Operations Associate, Advocacy & Partnerships

About the role

Vera's Advocacy & Partnerships (A&P) department serves as the organization's "center of gravity" for initiatives and projects as we work in greater alignment with others in the movement ecosystem to win real, transformative criminal legal and immigration policy change. In addition to being substantive experts in criminal legal and immigration reform, A&P staff have expertise in leading and supporting campaigns, navigating political government, and executing on movement strategies, and creating data and evidence for policy change. Advocacy & Partnerships is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and institutional development across Vera's initiatives on advocacy, and to foster strong relationships and alignment with others so that we win policy change on our core issues. We bring to bear our strongest advocacy assets, including producing the data, evidence, and solutions that advance an advocacy or policy goal; leading and / or supporting the development of advocacy and campaign strategy, in coalition with other national and local organizations (or independently, but in alignment); researching and drafting policy, including legislation, directives, and regulations; and influencing elected officials and those in power to adopt and champion our criminal legal and immigration policy solutions. The Advocacy & Partnerships Department is comprised of three core functions: State and Local Policy, which leads or partners with Vera initiatives to shape advocacy in state and local legislatures, as well as city councils, across the country Federal Policy, which leads Vera's advocacy strategies with the Administration and on the Hill in Washington, DC Advocacy Messaging & Impact, which leads Vera rapid response advocacy messaging. In addition, Vera's Advocacy & Partnerships team benefits from close collaboration with Vera Action, Vera's independent 501(c)(4) entity, to support strategic priorities through lobbying, political outreach, voter education, and political activity. The Operations Associate will assist with the day-to-day functions of the A&P Department, as well as provide executive support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, with some administrative support to Vera Action. The Operations Associate will provide ongoing support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, senior members of the Advocacy & Partnerships team, and to Vera Action's deputy director. This includes calendar management, maintenance of file systems, meeting and event coordination, making travel arrangements, managing internal and external stakeholder relations, and helping to manage department priorities. The Operations Associate will be a strong communicator who can conduct themselves with internal and external stakeholders at the executive level, stay organized and proficient at time management, and complete tasks independently and in a timely fashion, handling challenges well and proactively changing strategies when an effort is unsuccessful. 1. Executive Support: Provide ongoing support to the Chief Advocacy Officer, including calendar management and scheduling to conserve the CAO's time. Serve as an administrative contact and liaison with external contacts, typically for scheduling virtual and in-person meetings, events, or interviews. Support document preparation, note-taking and other clerical tasks. Process expenses, produce and edit PowerPoint presentations, and other documents as needed. Provide daily updates on scheduling, administrative tasks completed, and those pending. 2. Administrative Support to the Advocacy Department and Vera Action: Schedule and arrange all meetings and activities for the CAO, A&P, and Vera Action, including setting up and owning the logistics for all in-person and remote meetings (ex: identifying meeting spaces, conference lines, and other necessary components). In partnership with the Associate Director of Operations, plan and be responsible for all aspects of the Advocacy Department's monthly team meetings. Review each week's meeting agendas in advance and prepare necessary briefing materials for relevant participants as needed. Manage conflicting scheduling issues and unexpected changes with supreme attention to detail. Handle all communications around scheduling with excellent service and professionalism. Coordinate scheduling, logistics, and detailed preparation for senior staff in A&P and Vera Action to attend external events. Document notes and necessary action items from key team meetings, such as monthly department engagements. Schedule and arrange meetings for senior team members, as needed, and support all team members in travel logistics, where needed. Handle travel arrangements and reimbursement documentation for CAO and senior team members. Provide coverage and support for various Advocacy Team functions such as reception desk and special events support as needed. 3. Fiscal and Contract Support: Facilitate procurement processes, inclu

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