Operations Associate, Advocacy & Partnerships

About the team:

Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships (A&P) department serves as the organization’s “center of gravity” for initiatives and projects as we work in greater alignment with others in the movement ecosystem to win real, transformative criminal legal and immigration policy change. In addition to being substantive experts in criminal legal and immigration reform, A&P staff have expertise in leading and supporting campaigns, navigating political government, and executing on movement strategies, and creating data and evidence for policy change.

Advocacy & Partnerships is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and institutional development across Vera’s initiatives on advocacy, and to foster strong relationships and alignment with others so that we win policy change on our core issues. We bring to bear our strongest advocacy assets, including producing the data, evidence, and solutions that advance an advocacy or policy goal; leading and / or supporting the development of advocacy and campaign strategy, in coalition with other national and local organizations (or independently, but in alignment); researching and drafting policy, including legislation, directives, and regulations; and influencing elected officials and those in power to adopt and champion our criminal legal and immigration policy solutions.

The Advocacy & Partnerships Department is comprised of three core functions:

• State and Local Policy, which leads or partners with Vera initiatives to shape advocacy in state and local legislatures, as well as city councils, across the country

• Federal Policy, which leads Vera's advocacy strategies with the Administration and on the Hill in Washington, DC

• Advocacy Messaging & Impact, which leads Vera rapid response advocacy messaging.

In addition, Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships team benefits from close collaboration with Vera Action, Vera’s independent 501(c)(4) entity, to support strategic priorities through lobbying, political outreach, voter education, and political activity.

About the role:

The Operations Associate will assist with the day-to-day functions of the A&P Department, as well as provide executive support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, with some administrative support to Vera Action. The Operations Associate will provide ongoing support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, senior members of the Advocacy & Partnerships team, and to Vera Action’s deputy director. This includes calendar management, maintenance of file systems, meeting and event coordination, making travel arrangements, managing internal and external stakeholder relations, and helping to manage department priorities.

The Operations Associate will be a strong communicator who can conduct themselves with internal and external stakeholders at the executive level, stay organized and proficient at time management, and complete tasks independently and in a timely fashion, handling challenges well and proactively changing strategies when an effort is unsuccessful.

1. Executive Support:

• Provide ongoing support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, including calendar management and scheduling to conserve the CAO’s time.
• Serve as an administrative contact and liaison with external contacts, typically for scheduling virtual and in-person meetings, events, or interviews.
• Support document preparation, note-taking and other clerical tasks.
• Process expenses, produce and edit PowerPoint presentations, and other documents as needed.
• Provide daily updates on scheduling, administrative tasks completed, and those pending.

2. Administrative Support to the Advocacy Department and Vera Action:

• Schedule and arrange all meetings and activities for the CAO, A&P, and Vera Action, including setting up and owning the logistics for all in-person and remote meetings (ex: identifying meeting spaces, conference lines, and other necessary components).
• In partnership with the Associate Director of Operations, plan and be responsible for all aspects of the Advocacy Department’s monthly team meetings.
• Review each week’s meeting agendas in advance and prepare necessary briefing materials for relevant participants as needed.
• Manage conflicting scheduling issues and unexpected changes with supreme attention to detail.
• Handle all communications around scheduling with excellent service and professionalism.
• Coordinate scheduling, logistics, and detailed preparation for senior staff in A&P and Vera Action to attend external events.
• Document notes and necessary action items from key team meetings, such as monthly department engagements.
• Schedule and arrange meetings for senior team members, as needed, and support all team members in travel logistics, where needed.
• Handle travel arrangements and reimbursement documentation for CAO and senior team members.
• Provide coverage and support for various Advocacy Team functions such as reception desk and special events support as needed.

3. Fiscal and Contract Support:

• Facilitate procurement processes, including direct correspondence with Vera’s Legal Department and external vendors/partners.
• Process invoices, track expenses, and reconcile monthly expense reports.
• Track all non-staff expenses and invoices for all engagements and prepare summary reports to the CAO as needed.

4. Project Support:

• Support project management infrastructure for the Advocacy Team and Vera Action, including project development, documentation, execution, and closeout.
• Work closely with project leads to ensure that projects/activities meet objectives within agreed budgets and timelines.
• Support Advocacy Team in working with a portfolio of internal and external partners, including but not limited to, tracking deliverables and outcomes, conducting periodic evaluations to ensure program objectives are met, and collaborating with Advocacy Team leadership to ensure the integration of program goals.

5. Race, Equity and Inclusion

• Contribute to Advocacy & Partnerships’ REI working group through thought partnership, coordination, research, and support for departmental learning strategies.

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Bachelor's degree and up to 3 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a bachelor's degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• Experience as an assistant with administrative, project, and logistical support proficiency.
• Experience prioritizing multiple time-sensitive projects.
• Established experience in executing operations with confidentiality and personal responsibility.

Preferred:

• Experience within the advocacy space, preferred
• Experience working on campaigns and/or electoral operations settings, understanding the rapid and vital needs of up-to-the-minute responses, preferred

We welcome candidates who self-assess that their skills and strengths match the needs of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Exceptional communication and organizational skills
• Proven ability to adapt and respond; overcome challenges and lead with solutions.
• Knowledge of administrative filing systems and project administration techniques.
• Demonstrated accuracy and efficiency in document preparation including creating and editing charts, tables, graphs, and presentations
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse array of people and positions, including advocates, funders, government officials, criminal legal system personnel, practitioners, and people who are directly impacted by the criminal system.
• Most of all, you must be committed to transformational change and share the belief that, for Vera’s advocacy work to be effective, it must be rooted in anti-racism and aligned with the priorities of people and communities most impacted by this country’s criminal and immigration legal systems.

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 $69,000-$72,000. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325. 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.