Employment

The Brennan Center for Justice is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, which welcomes qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders, and sexual orientations, including people who have been previously incarcerated.

The Center offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We hope you will review the current job openings and encourage you to check this page regularly, as new positions are posted here first.

Current Openings

Director of Foundation Relations
Research Associate, Democracy Program
Fellowship Opportunities

 

Director of Foundation Relations

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law seeks a Director of Foundation Relations. The Center currently has a $7 million budget and a portfolio of over $11,000,000 in grants from private and institutional donors. The position reports to the Director of Development and works closely with program staff and the Center’s Executive Director to maintain current funding and develop new sources of institutional funding. The Director of Foundation Relations also will play a significant role in other fundraising activities and strategic planning for this fast-paced and growing organization.

Responsibilities

  • Develop a comprehensive institutional fundraising strategy designed to increase funding for each of the Brennan Center’s program areas and the organization as a whole;
  • Create proposals, reports, renewal requests, and other required documents for institutional donors, in partnership with program staff;
  • Manage the Center’s portfolio of institutional funders, including tracking a large pool of foundations in the prospect pipeline, maintaining a calendar of deadlines for proposals and reports and ensuring compliance with funding requirements;
  • Conduct foundation stewardship efforts;
  • Identify and research potential funding sources in the foundation and corporate grant-making sectors;
  • Participate in regular financial progress meetings with program directors and regularly update grants revenue projections for the annual budgeting process;
  • Help prepare strategy documents and profiles for meetings with funders, senior staff and Board members, participating in meetings as needed;
  • Collaborate with the Director of Development, development staff, the Executive Director,  and program staff to create and implement fundraising strategies; and
  • Supervise the Grant Manager and administrative staff.

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:

  • Superb writing and oral presentation skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to promote, orally and in writing, complex goals, strategies, and legal concepts in clear, accessible form and to create compelling cases for funding;
  • Talent for developing relationships with key funders;
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines and projects while planning strategically for future efforts;
  • Proficiency with budgets and financial reporting to donors;
  • Excellent diplomacy and teambuilding skills required to work well with colleagues at all levels and to assist in supervising junior staff; and a
  • Commitment to social justice and the mission and goals of the Brennan Center.

Prior foundation relations and grant writing experience required (at least 2-3 years); other fundraising experience, particularly in the social justice arena, a plus.

The Brennan Center, an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, is strongly committed to diversity and welcomes applicants of all races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations, including people who have been previously incarcerated.

Salary:  The Center offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package.

The Center:  The Brennan Center for Justice is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on the fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Our work ranges from voting rights to redistricting reform, from access to the courts to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. For more information about the Center, visit our website: http://www.brennancenter.org.  

Applications:  Please send a cover letter, resume, and two relevant writing samples by e-mail to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with “Director of Foundation Relations” in the subject line. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to respond as soon as possible. No calls, please.

 

Research Associate, Democracy Program

Position: The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is seeking one full-time Research Associate for the Center’s Democracy Program. The Democracy Program seeks to change the ways in which citizens participate in their government by fixing the systems that discourage voting, hinder competition and promote the interests of the few over the rights of the many. To advance these goals, the Center employs research, policy analysis and publications, media outreach and public education, legislative counseling and advocacy, and legal action in six project areas: Campaign Finance Reform, Fair Courts, Voting Rights & Elections, Voting After Criminal Conviction, New York Reform, and Redistricting.

Research Associates assist with substantive projects as well as those aspects of administration, communications, and development for which the Democracy Program is responsible. Research Associates typically combine a concentration in one or two project areas with general duties, including:  providing legal and factual research; drafting, and editing publications; and providing administrative, clerical, and paralegal assistance.

This position will focus on our Fair Courts work.

Qualifications: Initiative, drive, and commitment; excellent research, analytic, and writing skills; computer skills; professionalism, reliability, flexibility, and attention to detail. The candidate must be willing to do administrative and clerical work. Experience with democracy issues a plus.

This is an entry level position; lawyers and individuals with advanced degrees should not apply.

Starting Date: February 2010. Applicants must be willing to make a two-year commitment.

Salary: Based on years out of college or comparable experience.

Applications: Please e-mail cover letter, resume, short writing sample (no more than 10 pages), and contact information for three references to: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with “Democracy Research Associate” in the subject line. No phone calls, please.

Applicants for the Justice Research Associate position need not reapply – their applications will be considered for this position.

Deadline for applications is February 7, 2010.

The Brennan Center, an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, is strongly committed to diversity and encourages applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders, and sexual orientations, including people who have been previously incarcerated.