The Vera Institute of Justice is an independent nonprofit national research and policy organization in the United States, and a leader in criminal justice reform.

About The Organization

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. Vera Action, the Institute's 501(c)(4) sister organization founded in 2021, harnesses the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to achieve the same aims. For more information, visit vera.org and veraaction.org.

Vera has headquarters in Brooklyn, New York and offices in 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 our values of racial equity, collaboration, respect, commitment, and independence—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.

Organization Website

You can learn more about the Vera Institute of Justice at vera.org.

About The Role

What You'll Do

As the Director, People, Place, and Culture (PPC), you will serve as the principal steward of Vera's human resources strategy during a period of organizational evolution. Reporting to the Chief Financial and Operating Officer with a "dotted line," advisory relationship to the President, you will be a critical bridge-builder, tasked with continuing to align people operations with Vera's strategic imperatives, core values, and high standards of accountability. You will serve as a trusted coach to senior managers and leadership, while also overseeing strategic initiatives and ongoing management of the human resources function. Whether navigating labor relations or reimagining employee experience, you will ensure that Vera's internal systems are strong enough to support its goals of ending mass incarceration, securing equal justice, and strengthening families and communities.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

People Strategy and Human Resources Leadership

• Serve on Vera's management team, setting organization-wide human resources strategies aligned with Vera's strategic priorities; collaborate across the organization to align the PPC vision with broader organizational goals
• Lead change management initiatives with appropriate transparency, empathy, and clarity, ensuring staff feel supported and informed during periods of organizational growth and evolution
• Serve as a primary advisor to the President and Director on people and culture matters, contributing to their learning and listening agendas
• Partner closely with Vera's Director of Race, Equity, and Inclusion to ensure all people-related strategies, policies, practices and initiatives are aligned with Vera's approach to REI
• Coach and guide a high performing team responsible for people operations, including benefits, compensation, HR systems, people data, and compliance
• Utilize data to evaluate the effectiveness of people strategies, provide actionable insights, and drive decision making
  
  

Employee and Labor Relations

• Advise leaders in troubleshooting staff-related matters such as performance issues and conflict resolution
• Work closely with Vera's General Counsel on labor relations strategy, including contract negotiations and the ongoing management of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA)
• Oversee all employment law and compliance-related aspects of the organization, ensuring best-in-class human resource systems are implemented and maintained
• Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, including American Disabilities Act and Family and Medical Leave Act analyses and sensitive internal investigations
• Dedicate significant focus to robust employee relations and internal culture building to ensure these efforts remain a priority alongside labor relations and union management
• Work closely with the Vera Leadership Team and staff to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws
• Research, develop, and implement comprehensive policies and practices that ensure competitive and equitable benefits and compensation design to protect the long term well being of all staff
• Direct and oversee employee relations practices that ensure equal employment opportunity and diversity while providing rigorous protection from harassment and discriminatory practices across the organization
  
  

Professional Development and Performance Management

• Research, develop, and implement competitive compensation, benefits, performance appraisal, and employee incentive programs, including compensation benchmarking
• Work closely with organizational leaders on organizational design, knowledge transfer, role definitions, performance management, career pathing, talent mapping, feedback, succession + planning, and talent development efforts
• Develop and execute learning and development strategies and manager training and coaching
• Maintain a high standard for performance reviews and accountability, ensuring consistency in how roles at all levels are mapped and evaluated
• Lead comprehensive change management efforts regarding professional development to help staff navigate evolving performance standards and career pathways
  
  

Talent, Culture, and Engagement Leadership

• Foster a culture of trust, transparency, and staff well-being, acting as the primary holder of employee engagement initiatives
• Partner with Vera's affinity groups to build an inclusive culture
• Improve cross-organizational communication and serve as a dedicated coach to senior managers, helping them navigate personnel challenges and balance team capacity with organizational goals
• Practice effective managing up by providing the President and Chief Financial and Operating Officer with candid, strategic counsel on organizational health and staff sentiment
• Model transparency in all communications and decision making processes to embody and reinforce this core pillar of Vera's internal culture
• Support decentralized hiring, enabling staff to streamline hiring processes while ensuring consistency and acting as effective ambassadors for the organization
• Audit, review, and refine systems and processes to track employee engagement to better understand performance, opportunities, and challenges
  
  

Who You'll Work With

• You will report to Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Rob Young with a dotted line to the President, Insha Rahman.
• You will supervise a team of five full-time human resources professionals and three part-time consultants.
  
  

Required Skills And Experience

• A minimum 10–12 years of progressive human resources experience, with a track record of overseeing all aspects of the human resources function
• Demonstrated success managing labor relations, including a track record of effectively managing collective bargaining processions
• Exceptional relationship building and influencing skills, with the ability to develop trusting relationships at all levels and across identities
• Extensive experience overseeing the full suite of people and culture programs, including talent acquisition, employee relations, human resources administration, professional development, and performance management
• Strong knowledge of best practices and trends in human resources and employment laws and regulations; expertise with all aspects of operational human resources, including HR systems, benefits administration, and compliance
• Proven ability to lead organizations through complex transitions and ability to work in an evolving landscape
• Track record of serving as a mentor to senior leadership and an advisor to executive-level stakeholders
• Professional commitment to social justice and the ability to weave Vera's core values into all internal policies and practices
  
  

Additional Details

Location and Work Environment

This role is based in the New York, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office a minimum of 10 days per month. Senior leaders within the organization, such as this role, are encouraged to be present to support their teams on a more frequent basis, generally at least 3 days/week.

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is $200,000 - $215,000. 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.

To Learn More About Benefits

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.

Equity at Vera Institute of Justice

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.