Program Administrator (Innocence Network)

The Innocence Network is an affiliation of independent nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public defender’s offices that provide pro bono post-conviction legal assistance to inmates seeking to prove they have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit.
 
Working under the policy direction of the Innocence Network’s Board of Directors and reporting administratively to the Executive Director of the Innocence Project, the Program Administrator will oversee administrative aspects of the Network’s activities and business and help the Network’s member-organizations create strategies to develop their fundraising and programmatic capacities.
 
BACKGROUND ON THE INNOCENCE NETWORK
 
Since 1989, DNA testing has exonerated 283 people in the United States, including 17 who were sentenced to death. Almost all of the DNA exonerees were represented by Innocence Network member-organizations. Since 2009 alone, the work of the Innocence Network member-organizations has also led to the exoneration of more than 40 additional people in cases that did not involve DNA evidence. By exonerating innocent people and exposing flaws in the justice system, the Innocence Network’s member-organizations have changed the direction of the national debate on criminal justice among policymakers, jurists, law enforcement officers, and members of the public.
 
The Innocence Network was formed in the late 1990s and formally established in 2005, and has since grown to 65 members, with 55 in the United States and ten operating in other countries. The members range from sizable and well-established organizations to two-person law clinics and all-volunteer start-ups. The Innocence Network is governed by an independent Board of Directors, composed of 21 representatives of Network member-organizations.
 
The Innocence Project is one of the founding members of the Innocence Network, and has historically provided much of the infrastructure and support for Innocence Network activities and operations.
 
DETAILS OF THE POSITION
 
In light of the Network’s continued growth, the Network’s Board of Directors has elected to create a dedicated staff unit that will strengthen and build the Innocence Network. The Program Administrator will be the first staff-person hired for this group and shall be responsible for:

  • Providing crucial administrative support to the Network activities;
  • Assisting in the development of a long-term strategic plan for the Network;
  • Consulting with individual organizations to strengthen their infrastructure and resources;
  • Coordinating strategies for casework and collaboration across projects; and
  • Overseeing the membership and quality control functions of the Network Board.

Generally, the Program Administrator will build these capacities through her own work and by supervising the work of Innocence Network staff to be hired in the future. Specifically, the Program Administrator will be responsible for:

  • Coordinating the work of the Innocence Network Board and its committees, which fulfill key Network functions such as reviewing applications for Network membership and filing amicus briefs;
  • Conducting a systematic needs-assessment of Network member-organizations in order to help them identify strategies for growth;
  • Helping to plan the Innocence Network’s annual conference;
  • Overseeing the development of robust shared resources of litigation, administration, and teaching materials;
  • Hiring and supervising a Network Development Associate and a “Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) Litigation Fellow” (an attorney who will assist Network members with the litigation of SBS cases ), as well as any other staff members who may be hired in the future;
  • Developing fundraising strategies for Network member-organizations and the Innocence Network;
  • Working closely with the President of the Innocence Network to execute the directives of the Network’s Board of Directors.

The ideal candidate for this position will have the following qualifications:

  • At least five years of experience in non-profit management;
  • Significant experience in developing and executing fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations;
  • Excellent writing and organizational skills;
  • A strong commitment to making the criminal justice system more accurate and fair (although a law degree is not required);
  • Willingness to travel;
  • Experience working in coalitions with strong autonomous members;
  • Flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit; and
  • The ability to keep a sense of humor throughout.

While this position has a nationwide focus, the Program Administrator will work from the New York City offices of the Innocence Project (IP).
 
The IP is the oldest and largest member of the Innocence Network, and the Program Administrator will draw upon the IP’s institutional resources in order to establish a dedicated staff for the Innocence Network. The Program Administrator will report to the President of the Innocence Network and the Executive Director of the Innocence Project.
 
The salary is competitive and the position offers great benefits.
 
Please email a brief cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to: hr3@innocenceproject.org, with “Program Administrator” in the subject line. All .zip file attachments will be deleted without being read. No phone calls, please.
 
The Innocence Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to workplace diversity.