Operations Associate, Vera California

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 240 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 team:

At a time of unprecedented attention on justice issues, Californians up and down the state are working to end the era of mass incarceration and address attacks on immigrant families. Vera California launched in 2018 to contribute to this movement. By building partnerships with reform-minded government officials and community-led coalitions—leveraging our national-level research, technical assistance, strategic communications, and local staff based on Los Angeles—we aim to end racial disparities and promote human dignity in the criminal and immigration legal systems.

About the role:

The Operations Associate is responsible for supporting the day-to-day operations of the Vera CA team and the Vera Los Angeles office. They provide administrative support, scheduling and logistics, and fiscal support. They are passionate about social and racial justice, are motivated to drive change, and are inspired to work with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. This is a full-time position based in Los Angeles, California reporting to the Director of the Vera California Program and indirectly reporting to the Associate Director, Workplace.

What you'll do:

Administrative Support & Coordination for the Vera California Team

• Support the overall day-to-day functioning of the Vera CA team, including both local and remote colleagues.  
• Support administrative tasks related to recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, promotion, and off-boarding of staff on the Vera CA team, including coordinating with People Resources, Information Technology, and other units. 
• Help connect staff and external partners to the appropriate Vera people and resources. 
• Take notes and track action items in meetings, helping to manage workflow and priorities. 
• Support development of meeting materials, such as drafting and tracking agendas and memoranda and PowerPoint presentations. 
• Develop and maintain efficient tracking systems that highlight Vera California's work to be used for funder reports, annual plan tracking, etc. Work with the team to support communications and events. 
• Serve as an administrative contact and liaison with external contacts and vendors. 
• Maintain and update contact lists. 
• Work with the Vera CA team and the information technology team to identify software and other technology needs for our staff, and support background research and purchasing of these products. 
• Help staff stay organized by making sure our files are in the right place, up to date, and accessible on SharePoint sites and other collaborative spaces.
• Work with Vera California's Program Associate to draft and publish the bi-monthly newsletter, which gets distributed externally to highlight the team's work.
  
  

Scheduling and Logistics support, for day-to-day work and special events

• Fiscal support for the Vera California team
• Work with the team and fiscal staff to process invoices and payments, track expenses, and support team budgeting and expenditures. 
• Coordinate invoicing and contract submission with vendors and consultants, ensuring timely internal review and payment. 
• Work with fiscal staff to prepare team summary reports as needed. 
• Handle California team and LA office events and meetings: coordinate logistics, space, furniture set-up, catering, and supplies.
  
  

Workplace Onsite Support

• Monitor and replenish office supply needs. Receive orders, organize, and store items.
• Act as the point person and host for onsite meetings and events; greet guests and set-up meetings.
• Handle mail services including the storage and distribution of packages, maintaining on-site storage, sorting all incoming and external mail, and posting of all outgoing mail.
• Act as liaison between building management and Vera; notify People, Place, and Culture leadership of all building related matters communicated by property management, security, and engineers.
• Send workplace related memos to LA staff
• Ensure staff participates in Fire drills and safety and Emergency Action Plan trainings. Member of the fire safety team as Fire Warden.
• Partner with People, Place, and Culture leadership to store and assign entry door key fobs and distribute fobs to new hires.
• Oversee the maintenance and inventory of office equipment, kitchen, and pantry supplies for onsite equipment such as coffee machine, water dispenser, and copier. Report any maintenance issues to, and coordinate with, People, Place, and Culture leadership for onsite equipment repairs.
• Act as point person of contact for office cleaning vendors and partner with People, Place, and Culture leadership and cleaning vendor to resolve cleaning matters.
• Partner with People, Place, and Culture leadership to schedule and maintain relevant meal deliveries, and to organize office events as needed.
  
  

Other job duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

• A deep commitment to racial equity and advancing anti-racism, both in our workplace and in the world. You incorporate this value, share it with others, and lead with these principles. 
• At least 1-2 years of experience working in office administration or related professional environment
• Exceptional attention to detail and task-management skills 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects 
• Proven track record of taking initiative to organize, prioritize, and follow through on assignments 
• Ability to create and edit charts, tables, graphs and presentations, using PowerPoint, Word, and Excel software with minimal assistance 
• Work effectively in a team environment and independently 
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook 
• Excellent communication, writing, and interpersonal skills
  
  

Preferred education and/or experience

• Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal-legal and/or immigration systems 
• Experience processing reimbursements and invoices and monitoring expenditures 
• Some experience with an interactive fiscal management system
  
  

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Los Angeles, CA, 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 for this position is $66,560. 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 Resources / Operations Associate, Vera California

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.

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