Senior Program Associate, training, Restoring Promise (Brooklyn, DC, NOLA, LA, or Remote )

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 you are:

A Restoring Promise SPA is a leader on the team. This specific SPA position would manage Restoring Promise training curriculum and delivery to Restoring Promise sites, manage staff, and support the leadership team (distributed across Vera and MILPA). SPAs also support building and maintaining the operational infrastructure and management of relationships with external partners across project areas connected to the training work they manage and beyond (e.g. site work, convening, global exchange, etc.). SPAs approach to their tasks is rooted in anti-racist philosophy and practices and with a commitment to the values of Restoring Promise: Race Equity, Cultural Healing, Restorative Justice, and Community and Family Partnership.

In this role, you will:

Training Coordination for Restoring Promise Sites  

• Lead the coordination and implementation of Restoring Promise training sessions for staff and incarcerated people who are working as mentors on units in prisons/ agencies that RP partners with.
• Schedule, plan, and handle logistics of RP trainings.
• Coordinate with RP site leads and correctional counterparts for training planning, needs, and specifics.
• In collaboration with Associate Director of Site Work and TA, map out training plan for all sites.
• Identify and contract with consultants to support in training deliverables. Coordinate the training of those consultants in RP training curriculum.
• Supervise associate(s) and/or analyst(s) hired to support the training coordination and administration.
• Consistent communication with RP site leads and correctional partners on deliverables and logistics related to training.

Training Curriculum Development Coordination and Refinement  

• Ensure that training curriculum is updated and refined as new research, training techniques, and opportunities arise. 
• Identify opportunities for new and expanded training themes that are responsive to RP site needs.
• Ensure that training materials, presentations, and handouts, are consistent, updated, and organized.
• Document and organize research and citations for the training curriculum components.
• Work with site leads on strategies for messaging and uplifting training components with our site partners.  

Team Building, Mentorship, Training, and Supervision

• Regularly coordinated curriculum briefing and training opportunities for RP staff.
• Keep RP staff familiar and appraised of both planning and curriculum updates as they relate to training of staff and mentors at RP sites.
• Supervise at least one associate, analyst, or intern—ensuring they receive the proper orientation, stay on top of all administrative related tasks, and maintain a curiosity and propensity for learning. 
• Provide peer support and mentorship to teammates – Supervise associate(s), mentor staff, support learning and growth opportunities for the team.
• Cultivate relationship and maintain routine correspondence with MILPA teammates.

Support the Initiative  

• Support the design, organization, and production of Restoring Promise events, all-site calls (especially those related to training and continuing education/learning for staff and mentors on RP units.
• Identify and attend learning opportunities related to justice reform, anti-racism, de-centering whiteness, leadership, and management. Share lessons with team. 
• Occasionally lead weekly team meetings.

Other Responsibilities as Needed

• Contributing to writing projects and drafting of written materials as needed.
• Supporting colleagues on specific projects as they arise.

What qualifications do you need?

Required:

• 5-7 years of working experience in criminal legal reform
• Experience leading and conducting trainings
• Experience in working on change efforts, preferably in the justice reform field
• Willingness and ability to travel out of state to sites for meetings, trainings, and site visits (COVID and safety permitting)
• Driver’s license strongly preferred

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Supervision experience
• Project management experience

List of Required Software applications: 

• Zoom, PowerPoint, Microsoft Office Suite, Google, etc. 
• Canva or other graphic design skills a plus

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, training, Restoring Promise

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