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:

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Communications and External Affairs with additional support and coordination with the Chief of Staff, the Internal Communications Manager will be responsible for developing and executing an internal communications strategy and enhancing employee engagement. This successful candidate will work from Vera’s headquarters in Brooklyn, NY.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Establish and execute an internal communications strategy

• Establish an internal communications strategy to ensure organizational initiatives and projects are successfully communicated to employees and stakeholders
• Plan, edit, manage, or write content for a variety of internal communications mediums, including the staff intranet
• Ensure internal communications messages are consistent across all mediums and for different departments of the organization
• Ensure internal communication messages are consistent with external communication messages
• Collaborate and develop a deep understanding of Vera and its priorities in order to deliver effective communications across all office locations
• Establish an internal communications strategy to ensure organizational initiatives and projects are successfully communicated to employees and stakeholders
• Ensure that all internal communications adhere to Vera’s style guide

Coordination with and gather feedback from staff to strengthen communication across the institute

• Use Slack to communicate with staff internally
• Respond to feedback from staff and adjust communications content accordingly
• Build and maintain relationships across the organization to enhance the professional image of and support for internal communications, including participation in various committees

Coordinate and support senior leadership with internal communications to broader institute

• Advise Vera’s leadership team of developments throughout the organization, either face to face or through regular written communication
• Draft messages or scripts from senior executives for presentation to employees in written or spoken form

Collaborate and develop a deep understanding of Vera and its priorities in order to deliver effective communications across all office locations

• Develop plans and deliver results in a fast-moving organization while maintaining an eye for accuracy and detail
• Proactively identify new communications opportunities and develop programs to advance internal communications goals
• Handle the internal communication response to crisis situations that affect organizational perception and reputation

What qualifications do you need?

Required:

• 5 years of communications experience (including at least 2 years in internal communications) with multiple departments and a geographically dispersed employee population
• Experience establishing and maintaining a digital workplace platform and an understanding of how to maximize its effectiveness
• Excellent writing and editing skills and experience writing for a variety of audiences
• Possess a proactive thinking and a continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to translate complex topics into multi-faceted, understandable content
• Highly change agile and willing to adapt
• Strategic thinker with strong organizational skills, clear vision, an analytical mind, and results-driven
• Able to juggle multiple assignments and deliver high-quality results in deadline-driven culture
• Ability to work in ambiguity and connect discrete pieces of information and understand how to fill in the gaps
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills and the journalistic ability to source stories from employees
• Strong speaking skills
• Sensitivity to Vera’s goals and values and the ability to relay them to employees
• Good interpersonal and relationship-building skills in order to work with communications and HR departments. You also need to possess the confidence to deal with senior executives and explain communication techniques to them.
• Creative ability to devise communication strategies Digital skills: Familiarity with information technology, especially digital and video means of communication, is essential. Understanding the sector you wish to work in (private, public or voluntary) can be crucial
• Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of our organization.

List of required software applications:

• Proficient in Microsoft Suite, including Word, Excel, OneDrive, and PowerPoint; SharePoint or similar intranet software

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $83,400 – $87,600. 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 / Internal Communications Manager, Comms and External Affairs—Chief of Staff
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