Reports to:         National Director, Dream Corps JUSTICE

Location:            Remote (DC-area preferred)

Salary Range:     $75,000-$95,000 (adjusted for location)

Agency Overview

Dream Corps closes prison doors and opens doors of opportunity. We bring people together across racial, social, and partisan lines to create a future with freedom and dignity for all. We are working to build a future wherein “we the people” means all of us.

Program Overview

Dream Corps JUSTICE is a bipartisan effort to cut crime and incarceration across all 50 states. We bring together leaders impacted by the criminal justice system with unlikely allies spanning the political divide to push for criminal justice solutions.

Purpose

Our Senior Policy Manager will help design and build the most dynamic national criminal justice program in the country by crafting bold policies, engaging diverse political stakeholders, and bringing innovative strategies to the criminal justice movement.  If you believe in building power with people to transform our criminal legal system and have a track record of doing so, this is the right opportunity for you. Our theory of change involves centering the leadership of directly impacted people, assembling unique coalitions with stakeholders from both parties, and leading with people-first messaging. As Senior Policy Manager, you will provide counsel to organizational leadership, supervise interns and volunteers, and report to the Dream Corps JUSTICE National Director.

This will be a remote position, and while we welcome applicants from anywhere in the United States, we have a strong preference for candidates based in the Washington, D.C. area, or willing to relocate there. We strongly encourage people who have been personally impacted by the criminal legal system to apply for this position.

Responsibilities

• Design bold policy reforms that will reduce the number of Americans going into prison, improve prison conditions, bring people home more quickly, and put them in a better position to succeed when they come home.
• Manage JUSTICE’s relationships with elected officials, particularly members of Congress and the executive branch.
• Wonks welcome! This role requires analyzing new and existing legislation and administrative orders at the federal and state level, and synthesizing complex information for broader staff and Empathy Network.
• Lead meetings in Washington, D.C. with important criminal justice stakeholders, including members of the presidential administration, members of Congress, and key organizational allies.
• Partner with the Campaign Director to design and build innovative federal campaigns, including a groundbreaking prison closure campaign.
• Collaborate with peers in Dream Corps TECH and Dream Corps GREEN For All to design policy goals that both close prison doors and open doors of opportunity for historically marginalized communities.
• Represent Dream Corps JUSTICE at public events, virtually for now, and in-person once COVID restrictions are lifted. (For candidates who are not based in D.C., this position will require extensive travel to the Capitol.)
• Support the Dream Corps JUSTICE National Director with ongoing priorities, including national coalition-building, development, and strategic planning.

Skills and Attributes

• Track record of working on criminal justice related legislation at the federal and/or state level, with a preference for candidates who have strong federal experience.
• Strong relationships with stakeholders from the broader criminal justice community, including federal offices that are important to the advancement of criminal justice goals.
• Deep understanding of the criminal legal system, from the point of policing and prosecution to prison oversight to re-entry policy.
• Commitment to collaboration. At Dream Corps we are committed to using our established communication tools as a way to build relationships and create a future that is good for us all.
• The mindset of our staff impacts our work. Possession of the following attributes will help you be successful on our team: flexibility, honesty, humor, inclusivity, and open-mindedness. We work hard and are action oriented in our approach to solutions.
• Ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and life experience is essential.

Qualifications

• Deep familiarity with the criminal justice system through lived and/or professional experience.
• Demonstrated track record of dynamic legislative work on criminal justice issues, either from inside government or as an advocate.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• Strong work ethic and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Management history is a plus.
• Openness to creative campaign strategies and tactics.

Dream Corps is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, sex, gender identity, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status or record of arrest or conviction. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strive for a workforce that reflects the populations that we serve.