Political Strategist, Vera Action

Who is Vera Action?

Vera Action, launched in 2021, is an independent but aligned 501(c)(4) organization to the Vera Institute of Justice 501(c)(3). At Vera Action, we harness the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities. Alongside organizers and advocates, government leaders, and elected officials across the political aisle, we work to enact transformative policy change for safety and justice at the local, state, and federal levels. Vera Action has five full-time staff. The strategist will report to the organization's deputy director.

About you:

You are passionate about social and racial justice, motivated to drive change, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. You are enthusiastic, collaborative, curious, and kind in your approach, and you value working with and bringing out the best in others. You have an understanding of the criminal and immigration legal systems, the role of data-driven advocacy in winning political and policy change, and you have strong muscle of partnership and collaboration. You believe in the value of doing “inside” lane work to build champions for our issues within government, and in an “outside” lane approach of working in partnership with advocates, organizers, and grassroots and grasstops allies.

About the role:

This position is meant to help coordinate day-to-day activities of the Vera Action team, manage Vera Action databases, organize rapid response work, and hold partnerships with a variety of stakeholders within the organization as well as the wider criminal justice reform coalition. This is a junior role that will also help build the individual’s experience in writing, conducting research, leading presentations, and building and maintaining movement relationships.

What you'll do:

Political outreach and strategy 

• Draft memos, decks, one-pagers, website content, and other materials that highlight Vera Actions’ messaging research and/or political analysis for a variety of political audiences;
• Research and track elections that are relevant to Vera Action’s work;
• Conduct outreach to campaigns and movement partners;
• Lead briefings on Vera Action’s messaging and analysis;
• Produce public-facing reports for the Vera Action website;
• Coordinate with internal and external partners on rapid response work.

Messaging and policy research 

• Assist in drafting and reviewing quantitative and qualitative surveys commissioned by Vera Action;
• Synthesize polling reports into concise memos and decks for various audiences;
• Coordinate the scope of research and deadlines with pollsters;
• Assist in drafting policy reports. 

Project management 

• Manage the Vera Action team’s meeting tracker and internal drive with research reports, memos, and other materials;
• Help manage coalition tables organized by Vera Action;
• Take notes and track action items;
• Assist in managing the Vera Action website;
• Assist in drafting and reviewing materials for funders and the Vera Action board;
• Write monthly project updates to distribute to Vera Institute staff. 

 Other duties as assigned. 

• May lead reports or projects that they design on their own and work on with supervisor and other team members. 

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required: 

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in the advocacy field;
• Experience writing for a wide range of audiences. 

Preferred: 

• Close attention to detail;
• Familiarity with public opinion research;
• Excellent presentation and writing skills;
• Ability to travel when necessary;
• Able to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced environment. 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, or Washington, D.C. office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $83,000 - $86,000 per year. 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. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here. 

In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Political Strategist, Advocacy and Partnerships
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.

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.