to grow up in places where they feel safe, where they are free from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and other threats to their safety. Systems must focus efforts on preventing and addressing the harm girls and gender expansive youth experience, rather than criminalizing girls’ defenses against harm.
• Childhood and Adolescence: All young people have a right to a healthy and supported childhood and adolescence. This includes the freedom to develop, experience, and express their identity and sexuality without judgment or consequence, as well as their right to love and be loved, to have meaningful and lasting connections with family, friends, and community.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As the Operations Associate, you will report to the Project Director of the Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration and be responsible for providing high level executive support to the Project Director and Senior Associates. The Operations Associate will assist with the day-to-day function of the Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration Team, including with scheduling, project management, and other administrative supports.

The Operations Associate’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Executive Support:
  • Provides ongoing support to the Project Director, including calendar management and scheduling
  • Maintain filing system
  • Support document preparation, note-taking and other clerical supports
  • Process expenses
  • Plan EGI team meetings
  • Produce and edit PowerPoints and documents as needed
  • Coordinate with internal functional units (development, fiscal, legal, people resources)
• Project Management Support:
  • Project plan development
  • Project documentation
  • Ongoing monitoring of adherence to budget, scope and timeline; and closeout
• Administrative Support:
• Providing administrative support to the EGI Leadership Team, including 4-5 senior associates or managers
• Maintain vendor relationships from ensuring submission of contracts for legal review in Open Source to the review and processing of invoices
• Making travel arrangements
• Coordinate grant reporting with the development department
• Correspondence with funders regarding project timelines, budget modifications etc.
• Logistics for large external collaborative meetings
• Scheduling and coordinating with attendees, panelists and or speakers for public events

WHO YOU ARE

• You share Vera’s commitment to race and gender justice.

• Demonstrated ability to take initiative to organize, prioritize and follow through on work assignments.

• Exceptional organizational skills/attention to detail and outstanding project management skills; ability to handle and prioritize multiple time-sensitive projects.

• Demonstrated accuracy and efficiency in document preparation. An ability to produce documents with minimal editorial changes required prior to distribution.

• Skill in creating and editing charts, tables, graphs and presentations, using PowerPoint, Word and Excel software with minimal assistance.

• Demonstrated knowledge of administrative filing systems and project administration techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a team environment and to work efficiently on an independent basis.

• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement and management skill.

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse array of people and positions, including advocates, government officials, criminal legal system personnel, practitioners, and people who are directly impacted by the criminal system.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NEED

The Operations Associate candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Associate’s Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent work experience. Successful candidates will have at least 3 years of experience in office or project administration.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or similar software.
• There is no minimum educational requirement for this position.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• This is a full-time position available immediately.
• This position can be based in any of our office locations in Brooklyn, NY, Washington D.C., or Los Angeles, CA or remotely.
• Salary is competitive plus excellent benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter and resume. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Online submission in PDF format (through Vera’s career page) is preferred. No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

ATTN: Human Resources / Operations Associate, Initiative to End Girls' Incarceration 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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