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:
Vera’s Finance Department is responsible for managing and protecting the financial resources of the Institute, as well as maintaining the integrity of the books and records.
The Finance intern will assist the finance team in preparing external and internal budgets, gathering backups for invoices to funders, assisting with information needed to prepare requests for modification/extensions and assisting in various special projects. The finance intern will also assist the accounting team in gathering data requested during audit, reviewing accounts payable (AP) backups before are processed by the Lead Accountant and assisting in any special projects. This person will also learn about our policies and procedures as well as the systems and tools used in the department.
What you’ll do:
Assisting in preparing external and internal budgets as well as preparing invoices for external funders.
- Attending meetings with the financial analysts to learn which budget categories are needed and/or required based on the project scope of work and financial guidance.
- Learning how to pull the required data from our accounting system and updating the internal workpapers.
- Analyzing the general ledger to ensure the expenses allocated to the project are allowable.
- Pulling any required backup documentation such as payroll registers, timesheets, and vendor invoices.
- Preparing a journal import, if necessary.
Financial planning and forecasting
- Assist with preparing month-end financial reports.
- Assist in the forecasting and planning process in Adaptive.
Accounts payable
- Assisting the Lead Accountant and the AP Assistant in reviewing the backup documentation included with the payment requests.
Fiscal year 2024 audit
- Assisting the department in preparing schedules and pulling any documentation requested by Vera’s external auditors.
Finance policies, procedures, and systems.
- Learning our travel policies.
- Getting familiarized and understanding fiscal policies for our various funders.
- Learning Abila and Adaptive.
- Learning how to use the internal fiscal and accounting templates.
- Steps for creating project segments (unique award identifier) and setting them up in our various systems.
- Steps for creating and assigning timecard codes to employees.
Other fiscal assignments
- Attending monthly meetings with the financial analysts and taking notes.
- Special projects
What qualifications are we looking for?
- Demonstrated experience and interest in finance and accounting
- Strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to organize, prioritize, multi-task, and work under deadlines.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you’ll bring:
- Knowledge of Excel; of other Microsoft Office Suite programs Outlook and Word.
Location:
Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn NYoffice. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.
Schedule:
The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 3rd and August 9th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.
Compensation:
The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.
How to apply:
Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People Resources / Summer 2024 – Intern, Ops Finance
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
