Assistant Director of Network Reentry Capacity Building

ABOUT THE INNOCENCE PROJECT

The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Our work is guided by science and grounded in anti‑racism. Since our inception, the Innocence Project has used DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful convictions. To date, we have helped to free or exonerate more than 250 people who, collectively, spent more than 3,600 years behind bars.

Our efforts have led to the passage of more than 200 transformative state laws and federal reforms. Today, the Innocence Project continues to fight for freedom, drive structural change, and advance the innocence movement. To learn more, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The Innocence Network is an affiliation of over 70 independent nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public defender’s offices that is dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people and reforming the criminal justice system to avoid future injustice. The Innocence Network member organizations vary in size, budget, and number of cases they can investigate, and most primarily represent clients in the state in which they work.

The Network Support Unit (NSU), a department within the Innocence Project, works to strengthen the Innocence Network and its member organizations to achieve breakthrough results in addressing and preventing wrongful conviction.

The Assistant Director will join the Network Support Unit to bring expertise in trauma‑informed care, organizational development, and systems‑level thinking, with a strong commitment to centering directly impacted people in all aspects of their work. They will create and maintain resources, cultivate and build partnerships with national organizations and strengthen support for freed and exonerated individuals.

The Assistant Director will report to and carry out strategic work under the guidance of the Director, Innocence Network Support and work collaboratively with the staff at the Innocence Project and the Innocence Network.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas and we are not an e‑verify employer.

The duties of this position require approximately 40 hours of work per week to be performed virtually/in‑office and roughly 20% travel. We currently have a hybrid in‑office model, with all employees in the office three days per week and the remainder of the week remotely. Wednesday is our organization’s “anchor day” where all staff works in the office. The number of required in‑office days is subject to change.

The Innocence Project seeks a candidate who has the experience and insight to bolster capacity for post‑release support in the Innocence Network by developing and maintaining best practices, building strategic partnerships, and supporting Innocence Network organizations to enhance and strengthen the services they provide for freed and exonerated people. The ideal candidate is also a proactive, collaborative thought partner and peer in this work, with the ability to work independently while navigating complexity with clarity and care.

Please note:

this position does not involve providing direct support or services to freed clients.

In addition, all Innocence Project employees must embrace, respect and value the rich diversity of perspectives and lived experience of our staff. We recognize and appreciate that our work is better for having varied participants and thought partners. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives in this type of environment.

• Develop and maintain strong, trusting relationships with staff across all roles within Network Member Organizations (NMOs); for organizations without formal client support roles, proactively engage to ensure staff feel connected, supported, and confident to engage, recognizing that impact may vary by context.
• Help break down the needs of clients and triage the reentry program needs of Network Member Organizations (NMOs)
• Vet,…