Director, Ending Criminalization and Incarceration, Activating Change (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 grassroots 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 almost 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: About Activating Change After 18 years at Vera, the Center on Victimization and Safety is spinning off from Vera and launching a new, national non-profit organization: Activating Change. Activating Change’s working mission is to eliminate violence, criminalization, incarceration, and institutionalization of people with disabilities and Deaf people. We believe racism, ableism, audism and other forms of oppression are intricately intertwined and the primary drivers of these injustices. We bring together people and organizations across the country working in disability, survivor advocacy, and criminal legal system reform movements; ground them in a common equity framework rooted in disability, racial, and gender justice; align them around common goals, and build their capacity to achieve collective impact. We collaborate with disability and Deaf communities across the country and work in close partnership with government and advocacy leaders to implement change. Activating Change will launch as an independent organization in summer 2022. The Director of Ending Criminalization and Incarceration is a member of the Activating Change’s leadership team and plays a key leadership and management role within the organization. The position is responsible for leading our program area focused on ending the criminalization and mass incarceration of people with disabilities and Deaf people. In the first few months of work, they will partner with Activating Change’s Director and program staff currently working in this area to develop a bold vision for this program area, including our theory of change, strategy, and strategic plan. They will be responsible for overseeing strategy implementation, leading a team of people working in this program area, and assisting with fundraising efforts. This is a new position that is being added to the team at an exciting time of growth for the organization. It is an ideal opportunity for a passionate, visionary, mission-driven individual looking to take on a significant leadership role in advancing a new strategic priority for the organization. Please note: This career opportunity will begin as a position with the Vera Institute of Justice that will transition to Activating Change on or after July 1, 2022. In this role, you will: • Leadership and Management • Serve on Activating Change’s senior leadership team and work collectively to establish the direction, priorities, strategies, impact, and culture of the organization. Participate in annual planning, budgeting, staffing plan development, and other activities. • Lead, oversee, and manage all aspects of Activating Change’s program area to end criminalization and incarceration of people with disabilities and Deaf people. • Develop, oversee, and monitor the program’s annual plan and budget. • Assist with fundraising efforts for the program area, including refining project ideas, identifying and cultivating relationships with prospective funders, developing funder pitches and writing proposals, and reporting on impact. • Manage the program area’s team, which currently consists of one Project Director and one Senior Program Associate, and grow team as the program area grows. • Work closely with the Project Director and Senior Program Associate to ensure smooth implementation of projects and to maximize impact. Projects currently focus on integrating disability justice into jail decarceration efforts and preventing sexual assault in jails and prison. • Program Strategy and Impact • Adapt Activating Change’s proven model of field and capacity building to develop a bold vision and strategy specific to the program area including developing a theory of change, impact strategies, and a strategic plan. • Oversee the implementation of the program area’s strategy and strategic plan, adapting over time to meet evolving political, cultural and economic realities. • Stay abreast of the rapidly evolving direction, strategies, and opportunities for impact within the criminal legal system transformation arena and ensure Activating Change is at the cutting-edge. • Actively support the leadership and visibility of people with disabilities and Deaf people who have been directly impacted in transformation efforts on the local, state, and national levels. • Foster partnerships and alignment between disability organizations and organizations working to transform the criminal legal system and strengthen the capacity of organizations from both fields to work towards collective impact. • Advance community-based, non-carceral interventions that are accessible and center disability justice. • Design and lead events (such as listening sessions, roundtable discussions, and trainings) to raise awareness and build capacity. • Assist with strategies to change narratives and norms around people with disabilities, as well as policing and incarceration, and ultimately build a public base of support for reform. • Assist with external communications, including developing website content, newsletters, public presentations, and other resources • Team Building and Culture • Foster equity, collaborative decision-making, and strong communication within and across teams; inspire, support the growth and development, and appreciate staff; and solve problems as they arise. • Create an environment where staff - particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color - can thrive. • Support anti-racist and anti-ableist analyses and practices across all aspects of the organization and among staff and hold organization and staff accountable. • Provide leadership in developing team cohesiveness, deepening culture and supporting staff during a time of organizational change and growth. • Foster collaboration and learning across the organization with a particular focus on creating alignment and synergy between this program area and the organization’s program area focused on survivors of crime. • Participate in, and at times facilitate, staff meetings, team-building exercises, and trainings. • External Collaboration and Engagement • Build authentic relationships with people with disabilities, especially from Black and brown communities, who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Create mechanisms for people with lived experience to shape our work and to hold us accountable. • Expand our network to include allied organizations from the criminal justice reform/transformation arena at the local, state, and national levels. • Foster new partnerships with allied organizations especially those that center Black and brown communities. • Increase our visibility within the criminal legal system reform arena. • Represent Activating Change on a local, regional, and national basis. What qualifications do you need? Required: • Minimum of twelve years of experience working in the criminal legal system reform and/or disability field • Minimum of ten years of experience with systemic change work • Unwavering commitment to disability, racial, and gender justice • Strong racial, disability, and power analysis, demonstrated ability to consistently use anti-racist and anti-ableist practices, and willingness to engage in conversations and work aimed at disrupting ableism, audism, racism and other forms of oppression. • Commitment to quality programs and excellence in organizational and project management with the ability to achieve strategic objectives and manage a budget • Ability to be solutions oriented and work collaboratively to advance program goals and impact • Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a team • Excellent meeting, facilitation, and communication skills • Ability to energize, inspire, and move people, organizations, and communities to take action and make systemic change. • Ability to build and maintain relationships with key players in the disability and justice landscape, including advocates, government officials, criminal legal system personnel, other practitioners, and people who are directly impacted by the criminal legal system. • Ability to build equitable partnerships among diverse stakeholders, working across lines of identity and power. • Optimistic, persistent, and adaptive. • Self-starter, able to work well independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a complex environment with multiple priorities • Ability to work collaboratively with a national, remote team • A state-issued ID will be required for travel. Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities • Significant knowledge of the criminal legal system and related reform efforts, including community-based, non-carceral interventions • Significant knowledge of people with disabilities and Deaf people’s experience with the criminal legal system and/or disability and Deaf social justice landscape preferred • Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system List of Required Software applications:  • Proficiency in using online video-conferencing platforms, including Zoom • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Applications may also be faxed to: ATTN: Human Resources / Director, Ending Criminalization and Incarceration, Activating Change 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 Apply tot his job Apply To this Job