Senior Writer, Communications and External Affairs

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 230 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., 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.

About the role:

Working closely with the Editorial team, the Senior Writer will conceive, research, and write a wide variety of communications products to advance Vera’s work for both traditional and digital media, including blog posts, articles, op-eds, multimedia scripts, fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, webpages, and other publications for a variety of audiences. The Senior Writer works with Vera’s editorial and program teams through the production process, including research, revisions, multiple rounds of editing, design, and dissemination strategy. The Senior Writer also serves as a liaison between Communications and Vera’s program teams and provides regular reports about strategies, goals, processes, and project updates. 

What you'll do:

• Research and write a wide variety of communications products focused on topics relevant to Vera’s work. Work with Vera’s editorial team and other stakeholders across the organization through the production process, including editing, revising, design, and dissemination. Serve as a liaison between Communications team and contributing program staff or sources through the publication development process. Keep up with the news cycle and current events in order to pitch relevant content ideas and quickly field rapid response work as needed. 
• Work with people impacted by Vera's work to help tell their stories, either through conducting interviews or supporting on authored content. 
• Serve as a liaison between Vera’s Communications department and program teams to help define and develop messaging strategies around Vera’s issue areas.  
• Other duties as assigned.

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree 4+years of relevant experience. In lieu of bachelor’s degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered.  
• A background in journalism, publishing, communications, or a closely related field, with experience in rapid response and narrative storytelling. 
• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills. The ability to write quickly, clearly, persuasively, and accessibly across a variety of products. Open and willing to incorporate feedback as part of the product development process. 
• A record of published content and proven track record of bylined work, particularly for mission-driven organizations or news media. 
• Passion for and demonstrated commitment to transformation of the criminal justice and immigration systems or a background on similar issues, and a willingness to learn. 
• A collaborator, rigorous thinker, and problem-solver. 
• Creativity. Ability to write compellingly about Vera’s work in innovative and engaging ways. 
• Emotional intelligence. You demonstrate strong social and emotional awareness with your team and external partners. You’re open to opportunities to learn and grow. You exercise good judgment and don’t allow urgency to trump relationships. 
• Project management. You are detail-oriented but can see the big picture. You have keen time management and multitasking skills, including the ability to take initiative, prioritize tasks and duties, pay close attention to detail, and work independently while meeting specific deadlines. 

Preferred: 

• 7+ years of writing experience

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, SharePoint, Asana

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY 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 $95,000 - 98,000. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325. 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.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Senior Writer, Communications and External Affairs
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.