Initiative Director, Restoring Promise

About this role

About the team:

The Vera Institute of Justice’s Restoring Promise transforms prison cultures, climates, and spaces in partnership with correctional leaders and realigns corrections policies and practice with a commitment to human dignity. The team trains correctional staff as leaders and peacemakers; supports and develops incarcerated mentors to play an essential role in culture change and transformation; produces data and evidence to advance reform; and engages in advocacy, communications, and narrative change.

About the role:

The Restoring Promise Initiative Director will be responsible for the overall direction and management of the team’s work, including the development of and accountability for the team’s goals; supervision of the team and managing its budget; and the development of key relationships and partnerships—including but not limited to Departments of Corrections commissioners, leaders of advocacy organizations, state and federal policymakers in corrections, and key experts and practitioners.

As a senior leader within the organization, the Director has significant responsibility for shaping the vision of corrections and prisons work and collaborates with staff and other senior leaders in the organization to drive change at scale. The Director’s professional training may be in government, evidence-based policymaking, applied research, policy advocacy, or organizing at the federal or state level.  The Director has a commitment to race equity and inclusion (REI) in their work, a passion for driving social change, and professional and/or lived experience with the criminal justice system.

1. Strategy and Program Management

• Serve as the Restoring Promise Initiative lead: refining, defining, and executing strategy and a holistic vision that elevates the work at a national level.

• Manage and operationalize various components of the team’s strategy—including site-based technical assistance, policy advocacy, research, and legislative advocacy where needed—and ensure cohesion of workstreams.

• Develop and measure metrics to discern the impact of established strategies.

• Work closely with Vera’s Research, Communications, and Advocacy capacity teams to support the development and execution of the Restoring Promise strategy.

• Partner with the development department to accomplish fundraising goals, to cultivate relationships with funders, and to support funder relationship management, proposal creation, and reporting deadlines.

2. Strategic Partnerships and Field Building  

• Develop and manage external relationships relevant to advance Restoring Promise’s work, including but not limited to: state/federal leaders in corrections, legislators, Department of Corrections/Corrections leaders, community organizations, advocates, incarcerated people, and relevant academics.  

• Navigate complex political dynamics to advance Restoring Promise’s work.  

• Lead and/or partner with other organizations, coalitions or other relevant groups to advance Restoring Promise’s goals. 

3. Driving Public Opinion and Debate

• Represent Vera as one of the organization’s experts in media outlets (op-eds, interviews), conferences, webinars, and other external events.

• Lead messaging and narrative strategies around human dignity, prison conditions, and other issues related to centering human dignity for people in prison and for corrections staff.

• Be fluent and have tangible experience in rapid response strategies and anticipate those opportunities, including partnering with Vera Action, the sister 501(c)(4), where necessary to tackle the challenging politics of crime. 

• Draft and edit program reports, proposals, presentations, and internal/external blog posts to communicate updates on Restoring Promise’s work.

4. Team Management, Mentorship and Supervision

• Oversee and own the overall development of Restoring Promise’s staff, including professional development, goal setting and elements of accountability, aligned with Vera’s commitment to anti-racism, equity, and an inclusive workplace.

• Supervise unit leaders on the team across operations, site work and communications or campaign elements, ensuring that they execute efficiently with a propensity for learning.

• Manage all elements of the team’s operations including budget, deadlines, staff deployment, and team management.

• Maintain regular contact with the finance department to develop, track, and manage budgets.

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required :

• Advanced degree and 12+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered. 

• At least 10 years of demonstrated leadership and professional work experience in restorative justice, prison conditions, systems change, and/or other issues related to changing corrections policies and practices; and experience working on policy or practice change with Departments of Corrections.

• Track record of media appearances and public speaking. 

• Experience and competency leading strategic planning, developing program design, budgets, and bringing programs to scale. 

• Experience developing and managing a multi-disciplinary portfolio of work with multiple strategies and funding streams, including strong project management, problem solving, and delegation skills. 

Preferred :

• A track record communicating and translating quantitative and qualitative data and research findings to drive policy and practice change; research training and experience  

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• E xisting relationships with senior leaders in the corrections ecosystem, including State DOC commissioners, expert researchers, leaders of organizations in the prison reform field, policymakers, advocates, practitioners, and people directly  impacted  by the criminal justice system.  

• Strong fundraising skills as  demonstrated  through amount of funds raised, relationships with a variety of funders, and experience de

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