Overview
THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.
The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.
Operating Programs
The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.
Research
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Policy & Expert Assistance
The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Chief External Affairs Officer will advance the organization’s mission and vision through strong, innovative, and dynamic leadership of the external affairs function. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director will develop and strengthen strategic external relationships and partnerships leveraging the Center’s work as outlined above. The Chief External Affairs Officer will provide day-to-day management for the Center’s Development, Communications, and Government Partnership departments to deepen alignment among these key functions, cultivating cooperative working relationships among department leaders and those staff under each team’s purview. The Chief External Affairs Officer will also proactively further the Center’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, identifying opportunities to uplift unique perspectives and lived experiences at a high level across the teams and projects they oversee.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
External Relationship Strategy and Implementation
- Design and implement a strategy that aligns the Center’s work across programs, policy, and research to advance the mission and support the growth of the organization; develops and maximizes relationship and funding opportunities with government, policy, research, advocacy, and practitioner stakeholders; and communicates the Center’s successes to the public and partners;
- Provide fundraising, communications, and government partnership support to key programs and initiatives in partnership with senior leaders across the organization;
- Lead efforts to define, build, and promote the Center’s mission, brand, and history with key audiences;
- Develop issue campaigns leveraging the Center’s work and expertise to build coalitions and use strategic communications to drive change;
- Serve as a thought partner to the Executive Director on opportunities for growth in the areas of communications, development, and intergovernmental affairs;
- Identify opportunities for senior leaders and other center staff to represent the Center in public spaces and in media appearances; ensure those representing the Center are appropriately prepared;
Leadership and Management
- Develop, lead, manage, and support the fundraising, government partnership, and communications teams in developing, implementing, and communicating effective growth strategies and processes with measurable goals, benchmarks and tracking methods;
- Develop a deep understanding of the organization’s needs and create structures, systems, and processes that meet those needs in a manner that aligns with the Center’s values;
- Develop strong relationships with and secure the trust and confidence of other senior leaders, staff, board members, and others critical to organizational external relationship building efforts;
- Lead and manage strategic communications to leverage and elevate the Center’s programmatic, policy, and research work;
- Implement principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at a high level throughout strategic, organizational, and communications planning;
- Identify unrepresented perspectives and lived experiences, both within the Center and among its partners, that should be incorporated into the Center’s strategic planning, communications, and relationships;
- In collaboration with the Chief of Staff, support the organization’s internal communications to reliably and transparently relay information and solicit feedback;
- Develop and oversee a strategic approach to the ideation, writing, and editing of op/eds, press releases, publications, and social media; the ideation and production of videos, podcasts, and other media; and organization of the Center’s website and content.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 12 years of demonstrated success in leadership, external partnership development and management, managerial, problem-solving, and strategic planning capabilities as a senior executive in the nonprofit and/or public sectors. Must have a demonstrated commitment to the Center’s mission and values as well as a working knowledge of and credibility in criminal and/or civil justice and broader social justice matters. Exceptional writing abilities together with outstanding oral presentation and public speaking skills are required. The ideal candidate will be an outgoing, proactive, skilled communicator able to establish and maintain strong relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders and have a zest for collaboration.
Position Type: Full-time
Location: 520 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018
Compensation: Annual salary range of $190,000 to $210,00, commensurate with experience. The Center for Court Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like TalkSpace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.
The Center for Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.
As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.
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