Initiative 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.  

1. Strategy and Program Management 

• Serve as the Restoring Promise Initiative lead: refining, defining, and executing strategy and a holistic vision that elevates the work at a national level. 
• Manage and operationalize various components of the team’s strategy—including site-based technical assistance, policy advocacy, research, and legislative advocacy where needed—and ensure cohesion of workstreams. 
• Develop and measure metrics to discern the impact of established strategies. 
• 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, to cultivate relationships with funders, and to support funder relationship management, proposal creation, and reporting deadlines.  

2. Strategic Partnerships and Field Building  

• Develop and manage external relationships relevant to advance Restoring Promise’s work, including but not limited to: state/federal leaders in corrections, legislators, Department of Corrections/Corrections leaders, community organizations, advocates, incarcerated people, and relevant academics.   
• Navigate complex political dynamics to advance Restoring Promise’s work.   
• Lead and/or partner with other organizations, coalitions or other relevant groups to advance Restoring Promise’s goals.  

3. Driving Public Opinion and Debate  

• Represent Vera as one of the organization’s experts in media outlets (op-eds, interviews), conferences, webinars, and other external events.  
• Lead messaging and narrative strategies around human dignity, prison conditions, and other issues related to centering human dignity for people in prison and for corrections staff. 
• Be fluent and have tangible experience in rapid response strategies and anticipate those opportunities, including partnering with Vera Action, the sister 501(c)(4), where necessary to tackle the challenging politics of crime.  
• Draft and edit program reports, proposals, presentations, and internal/external blog posts to communicate updates on Restoring Promise’s work.  

4. Team Management, Mentorship and Supervision 

• Oversee and own the overall development of Restoring Promise’s staff, including professional development, goal setting and elements of accountability, aligned with Vera’s commitment to anti-racism, equity, and an inclusive workplace.   
• Supervise unit leaders on the team across operations, site work and communications or campaign elements, ensuring that they execute efficiently with a propensity for learning.  
• Manage all elements of the team’s operations including budget, deadlines, staff deployment, and team management. 
• Maintain regular contact with the finance department to develop, track, and manage budgets. 

What qualifications are we looking for?

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 $160,000-$175,000. 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. 

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / [JOBTITLE]
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 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.