Summer 2026 Intern, People, Place and Culture

About the team:

The People Place and Culture (PPC) team at Vera oversees all employee-related operations including employee engagement talent acquisition learning & development and in Veras mission to advance justice and end mass incarcerationthe PPC teamapproaches this workthroughandequity-centered lensrecognizing thathow we support our people directly shapes our ability to drive systemic change. The PPC teamis focused on deliveringa memorable positive and seamless employee experience at Vera Institute of Justicethat supports staff in doing impactful mission-driven work.

Reporting to the Associate Director Talent Development the PPC Intern will have the opportunity to support learn and partner with all disciplines of the team to execute daily administrative functions and project work whilecontributing toimprovements and efficiencies in day-to-day operationsthat helpthe PPCteamdeliver operational excellence in an equitable and inclusive internship isa great opportunityfor anyone looking to gain hands-on experience in people operations and talent development within a mission-driven organization while learning how equity-centered people practices support staff strengthen organizational culture and advance social justice work.

The intern will gain a broad hands-on introduction to core People Place and Culture (PPC) functions with a focus on equity-centered HR practices. By the end of the internship the intern will be able to:

• Understand the full HR lifecyclebyobservingand supporting work in talent acquisition learning and development employee wellness and engagement.
• Strengthen skills in process improvement and documentation including how HR teams streamline templates create resources andmaintainclearequitablesystems.
• Build competence in internal communication learning how HR information is communicated across an organization to promote clarity and accessibility.
• Develop project management and organizational skillsthrough ownership of a small but meaningful initiative defined collaboratively based on summer priorities.
• Apply an equity lens to HR work learning how inclusive hiring onboarding and employee support practices are designed and implemented in a mission-driven nonprofit.

About the role:

1. Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

• Supportthepreparationand launchof VerasSummer Internship Programs
• Provide administrative supportsuch as:schedulingApplicant Tracking System (ATS)management sourcing communicating withhiringteams etc.
• Support the streamlining of GHRand generalHRtemplates while learning how HR documentation and the creation of standard processesshapesrecruitment and organizational clarity.
• Contribute to building structured interview question banks gaining exposure toequitablehiring practices and competency-based interviewing.

2. Learning & Development

• Support Learning & Development Programs (learning cafés career progression series leadership trainings etc.) in data collectionTeamsmoderating updating attendance reports etc.
• Contribute to the Learning Management System administration

3. HR Administration

• Draft and format content forinternal communicationsincluding:monthly newsletters Vera Café slideshow and internal updates building skills in clear inclusive HR communication.
• Assistin creating and updating organizational charts gaining insight into how team structures reporting lines and staffing decisions support organizational strategy and workforce planning.
• Help audit clean up and reorganize job description folders; support archiving PersonnelActionforms and documentation to understand how effective knowledge management supports HR operations.

4. Employee Engagement & Wellness

• Support planning and execution of Veras on-siteand virtualWellness events
• Support Employee Engagement events both in-person and virtual
• Contribute to the planning of annual events such as Vera Day Away

What qualifications are we looking for

• While this internship is open to current students we are also interested in candidates looking to pursue a career in anyfacetof Human Resources particularly in a nonprofit setting.
• Previous experience or exposure to business or people operations through education or profession is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to work with sensitive and confidential information

Preferred:

• Lived experience as a person directlyimpactedby the criminal legal/immigration system
• Experience administering data modification and manipulation such as running reports and analyzing their outcome
• Experience with HRIS systems such as ADP
• Experience with ATS systems such as Greenhouse
• Experience with Learning Management Systems

Knowledge Skills & Abilities youll bring:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams Outlook Word Excel PowerPoint) Slack
• Previousexposure to HR-related software (preferred but notrequired)

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Industry City Brooklyn 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 $17.00 - $25.00.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 Institutes 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 $2000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work employer-funded retirement plan and flexible time.To learn more about Veras benefits offeringsclick here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Place and Culture / Summer 2026 - Intern People Place and Culture
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St Suite 4-2A Brooklyn NY 11232
Fax:
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 includingwith regard toeducational background and justice system contact and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera please visit.