Program Associate, Center on Immigration and Justice

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Job location
233 Broadway
New York, NY 10279
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Vera Institute of Justice
Street address: 
233 Broadway
City: 
New York
State: 
New York
ZIP: 
10279
Job type: 
Policy Development/Advocacy
Position Description: 

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization that combines expertise in research, technical assistance, and demonstration projects to assist leaders in government and civil society, examine justice policy and practice, and improve the systems people rely on for justice and safety. Vera has offices in New York City, Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, and its projects and reform initiatives, typically conducted in partnership with local, state, or national officials, are located across the United States and around the world.
Vera’s Center on Immigration and Justice seeks a Program Associate to work in its New York office with its Legal Orientation Program (LOP).

The LOP was created to inform detained immigrants about their rights, and the immigration court and detention processes. Vera staff work with federal government partners at EOIR and nonprofit legal service agencies to provide detained people at 35 sites nationwide with basic information about forms of relief from removal, how to represent themselves in immigration court, and how to get legal representation.

Vera staff is responsible for managing service provider networks, including monitoring compliance with subcontracts, providing technical assistance, and conducting program evaluation.

Responsibilities
The Program Associate will work closely with the Program Director and Associate Program Director in carrying out the following duties:

•Provide technical assistance to program sites in the form of site visits, on-site training programs, conference calls, individual consultations, and other means as appropriate;
•Conduct site visits of program sites (expect to conduct 6-12 site visits a year) and draft site visit evaluations;
•Plan and execute peer-to-peer on-site training programs for new LOP providers;
•Facilitate regular LOP check-in conference calls;
•Prepare and deliver webinars about LOP best practices, immigration law, and detention;
•Continuously identify promising practices among program sites and devise ways to disseminate information about such practices to encourage implementation elsewhere;
•Coordinate development and review of legal orientation materials (in English and Spanish) and provide meaningful feedback;
•Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports to government partners;
•Represent the Center in public speaking engagements and at professional meetings; and
•Assist on other projects as assigned.

Requirements: 

Candidates must possess the following qualifications:
•A JD degree;
•Working knowledge of Spanish;
•A desire to effectuate change in partnership with government;
•Strong writing, research, communication, and facilitation skills;
•Ability to manage work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently; to work collaboratively on a team and manage projects independently; and to successfully balance travel responsibilities with office-based responsibilities;
•Willingness to travel outside of New York City frequently;
•A valid driver’s license;
•Experience with “know your rights” and other community education initiatives strongly preferred;
•Legal, government, or policy work experience strongly preferred;
•Knowledge of immigration, criminal justice, or other justice areas strongly preferred;
•Experience representing detained immigrants and a demonstrated interest in program administration and public policy strongly preferred.

To apply: 

Please submit cover letter, resume, list of three references, and a brief writing sample (5 pages or less). Online submission is preferred.

https://vera.applytojob.com/apply/dfxDu2/Program-Associate-Cij-Lop?sourc...

However, if necessary, materials may be mailed or faxed to
ATTN: Human Resources / CIJ Program Associate recruitment
Vera Institute of Justice
233 Broadway, 12th Flr.
New York, NY 10279
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method of submission (online, mail or fax).

No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Notes: 
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 our website, www.vera.org.
Salary range: 
High 50K’s to low 60Ks’, commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits.