Director of Vera's DC Office

Director, Vera’s Washington DC Office
Start Date:  Immediately

The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) combines expertise in research, technical assistance, and demonstration projects to help leaders in government and civil society improve the systems people rely on for justice and safety. 

Vera seeks a director for its Washington D.C. Office (Vera DC). Vera DC serves as a primary means for the institute to engage and provide assistance to officials in the nation’s capital and to represent Vera in national policy discussions and deliberations that occur in Washington. Moreover, the director of Vera DC both develops and manages a body of substantive work and provides an institutional home and support for Vera projects and staff that are located at Vera DC but supervised elsewhere within Vera. 

Vera opened its office in Washington in 2005 to serve as headquarters for the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons, a body created to identify and recommend solutions to the most serious challenges facing America’s jails and prisons.  Since June 2006, when the commission published its landmark report Confronting Confinement, Vera DC has expanded its mission.  In addition to continued work in the corrections field, Vera DC now places all of Vera’s diverse capacities—research, demonstration projects, and technical assistance—at the disposal of partners located in or connected to the nation’s capital. It also helps bring Vera’s expertise to bear on important national justice conversations.

Roles and Responsibilities:
In conjunction with Vera’s Director and Vera’s Chief Program Officer, to whom he or she will report, the director of Vera DC will be responsible for the following three main areas of activity:

• Developing, leading and sustaining a body of substantive work to be directed from Vera DC.  Since its creation in 2007, Vera DC has established a successful track record of developing and implementing criminal and social justice reform projects with federal, state and local government partners.  It will be the responsibility of the director of Vera DC to continue this legacy.  This means supervising existing staff and programs that are directed by Vera DC.  It also includes identifying, developing and sustaining funded opportunities to undertake new projects that complement and expand, while not duplicating, existing Vera efforts to advance reform.  Examples of appropriate subject matter areas to explore include, but are not restricted to, policing and child welfare.  It is expected that the prior professional experience and interests of the director of Vera DC will help inform the choice and methodology of the projects developed.     

• Developing, leveraging and leading Vera’s capacity to engage officials in the nation’s capital and to represent Vera in national conversations.  Strong, productive and effective relationships with federal and local officials in the nation’s capital are important to Vera’s current and future work and success.  The director of Vera DC is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to build and strengthen relationships with such officials.  With Vera’s director and chief program officer, the director of Vera DC will also help coordinate and manage existing relationships with federal officials.  Duties include fashioning and implementing an approach to outreach and education -- involving federal executive agencies, Congress, the courts and local officials – designed to advance the substance of Vera’s work.  It also includes developing an approach to ensure that Vera is represented in major public and private policy conversations relevant to our work.   

• Providing institutional support for Vera projects and staff located at Vera DC but supervised elsewhere within Vera.  A growing number of Vera projects that do not report to the director of Vera DC have permanent staff located in the Washington office.  While those staff members report to supervisors who direct other centers and programs within the institute, the director of Vera DC is responsible for providing those programs and that staff with institutional support.  This includes working collaboratively with program managers throughout Vera to identify Washington-based opportunities to advance, expand or sustain the work of their projects.  Such opportunities can be federal, state or local in nature or can involve collaboration with national organizations present in the nation’s capital.  It also involves ensuring that staff located at Vera DC have a collegial, well-structured and supportive professional environment in which to work.

Specific responsibilities include the following:

• Setting a strategic vision for the office and designing a business plan for its role in the growth and sustainability of Vera as a whole;
• Identifying, guiding and leading policy-relevant research, technical assistance and demonstration project opportunities in a substantive area of criminal or social justice reform;
• Providing policy expertise, advice and recommendations on criminal or social justice reform;
• Securing significant funding from a variety of private and public sources;
• Understanding how government and politics work and how organization like Vera can best support government partners;
• Establishing and maintaining new relationships with federal, state and local government officials, the policy and academic communities and community leaders;
• Continuing to build a national reputation for Vera DC through outreach including public speaking, publications, etc.;
• Implementing the goals and objectives set forth in Vera DC’s strategic plan;
• Collaborating with and supporting the work of all of Vera’s programs;
• Contributing to Vera’s mission, growth and institutional objectives;
• Committing to the maintenance and further development of a collegial, supportive and respectful workplace.

Qualifications:
• Strong knowledge of criminal and social justice issues;
• At least 10 years of demonstrated leadership experience and entrepreneurial initiative in a professional context;
• A demonstrated interest in and knowledge of policy development, government, politics, criminal and social justice or related fields;
• Proven ability to secure significant funding from private and public sources;
• Ability to manage and supervise projects employing technical assistance,   demonstration and research methodologies;
• Experience conceiving and preparing grant applications
• Superior writing and editing skills and ability to write for a policy audience;
• Excellent presentation and communication skills;
• Ability to work with a range of stakeholders;
• Willingness to travel;
• Advanced academic or professional degree.
Candidates selected for interviews will be required to complete a brief writing exercise. Finalists for this position will be required to give a presentation to Vera’s senior management team.

Salary:
Commensurate with experience.

How to Apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter.
Online submission is preferred.

However, if necessary, materials may be mailed or faxed to:
ATTN: Human Resources / Director, Vera’s Washington DC Office
Vera Institute of Justice
233 Broadway, 12th Flr.
New York, NY 10279
Fax: (212) 941-9407

Please use only one method of submission (online, mail or fax).
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

The Vera Institute of Justice values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.