Director, Restoring Promise

About the team:

The Vera Institute of Justice’s Restoring Promise transforms prison cultures, climates, and spaces in partnership with correctional leaders and realigns corrections policies and practice with a commitment to human dignity. The team trains correctional staff as leaders and peacemakers; supports and develops incarcerated mentors to play an essential role in culture change and transformation; produces data and evidence to advance reform; and engages in advocacy, communications, and narrative change.

About the role:

The Restoring Promise Initiative Director will be responsible for the overall direction and management of the team’s work, including the development of and accountability for the team’s goals; supervision of the team and managing its budget; and the development of key relationships and partnerships—including but not limited to Departments of Corrections commissioners, leaders of advocacy organizations, state and federal policymakers in corrections, and key experts and practitioners.

As a senior leader within the organization, the Director has significant responsibility for shaping the vision of corrections and prisons work and collaborates with staff and other senior leaders in the organization to drive change at scale. The Director’s professional training may be in government, evidence-based policymaking, applied research, policy advocacy, or organizing at the federal or state level. The Director has a commitment to race equity and inclusion (REI) in their work, a passion for driving social change, and professional and/or lived experience with the criminal justice system.

• Lead overall strategic direction and management for the Restoring Promise Initiative, setting goals, supervising the team, and managing the budget.
• Develop and execute strategy across policy advocacy, research, legislative advocacy, and on-site technical assistance.
• Measure and analyze impact metrics, coordinate with research, communications, and advocacy teams.
• Manage fundraising, cultivate relationships with funders, and oversee proposal development and reporting.
• Develop and manage relationships with state/federal corrections leaders, legislators, advocacy organizations, incarcerated people, and academia.
• Represent Vera in media, conferences, webinars, and external events, leading messaging on human dignity and prison conditions.
• Fluent in rapid-response strategy, partnering with Vera Action for political engagement.
• Draft program reports, proposals, presentations, and internal/external blog posts.
• Oversee staff development, set goals, ensure accountability, maintain a commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion.
• Supervise unit leaders across operations, site work, and communications; manage budget, deadlines, and staff deployment.
• Collaborate regularly with finance to develop, track, and manage budgets.

Qualifications

Required:

• Advanced degree and 12+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated leadership and professional work experience in restorative justice, prison conditions, systems change, and/or other issues related to changing corrections policies and practices; and experience working on policy or practice change with Departments of Corrections.
• Track record of media appearances and public speaking.
• Experience and competency leading strategic planning, developing program design, budgets, and bringing programs to scale.
• Experience developing and managing a multi-disciplinary portfolio of work with multiple strategies and funding streams, including strong project management, problem solving, and delegation skills.

Preferred:

• A track record communicating and translating quantitative and qualitative data and research findings to drive policy and practice change; research training and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities You’ll Bring

• Existing relationships with senior leaders in the corrections ecosystem, including State DOC commissioners, expert researchers, leaders of organizations in the prison reform field, policymakers, advocates, practitioners, and people directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
• Strong fundraising skills as demonstrated through amount of funds raised, relationships with a variety of funders, and experience developing proposals.
• Strong leadership skills, with demonstrated experience having led a team with varying levels of experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and experience developing communications for a variety of settings and among diverse audiences.

Location

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY 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 $155,000-$160,000. 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, up to $2,000 annually 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

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.

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.

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