Operations Manager

The Bail Project; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bail Project seeks an Operations Manager to oversee site operations in Jacksonville, FL. This role involves managing teams, improving operational processes, and advocating for pretrial reform. The ideal candidate is committed to racial and economic justice and has strong management and communication skills.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

401(k) plan

Qualifications

• Supervisory experience required.
• Experience with data-driven decision making.
• Commitment to racial justice and reform.

Responsibilities

• Supervise TBP site teams in daily operations.
• Ensure staff training and adherence to standards.
• Analyze data to optimize bailouts.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Data analysis

Communication

Conflict resolution

Education

Experience in criminal justice or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Google Suite

Job description

This Role Reports to: Regional Director of Operations

Location: Jacksonville, FL or Pensacola, FL

About The Bail Project:

The Problem

There is no place in the criminal justice system where money more clearly buys justice than bail. People who can’t afford bail remain in jail before trial, while those with money buy their liberty. Tying freedom to financial ability upends the presumption of innocence, tears lives apart, and perpetuates racial and economic disparities. It is also a key driver of mass incarceration. Each year, an estimated 2.5 million people sit in jail cells across America because they cannot afford bail.

The Response

The Bail Project is a national nonprofit that provides free bail assistance and pretrial support to thousands of low-income people every year. We are on a mission to combat mass incarceration and demonstrate that a more humane, equitable, and effective pretrial system is possible.

The Model

The Bail Project uses a national revolving bail fund to pay bail for individuals who are legally presumed innocent, and whom a judge has deemed eligible for release. We then provide court reminders, transportation, and work with local partner organizations to connect our clients with voluntary social services and community-based programs. We call this model Community Release with Support, and it has proven highly effective in helping people make their court dates. As our clients’ cases close, bail comes back into the fund where it is recycled to help additional people. The goal of The Bail Project isto work ourselves out of a job by gathering human stories and data from our ground work to advance legislative and policy change to end cash bail and invest in Community Release with Support (aftercashbail.org ).

The Team

We are a community of advocates committed to ending mass incarceration and advancing racial and economic justice. Our organization consists of a central support hub and a growing network of client advocates or “Bail Disruptors” who work in their local communities to provide bail assistance and help advance advocacy efforts on the ground.

Job Summary:

The Operations Manager is a member of the Operations and Support Hub teams and reports to the Regional Director of Operations. In tandem with the Regional Director of Operations, the Operations Manager manages site operations to support TBP’s mission to address the humanitarian crisis of pretrial incarceration, and encourage pretrial reform, by working with site staff to support the needs of clients and building and maintaining relationships with local stakeholders. The Operations Manager uses data-informed and staff-centered management practices to optimize site bailouts that adhere to the Bailout Decision-making Framework (BODMF), ensures sites are delivering services to clients with model fidelity, and contributes to local advocacy for pretrial reform. This position has management oversight of site staff and ensures employees understand and are meeting operational standards and site goals, and have the necessary support and resources to succeed. Operations Managers are competent in improving operational processes, and supervising and coaching staff to get desired results. They are also effective in communicating on behalf of TBP to advance the organization’s mission and address operational barriers with local stakeholders to optimize our Community Release with Support model.

Local Operations

Supervise TBP site teams in the daily execution of their assigned duties

Hold weekly 1:1 meetings and routine team meetings with staff, discussing action steps for achieving site goals and providing coaching and feedback as part of continuous learning and improvement for the site

Ensure staff understand their essential duties defined by their job description, their standard operating procedures (SOPs), their Client Service Guides, and TBP’s program logic model

Directly provide ongoing staff training, using TBP training resources, on operational standards, processes, and data collection and analysis

Engage in ongoing dialogue with staff to ensure they understand how their individual roles contribute to the results TBP aims to achieve as defined by the program logic model

Model TBP values and Breakthrough Action leadership principles, after receiving training, with staff to enhance individual and collective responsibility, ongoing and timely feedback practices, and leadership development

Support site team activities that build trust and rapport; spend motivational budget resources and encourage the use of annual staff development funds; ensure site staff are using PTO effectively

Formally evaluate staff performance bi-annually and implement other tools and processes to routinely give and receive staff feedback in real-time and support their career development goals

If necessary, pursue progressive discipline to address staff performance issues after supervisory and coaching efforts have been unsuccessful

As a support hub employee and leader of site operations, ensure staff understand the rationale for standard policies and procedures and navigate potential conflicts between support hub departments and local operations

Take responsibility for all aspects of local site operations and ensure the effective day-to-day operation of TBP’s model in the following programmatic areas:

Lead optimization-identify potential clients from multiple lead sources, review client eligibility, interview clients, and post bail

Analyze administrative data to optimize client bailouts and decrease the median days clients remain incarcerated

Maximize leads from Public Defender’s offices and market TBP services to community members to generate ongoing referrals

Ensure standard communication scripts are delivered during client interviews

Ensure procedures for banking and bond receipts are timely and accurate

Documentation and data use for monitoring results, improving program quality, and encouraging staff learning:

Hold site teams accountable for meeting data quality and timeliness standards for all information required to achieve TBP’s mission and goals

On a post-audit basis, review intake and pre-work documentation for leads and case records weekly to ensure data standards are met for the BODMF and client support plans are provided as needed

In 1:1s and team meetings, review weekly, monthly and quarterly operational performance metrics in Salesforce (and information in Monthly Ops and Quarterly Data reviews) to optimize bailouts, reflect on what’s working and what’s not, and generate ongoing learning and improvement goals for each site

Utilize the Learning and Improvement goal setting and action plans regularly to document staff learnings, achievements, and challenges; use the action plan to document follow-up steps and update team goals

Ensure the site Client Service Guide is accurate, fully understood by staff, and regularly updated as local conditions change

Client support

Ensure client needs are appropriately documented and supported, and “hand-off” referrals to service providers are coordinated where possible

Identify and monitor local service gaps using Salesforce data and proactively develop strategies for addressing them

Create workflows and employ standard operating processes from the Client Service Guide that ensure prompt communication with 100% of active clients about court dates and ongoing voluntary supports, if appropriate, throughout the duration of case

Ensure staff are attempting to contact clients who have bench warrants, appropriately documenting these contact attempts, and working with clients and partners to resolve warrants whenever possible.

Assist the Program Innovation and Data Teams in analyzing the impact of client supports on case outcomes, gathering feedback from clients on the quality of service provision, and implementing appropriate adjustments based on these findings under the guidance of the Regional Director.

Revolving Bail fund

Establish and execute timely processes for requesting and retrieving bail refunds according to the standards outlined in the Client Service Guide

Establish and execute timely processes for identifying and contesting bail forfeitures, including engaging with local attorneys, as necessary

Budget/Resources

Contribute to creating and reviewing site budgets and requesting additional resources to achieve site goals based on data-informed analyses

Ensure spending on other than personnel expenses follows the guidance in the TBP Expense Policy and is contributing to client success

Build effective local service partnerships at each site to meet client needs

Partner with the Regional Director to build a coalition of local community support providers who have the capacity to meet the needs of clients and monitor progress using client advocacy reports in Salesforce

Develop and maintain effective relationships with local stakeholders, including Public Defenders, jail administrators, county clerks, community-based organizations, and relevant grassroots coalitions

Attend and actively participate in all mandatory management meetings and workshops unless you’ve notified and received prior approval from Regional Director

Partner with the Regional Director and other senior managers to plan for the trajectory of site operations based on reform efforts and changes in local pretrial systems

Actively participate and lead weekly Ops Manager meetings and periodic regional team meetings; contribute to building meeting agendas, and share information and learnings

As a Central Support Hub employee, champion and implement organizational directives with staff and ensure organizational policies and procedures are locally adapted, responsive, and consistently followed

Advocacy

Collaborate with Policy Team to identify and prioritize local opportunities for reform and systems change

In collaboration with the Policy Team, establish advocacy goals at the local site level and at the state level

In partnership with the Policy Team, cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, coalitions and constituents, and support achievement of TBP policy goals locally and statewide

Help monitor status and progress of ongoing reform efforts and, in consultation with the Policy Team, participate on behalf of TBP as needed

Share updates on reform progress with the Policy Team, and occasionally represent TBP at meetings or events with local stakeholders and media outlets

Communications and Media

Cascade approved internal communication content to site teams when requested; routinely dialogue with staff about organizational communications such as all staff emails from CEO and Support Hub Departments to strengthen understanding and receive feedback

Share updates on site activities with the Support Hub, and occasionally, under the direction of the Director of Communications and your Regional Director, represent TBP at meetings or events with local stakeholders and media outlets

In collaboration with the Communications Team, help develop narratives for client storytelling and bail reform for distribution on social media and to local and statewide press outlets

Follow steps outlined in emergency response plan, including providing immediate notification to the Regional Director and Communications Director when a current client is in crisis and/or has been charged with a serious allegation reported in the media

Ensure the facts of the client case are collected and documented

In consultation with the Communications Department, represent TBP with local media to explain our decision-making

Bi-Monthly Travel to sites to work with staff and speak with local stakeholders and system players about TBP’s mission and model

Position Outcomes:

1:1 and team meetings are held weekly that include the review of programmatic data

Sites exhibit a culture of learning and improvement, as evidenced by regular meetings that use and reflect on data (i.e, Salesforce reports and dashboards, and monthly and quarterly Ops reports) and feedback from clients and local stakeholders

Site goal setting and action plan template is updated regularly with staff to organize site improvement work, track progress on site goals, document site learnings and achievements, and inform 1:1 and team agendas

Data quality and timeliness standards are consistently met by staff

Client cases are reviewed on a post audit basis weekly to ensure that site staff are complying with BODMF and other TBP processes in cases that do not receive or require supervisor approval

Client bailouts are optimized based on efficient staff workflows and analysis of county administrative data which indicate an estimate of client eligibility

Sites are meeting or exceeding quarterly/annual goals, including goals for client court reminders, client need identification and support, site forfeiture rates, and client refunds, or there is a clear understanding of which are the key assumptions underlying the goals that have since shifted

Bail refunds are submitted and collected on a timely basis

The Client Services Guide is updated based on local conditions and reporting tools are regularly used to ensure it is implemented with fidelity

Client emergencies are reported immediately in accordance with the Crisis Response Plan

Staff are evaluated on their performance twice a year on a timely basis; evaluations are reviewed with Regional Director before delivered and finalized with staff

TBP core values and Breakthrough Action management principles are actively employed with staff in consistent coaching conversations to get desired results and to support career development goals of staff

Organizational communications, directives, policies, and procedures are adopted and operationalized by site staff; time is scheduled in team meetings and 1:1’s to dialogue with sites to reinforce understanding and receive feedback

Management recommendations for staffing and site resources are informed and justified with data

Policy and Communications initiatives are fully integrated in site operations

Qualifications:

You have the ability to travel (required)

You live in or near Jacksonville, FL or Pensacola, FL or are willing to relocate there (required)

Supervisory or people management experience (required)

Exceptional interpersonal skills, including an ability to navigate and resolve conflict in a manner that values and respects relationships with colleagues inside and outside TBP

Experience utilizing data to monitor and improve operational performance

Strong ability to provide timely communications through emails, memos, and other written products that summarize information and present options for action; can communicate with internal and external stakeholders clearly and with empathy

Strong ability to represent departmental and organizational positions in internal and external communications to achieve objectives

Strong interest in expanding policy knowledge and influencing skills to achieve policy objectives that improve pretrial justice

Flexible schedule and ability to work non-traditional hours as needed

Deep commitment to pretrial detention and bail reform, racial justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging; a commitment to combating oppression at the personal and systemic levels; a personal approach that values the individual, and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socioeconomic circumstance

This work requires the ability to work with people who have been directly impacted by the carceral system, including folks who have prior records.

To excel in this role, you likely bring the following:

You have deep familiarity with the criminal legal system (through education, criminal justice work, and/or personal experience with the system)

You value and understand the importance of pursuing performance, program quality and policy goals through thoughtful time management, consistent data analysis, focused communications, and continuous learning

You’re diligent and hold yourself and others accountable to deadlines and operational outputs and outcomes

You enjoy recognizing and supporting staff, and investing in their professional development

You have experience and skill in building internal and external partnerships both in person and remotely

You’re a strong communicator (written, verbal), and have experience engaging and persuading a diverse array of stakeholders

You’re proactive and are able to identify potential challenges before they arise, conduct diagnoses, and offer and implement potential solutions when needed; you have experience developing specific processes to address operational challenges

You lean into conflict, plan for it, and understand how it can lead to better solutions

You’re well organized and able to multitask and adjust priorities on the fly

You reach out for help when you are feeling stuck and overwhelmed

You’re very comfortable with technology, including Google Suite and Salesforce

You like making decisions in a data informed way and are comfortable working with data individually and with your team

This position requires being able to reliably travel to various locations in the local area. If you will be driving yourself, we require that you have insurance pursuant to applicable laws.

This position will require regular in-person work, including travel.

Currently all roles perform some or all of their work from home. The Bail Project will provide equipment to support work from home but staff must provide their own reliable internet access.

This is a full-time, out-of-unit, exempt position. The Bail Project offers benefit programs including competitive Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), Life Insurance, Supplemental Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Paid Parental Leave, a generous Vacation and Sick Leave policy, and a 401(k) plan.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter. In the cover letter, please address the following:

Why do you want to work for The Bail Project?

Please share 1-2 experience(s) that highlights why you would be a strong candidate for the Operations Manager position.

No faxes or phone calls please. Applicants will be notified regarding whether or not they have been selected for an interview. Applications without cover letters will not be processed.

The Bail Project is proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and actively seeks the candidacy of people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people and formerly incarcerated individuals. We are committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff.

E-Verify Statement

The Bail Project utilizes the E-Verify in states where required by law. To learn more about E-Verify you can call 1-800-255-7688 or visit their website. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Homeland Security.