Operations Associate, Advocacy & Partnerships

About the team:

Veras Advocacy & Partnerships (A&P) department serves as the organizations 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 addition to being substantive experts in criminal legal and immigration reform A&P staff haveexpertisein leading and supporting campaigns navigating political government and executing on movement strategies and creating data and evidence for policy change.

Advocacy & Partnershipsis responsible forcoordinating the vision strategy and institutional development across Veras 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 iscomprisedof three core functions:

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

• Federal Policy which leads Veras advocacy strategies with the Administration and on the Hill in Washington DC

• Advocacy Messaging & Impactwhich leads Vera rapid responseadvocacy messaging.

In addition Veras Advocacy & Partnerships team benefits from close collaboration with Vera Action Veras 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 Actions 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 ina timelyfashion handling challenges well and proactively changing strategies when an effort is unsuccessful.

1. Executive Support:

• Provide ongoing support to theChief Advocacy Officer including calendar management and scheduling to conservetheCAOstime.
• 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-takingand 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 Departments monthly team meetings.
• Review each weeks 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 forCAOand 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 Veras 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 reportstotheCAOas needed.

4. Project Support:

• Support project management infrastructurefor theAdvocacy 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 withaportfolio of internal and external partners including but not limited to tracking deliverables and outcomes conducting periodic evaluations to ensure programobjectivesare 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 throughthoughtpartnership coordination research and support for departmental learning strategies.

What qualifications are we looking for

• Bachelors degree and up to 3 years of relevant lieu of a bachelors degree applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• Experience as an assistant with administrative project and logistical supportproficiency.
• Experienceprioritizingmultiple 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

Wewelcome candidateswho self-assess that their skills and strengths match the needs of the position.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities youll bring:

• Exceptional communicationandorganizational skills
• Proven ability to adapt and respond; overcomechallenges andleadwith solutions.
• Knowledge of administrative filing systems and project administration techniques.
• Demonstrated accuracy and efficiency in document preparationincludingcreating 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 directlyimpactedby the criminal system.
• Most of all you must be committed to transformational change and share the belief that for Veras 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 countrys 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 $69000-$72000.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 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 / JOBTITLE
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 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.