Associate Director, Web Strategy

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.

Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, 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 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.

Who you are:

Reporting directly to the Digital Engagement Director, the Associate Director, Web Strategy will be responsible for evolving and maintaining the Vera website, driving the all-around user experience for Vera’s growing audience, constituents and donors alike throughout their digital journey, while making continuous improvements in its operational efficiency.

The Associate Director, Web Strategy will oversee web strategy, as well as web development, user experience design, website content production, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for the Vera website. They will be responsible for the maintenance, publishing, and ongoing strategic development of Vera’s website to enhance search engine visibility, inspire engagement, and elevate the organization’s work, mission, and brand.

They will apply deep understanding, expertise, and leadership in strategizing and managing the continuous improvement of Vera website features, content, information architecture, data collection and analysis to support Vera’s overarching strategic goals.

Close collaboration with Digital Content and Editorial team members, Digital Fundraising and Development, IT Services, Program and Research teams, is essential for maintaining healthy and fully operational web functionality—and integral to this person’s success. 

What you’ll do:

Devise a roadmap aimed at evolving the overall technical strategy for Vera’s public-facing website as a growth channel for new leads and donors, while also engaging Vera partners and advocates around issue area priorities 

• Drive the all-around user experience for new and existing contacts and donors throughout their digital journey, while making continuous improvements in operational efficiency and meeting relevant website accessibility guidelines  
• Establish a website governance process that enables the web team to stay organized and keep up with fast-paced business requirements, ensuring stability and scalability

Work cross-functionally to support Vera initiatives work  

• Assess how website visitors engage with Vera program work onsite and devise optimizations to ensure a more seamless, accessible experience  
• Provide project management support for special projects and content approval processes, ensuring timelines are manageable across teams, with clear deliverables and expectations communicated 
• Partner with Vera’s Front End Developer and Data Visualization experts to conceptualize and launch program team tools and findings, including but not limited to fact sheets, publications, special reports, and data visualization

Track, monitor, and optimize performance against key KPIs for the organization  

• Demonstrate a highly methodical and metrics-driven approach to continuous improvement; strong analytical skills with the ability to identify insights that are actionable  
• Report on and forecast website traffic on a monthly basis to build a broader understanding of Vera’s audience size and engagement behaviors 
• Provide recommendations and insights based on changing data points around traffics sources, time spent on site, best-performing landing page, and more 
• Offer guidance and framework for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices to be utilized by editorial and digital content teams

Consult on ongoing maintenance of Vera Institute of Justice subdomains, microsites, and Vera’s retail website

Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

• A deep knowledge of and passion for the digital landscape. Exceptional knowledge and understanding of current and emerging best practices; willingness to keep abreast of industry trends, technologies, and to learn new best practices. 
• Possess subject matter expertise in web strategy and production, site operations, UI/UX features, and relevant functionalities. 
• Strong ability to quickly learn business environment and organization and stakeholder goals/objectives sufficiently to internally identify new methods and processes, and to recommend site enhancements. 
• Highly focused on putting stakeholder needs first with a positive “can do” attitude; independently responding to stakeholder needs in a supportive, professional manner promptly and solutions-focused 
• Understands how to apply SEO best practices—and possesses an understanding of its relationship to website technology, architecture, and content in order to deliver superior organic search performance  
• Strong ability to prioritize and organize work independently; tracking complex and competing schedules in a fast-paced environment; determine/meet multiple deadlines and execute heavy workloads with speed and accuracy 
• You have keen time management and multitasking skills, including the ability to take the initiative, prioritize tasks and duties, pay close attention to detail, and work independently while meeting specific deadlines 
• At least 6-10 years managing and executing web strategy and development for websites and related applications in a non-profit environment 
• 5-6 years of experience working in a nonprofit, political, or advocacy setting is ideal, but not critical

Preferred:

• Experience with social media management tools, such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social
• Experience with email marketing tools and digital CRM, such as EveryAction and ActionKit

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you’ll bring:

• Experience with current web standards-based HTML, CSS, and other interactive tools
• Proficient in MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite applications 
• Well-versed in a variety of Content Management Systems like Craft and WordPress 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, 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 $106,500 – $109,500. 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 annually 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 / Associate Director, Web Strategy

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.

As a federal contractor, and 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.