About the team:
Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships department is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and staff development across Vera’s initiatives to pass legislation, change policy, and create change at scale. We work to ensure that the goals of our advocacy campaigns align with the people and communities most impacted by criminal justice and immigration policies, and we collaborate with movement and advocacy partners to produce the knowledge and ideas needed to change policies and legislation at the right time.
Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships department serves the following core functions:
- Providing state and local government and movement strategy guidance to Vera’s national and place-based initiatives, with a focus on lobbying, campaigns, and coalition work;
- Federal policy expertise to lead Vera’s advocacy strategies in Washington, D.C.;
- Vera Insights, a rapid-response data and evidence team responsible for developing and producing data and knowledge to key partners and audiences; and
- Coordination with Vera Action, Vera’s sister 501(c)(4) organization.
About the role:
The Senior Strategist, Federal Advocacy is a key member of Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships department and serves as a strategist and advocate focused on advancing Vera’s federal policy priorities and defending against federal actions that threaten them. The Senior Strategist develops and executes federal advocacy strategies to advance legislation, federal budget and appropriations priorities, administrative policies, and other federal policy changes aligned with Vera’s goals.
The Senior Strategist monitors and analyzes the federal political and policy environment, identifies opportunities to advance Vera’s priorities, develops strategies to influence federal decision-makers, and builds relationships with congressional offices, federal agencies, national advocacy organizations, and other key stakeholders. This role will work closely with movement and coalition partners to build power and advance shared federal policy goals.
At a moment when federal policymakers are pushing a return to failed “tough-on-crime” policies, Vera’s role is to bring the data, evidence, and solutions about what works into federal policy debates, particularly with government and grasstops stakeholders. Vera's February 2026 platform, A New Federal Paradigm for Safety, Accountability, and Justice, reflects the kind of popular, evidence-based federal solutions Vera champions, organized around six planks: strong, accountable policing; ending the overdose crisis; supporting strong mental health and deescalating crisis; tackling gun violence; safe streets and good quality of life; and a fairer, more accountable justice system. On immigration, Vera works to hold federal immigration enforcement accountable, expand access to deportation defense and universal legal representation for people facing deportation, and push back against the expansion of DHS’s power.
The Senior Strategist will serve as a lead strategist on assigned federal policy priorities, helping determine when and how Vera should engage in federal legislative, appropriations, regulatory, and administrative processes. The role requires strong political judgment, an understanding of federal policymaking, excellent communication skills, and the ability to move complex advocacy campaigns forward in a dynamic environment.
1. Develop and execute federal advocacy strategies and campaigns
- Work with the Director of Federal Advocacy and other members of the Advocacy & Partnerships department to develop and execute federal advocacy strategies for Vera’s core issues and policy priorities, including legislation and policy change related to safety, accountability, and justice.
- Manage assigned federal advocacy campaigns from strategy development through implementation, including coordinating tactics, timelines, partners, and deliverables.
- Develop and execute bipartisan congressional strategies by identifying key decision-makers, committees, legislative opportunities, and champions, while building and maintaining relationships with congressional offices and federal policymakers to advance Vera’s policy priorities.
- Lead or support the development, drafting, tracking, and advancement of federal legislation, including identifying legislative opportunities, shaping bill language, developing legislative strategies, and supporting efforts to secure congressional support.
- Develop and execute federal budget and appropriations advocacy strategies, including tracking the federal budget and appropriations process, identifying funding priorities and threats, developing requests and recommendations, and engaging relevant congressional offices and committees.
- Identify and pursue opportunities to influence federal regulations, executive actions, agency policies, guidance, and other administrative decisions.
- Monitor federal legislative, budgetary, regulatory, administrative, and political developments and assess their implications for Vera’s priorities and advocacy strategy.
- Translate political and policy intelligence into actionable recommendations, identifying strategic openings, potential risks, and appropriate moments for engagement.
- Develop advocacy materials, including policy briefs, talking points, legislative recommendations, congressional materials, testimony, sign-on letters, and other communications designed to influence federal decision-makers.
- Collaborate with the Director of Federal Advocacy and the Chief Advocacy Officer to determine where Vera should engage, lead, partner, or strategically remain outside of federal campaigns and policy debates.
2. Federal coalition building, partnerships, and external engagement
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with national advocacy organizations, movement partners, grasstops and grassroots organizations, congressional offices, federal agencies, and other stakeholders relevant to Vera’s federal policy priorities.
- Identify, develop, and participate in federal coalitions that can advance Vera’s policy and legislative goals.
- Help develop and implement joint advocacy strategies with coalition and movement partners, including coordinated congressional engagement, public advocacy, legislative campaigns, and other tactics.
- Represent Vera in strategically important federal advocacy meetings, coalitions, briefings, congressional meetings, policy discussions, and other external spaces.
- Coordinate with national movement partners to identify opportunities for collective action and build broader support for federal policy priorities.
- Support strategic communications and public advocacy efforts designed to build momentum for federal policy change.
- Serve as a strategic connector between Vera and relevant federal advocacy networks, ensuring Vera is positioned to identify and respond to emerging federal policy opportunities.
3. Federal policy analysis, intelligence, and internal coordination
- Maintain a current understanding of federal legislative, budgetary, regulatory, administrative, and political developments relevant to Vera’s policy priorities.
- Produce concise, timely analysis and recommendations for Vera leadership and Advocacy & Partnerships colleagues on significant federal developments and opportunities for advocacy.
- Develop and maintain systems for tracking federal legislation, appropriations, regulatory and administrative developments, congressional activity, key relationships, coalition activity, and campaign progress.
- Collaborate with Vera’s policy, research, communications, and other relevant staff to ensure federal advocacy strategies are informed by Vera’s research, expertise, and policy analysis.
What qualifications are we looking for?
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
- Demonstrated experience working on criminal justice, immigration, public safety, or related public policy issues.
- At least 3 years of experience planning and leading federal advocacy campaigns. Including managing complex campaigns and projects from strategy development through implementation.
- Experience developing and implementing advocacy strategies involving multiple stakeholders, decision-makers, and advocacy partners.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze political and policy developments and translate them into advocacy strategy.
- Experience developing advocacy materials, including legislative recommendations, talking points, policy briefs, testimony, congressional materials, and other advocacy communications.
Preferred:
- 3+ years of issue advocacy and community organizing experience.
- Experience building and/or leading coalitions in partnership with national, grasstops, and grassroots organizations.
- Experience working directly with congressional offices, congressional committees, federal agencies, or other federal policymakers.
- Experience with federal appropriations, budget advocacy, or fiscal policy.
- Experience developing or advancing federal legislation, regulations, executive actions, or administrative policy.
- Experience working on criminal legal system or immigration policy at the federal level.
- 2+ years of electoral political experience and organizing experience.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:
- Strong knowledge of federal advocacy strategy, policymaking, and power building.
- Demonstrated understanding of Congress and the federal legislative process, including congressional committees, legislative vehicles, hearings, and congressional decision-making.
- Demonstrated understanding of the federal budget, appropriations, and administrative processes.
- Strong understanding of congressional decision-making, committee structures, legislative strategy, and federal appropriations.
- Strong political and strategic judgment, including the ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, assess political dynamics, and adapt advocacy strategies as circumstances change.
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with congressional offices, federal agencies, coalition partners, and other external stakeholders.
- Ability to research, synthesize, and communicate complex policy and political information clearly and effectively.
- Excellent writing, oral communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to issue-spot and problem-solve across federal policy and advocacy strategy, including proactively and creatively developing tactics, resources, and tools.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a national team while independently managing responsibilities and external relationships.
- Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative and politically dynamic environment.
- A deep commitment to Vera’s mission to end mass incarceration, fight for immigrant rights, bring dignity to people behind bars, and help build safe, thriving communities.
Location:
Please note this role will report to our Washington, DC 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 range for this position is $105,000-110,000. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325. 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.
Application Process:
To receive further consideration for this career opportunity, applicants are asked preliminary questions about logistics, their interest and qualifications. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional details about their experience via a phone screen/form in advance of an invitation for a virtual or in-person interview with the team. Some searches may explore scenarios during the interview process and/or an assessment prior to reference checks and a hiring decision.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / [JOBTITLE]
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.
Vera is an equal opportunity 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.
