Overview
Who we are:
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.
Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
Who we are:
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a non-profit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. Vera is an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. Vera is committed to securing equal justice, ending mass incarceration, and strengthening families and communities.
About Acacia Center for Justice:
The Acacia Center for Justice is a new non-profit created through a collaboration between the Vera Institute of Justice (“Vera”) and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (“CAIR”) Coalition. The CAIR Coalition is a non-profit organization in the focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region. CAIR adheres to the fundamental belief that all people – no matter their story – deserve to be free, safe, supported, and have access to a just legal system.
The objective of the Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) is to expand on Vera’s work over the past twenty years in providing legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development, coordination and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are two-fold: to support immigrant legal services and defense networks to provide exceptional legal services to immigrants and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness and freedom. Acacia will focus the collective power of both Vera and CAIR on delivering accountable, independent, zealous and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants at risk of deportation.
Please note: This career opportunity will begin as a position with the Vera Institute of Justice that will transition to Acacia Center for Justice on or before July 1, 2022.
Who you are:
The Senior Program Associate is the first point of contact for legal service providers (LSPs) in Vera’s Unaccompanied Children Program network. The Senior Program Associate maintains a close relationship with LSPs via monthly calls, site visits, and ad hoc communication to identify challenges and best practices; ensure contract compliance; and strategically brainstorm solutions to issues that arise. Employing their understanding of LSP program management and immigration law/practice, the Senior Program Associate will identify areas for training and technical assistance to meet the network’s substantive legal needs. They will join a functional team with immigration advocacy, child welfare, finance, and research backgrounds.
In this role, you will:
Program Management & Site Visits Evaluations
- Conduct site visits of each assigned legal service provider (biennially, remote or in person) and draft site visit evaluations.
- Develop and maintain relationships with existing and new legal service providers by conducting monthly check-in calls, reviewing monthly narrative reports, and ad hoc communication.
- Creatively brainstorm solutions to challenges experienced by legal service providers.
- Maintain expertise about operations of assigned LSPs to ensure contract compliance and to troubleshoot impediments to high-quality legal services delivery.
Operations Planning & Technical Assistance
- Conduct site visits of each assigned legal service provider (biennially, remote or in person) and draft site visit evaluations.
- Develop and maintain relationships with existing and new legal service providers by conducting monthly check-in calls, reviewing monthly narrative reports, and ad hoc communication.
- Creatively brainstorm solutions to challenges experienced by legal service providers.
- Maintain expertise about operations of assigned LSPs to ensure contract compliance and to troubleshoot impediments to high-quality legal services delivery.
Services Analysis & Reporting
- Analyze/contextualize data and prepare reports to government partners on LSP service delivery, in collaboration with the Research, Evaluation, & Data Analytics team.
- Analyze/contextualize LSP budgets and spending in collaboration with Budgets & Resource Management team.
Other duties as assigned
What qualifications do you need?
Required:
- JD degree; and
- At least four years of legal, government, or policy work experience (including internships).
- A demonstrated knowledge of immigration, child welfare, criminal or juvenile justice, or other justice areas
- A desire to effectuate change in partnership with the government
- Strong writing, research, data analysis, communication, and facilitation skills
- Ability to manage work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently
- Ability to work collaboratively on a team, as well as to take the initiative and manage projects independently
- Willingness to travel frequently and ability to successfully balance travel responsibilities with office-based responsibilities
- Ability to read and communicate effectively in Spanish (proficiency in other languages is a plus)
- An uncompromising commitment to immigrants’ rights and race equity
- Valid driver’s license to travel and conduct in-person site visits
Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Experience representing detained immigrants and/or children is a strong plus
- Experience with “know your rights” and other community education initiatives is a strong plus
List of Required Software applications:
- Microsoft Office Suite
Compensation and Benefits:
The compensation range for this position is $90,600 – $94,800. 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 and remote work schedules. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People Resources / Senior Program Associate, Operations & Quality Assurance, Center on Immigration and Justice, Unaccompanied Children Program
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.
As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.
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, 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