Director, Redefining Public Safety

Vera Institute of Justice•Washington, DC

12h•$155,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Redefining Public Safety (RPS) Initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice helps jurisdictions to adopt comprehensive approaches to public safety by championing solutions that prevent crime and break its cycle. The RPS team has substantive expertise in alternatives to crisis response, violence prevention and intervention, policing, and how government agencies can implement and sustain a comprehensive safety approach. In addition, the team has demonstrated capacity in providing technical assistance to jurisdictions; producing data and evidence for policy change; engaging in advocacy, communications and narrative change; and navigating the politics of policing, crime, and public safety. The RPS Initiative Director will be responsible for the overall direction and management of RPS’s work, including the development of and accountability for the team’s goals; supervising the team and managing its budget; developing and holding key relationships and partnerships with policymakers and leaders in the criminal justice, policing, community violence intervention, and crisis response fields; representing Vera as an expert in public safety; navigating complex politics; shaping public opinion; and exploring new strategies to advance public safety writ large. As a senior leader within the organization, you will have significant responsibility in shaping and executing the vision of Vera’s public safety-related work and collaborating with staff and other senior leaders in the organization to drive change at scale. Your professional training may be in government, evidence-based policymaking, applied research, policy advocacy, or organizing at the federal, state and/or local level. You have a commitment to race equity and inclusion (REI) in your work and a passion for driving social change. You have professional and/or lived experience with the criminal justice system.

Requirements

Advanced degree and 12+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirements, applicable work or life experience may be considered
Minimum 10 years of demonstrated leadership and professional work experience on public safety, strong political acumen, and fluency in the current policy conversations
Experience working with governments to advance community safety through policy, advocacy, technical assistance, and/or community organizing
Practical experience leading or building coalitions with community-based and advocacy organizations
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

Nice To Haves

A track record communicating and translating quantitative and qualitative data and research findings to drive policy and practice change; research training and experience
An advanced degree in a relevant field
Existing relationships with senior leaders in the public safety ecosystem, including: elected officials, 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 developing proposals
Strong leadership skills, with demonstrated experience having led a team with varying levels of experience
Excellent oral and written communication skills and experience developing communications for a variety of settings and among diverse audiences

Responsibilities

Serve as the RPS initiative lead: refining, defining, and executing strategy and a holistic vision that elevates the work at a national level, continuously aligning the initiative’s efforts with its theory of change
Manage and operationalize various components of the team’s strategy -- including legislative advocacy, site-based technical assistance, cohort peer learning, leading coalitions and networks, and research – and ensure cohesion of workstreams
Develop and measure metrics to discern the impact of the established strategy
Work closely with Vera’s Research, Communications, and Advocacy capacity teams to support the development and execution of the RPS 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
Develop and manage external relationships relevant to advance RPS’s work, including but not limited to: local/state/federal leaders in public safety, mayors, city managers, legislators, police chiefs, community organizations, advocates, and relevant academics
Navigate complex political dynamics to advance RPS’s work
Lead and/or partner with other organizations, coalitions or other relevant groups to advance RPS’s goals
Represent Vera as one of the organization’s experts in media outlets (op-eds, interviews), conferences, webinars, and other external events
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
In partnership with Communications, Advocacy, and Research, develop messaging and narrative strategies around public safety
Scope, draft and edit program reports, proposals, presentations, and internal/external blog posts to communicate updates on RPS’s work over time
Oversee and own the overall development of the staff, including professional development, goal setting, and elements of accountability, aligned with Vera’s core values of respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, and race equity
Supervise unit leaders on the team as they implement initiative strategy, 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 performance
Maintain regular contact with the finance department to develop, and track and manage budgets