Ameelio has quickly established itself as the future of prison communication and virtual learning. We were recently chosen as one of Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas. As we rapidly scale, our CEO is looking for a self starter passionate about our work, to support daily operations and lead strategic initiatives. As Chief of Staff, you will work closely with leadership to support high priority objectives, and ensure clear communication and collaboration across teams. Our ideal hire is inspired by our mission, and undaunted by the prospect of new challenges and complex problems.

The Chief of Staff Role

AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO OUR CEO, YOU'LL OPERATE AS A FAST-MOVING GENERALIST WHO TACKLES A WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS. You'll work on internal company functions like goal-setting, content, and finance. You'll also lead specific projects across recruiting, public relations, fundraising, and business development. You'll be a ‘doer' who takes on anything that the company needs done to move forward - no matter how glamorous or mundane the project. We're a small team and we're moving fast – you'll have a big impact on our success and an opportunity to see all aspects of the company.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Take on a variety of projects to help our CEO
• Direct access to CEO's inbox, draft emails, flag key opportunities etc. 
• Manage relationship with major funders 
• Help lead departments that don't already have department heads
• Research fundraising prospects and conduct outreach
• Develop ideas for news stories and pitch to the media 
• Source and screen candidates for unfilled positions 
• Develop partnership ideas and lead outreach to nonprofits, government agencies, and private companies
• Develop strategy, conduct outreach, and build coalitions for our advocacy campaigns
• Work with our content team to develop ideas for educational articles
• Support our efforts to deepen relationships with existing donors and report our progress
• Collect user stories to share with funders, the media, and our partners 
• Analyze and share user data with the entire team to track impact over time
• Collect OKRs from specific departments and measure progress 
• Work with our bookkeeper and accountant on our financial statements 
• Plan team-bonding activities and weekly all-hands

WHO YOU ARE:

• You're AN EFFECTIVE MULTI-TASKER WHO GETS THINGS DONE - you know how to prioritize and you thoughtfully complete your to-do list
• You're an ANALYTICAL AND CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVER - you can break down new problems, compare options, and come to decisions that are based on thoughtful analysis and creativity
• You are LOW EGO - you relish the opportunity to work on all aspects of the business, no matter how big or small
• You're DRIVEN BY OUR MISSION - you are highly motivated by our vision to fundamentally transform the corrections system, making it more humane and rehabilitative 
• You are a FAST WRITER AND PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATOR - you're able to conduct high quality, high volume outreach to different organizations, funders, job candidates, media outlets, etc., and once you're on the phone, you excel at sharing the Ameelio story
• You're AMBITIOUS AND OPTIMISTIC - you're keen to tackle big challenges, bit by bit
• You want to HAVE FUN - you want to celebrate the wins with us
• You are ABSURDLY PERSISTENT - every “yes” may be accompanied by 10 “no's” and 20 non-responses – you are someone who is extremely persistent about follow up
• You have an INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY OF CHANGE - you are equally excited by the tech startup part of Ameelio and our economic justice advocacy
• Core Competencies:
• _ ORGANIZED_ —  able to stay personally organized while managing the priorities of their executive. Thrives on accessing information holistically across the company.
• _SENSE OF URGENCY _— be able act as an additional entrepreneurial spirit promoting speed on the team.
• PERSUASIVE — able to weigh in on or make decisions with authority across all parts of a business.
• _COACHABLE, NO EGO _— takes feedback well from any member of the team.
• COLLABORATIVE, EMPATHETIC — able to work across the entire org and be versed in it's intricacies and quirks

REQUIRED 

• 3 - 5+ years of experience in a business role (e.g. finance, consulting, strategy, etc.)
• Experience at a tech startup or similar fast-paced organization
• Experience with analysis and managing projects
• Must have a concrete track record of fighting for economic/civic justice and innovation
• Must be based in NYC

WHY YOU'LL LOVE US

A welcoming and collaborative environment with people who are dedicating their lives to fighting the commercialization of incarceration 

• Career accelerating experience in a high growth environment, owning projects and participating in rapid experimentation 
• Ownership of systems and features delivering society-changing impact
• Leadership opportunities in a young and growing organization
• Experience working cross-functionally and exposure to a variety of business functions
• A network of highly successful leaders and innovators invested in our success
• COMPENSATION: $80,000 - $100,000 (W/ PLANS TO SCALE TO $125,000)

ABOUT AMEELIO

Ameelio is a nonprofit technology company that builds free technology to accelerate the creation of a more humane and rehabilitative justice system. We were recently chosen as one of Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas. Our tools will enable 27 million Americans to communicate with their incarcerated loved ones for free, organizations to scale their social services, and educators to empower incarcerated people through virtual learning. We are a technological bridge that reconnects incarcerated people with their families and vital resources — for free. Our tools will help improve post-release outcomes, lower recidivism rates, and help America safely reduce the size of its prison populations. 

We're backed by Schmidt Futures, Mozilla Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, Google.org, and Fast Forward accelerator. Our funders also include Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square, and Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures. Our work has been covered by Forbes, TechCrunch, Fast Company, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and others.

COMPANY HISTORY

Ameelio was an all-volunteer effort until late-2020. Since, we've built an A-team that brings together technical and criminal justice expertise, participated in Mozilla's Spring MVP Lab (won 1st place), Fast Forward Accelerator, Robin Hood BRL program, and Visible Connect's Accelerator. We're backed by Schmidt Futures, Mozilla Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, Google.org, and Fast Forward accelerator. Our funders also include Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square, and Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures.

• Website: www.ameelio.org 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/teamameelio

External References: 

• NYTimes: The 2021 Good Tech Awards
• Bloomberg: Can a Nonprofit Disrupt the Pricey Prison Phone Industry?
• Tech Crunch:_ Ameelio's free video calling service for inmates goes live at first facilities _
• Fast Company: This app is making it free for incarcerated people to make video calls
• Forbes: The Prison Communications Nonprofit Backed By Twitter's Jack Dorsey And Former Google Chief Eric Schmidt
• Washington Post: Let inmates talk to their families for free
• Tech Crunch: Ameelio wants to take on for-profit, prison-calling rackets after starting with free letters to inmates
• Fast Company: This app bypasses the absurdly high cost of making phone calls to prison by converting texts to snail mail

(You can also read a bit more about our founder on OZY)

PROBLEM WE'RE SOLVING

The $3 billion prison communications industry generates obscene profits by charging extortionate prices to the incarcerated and their loved ones. Families spend up to $500 a month to stay connected to their loved ones inside. A 15-minute phone call runs as steep as $25. Our work has never been more important. Because of COVID, prisons have shut down all in-person visitation. Low-income families have few options to communicate with loved ones.

Exclusive contracts leave prison telecommunications companies unchecked by competition: former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn called the industry “the clearest, most glaring type of market failure I've ever seen as a regulator”. 

Poverty and incarceration are viciously tied: over 50% of incarcerated people had no income eight years preceding their arrest. For-profit prison companies entrench this cycle. One in three families with incarcerated loved ones is forced into debt ( $13,000, on average) by the cost of maintaining contact. 

This is a social and moral disaster

THE SOLUTION

A suite of free prison communications and virtual learning tools that connect the incarcerated with their loved ones, service networks, and colleges, which will improve post-release outcomes. 

CONNECT: VIDEO CONFERENCING, EMESSAGING, VOICE CALLS

Reconnecting the incarcerated with their loved ones and supporting the next generation of remote prison programming. We have secured our pilot facilities. 

LEARN: VIRTUAL LEARNING

By 2021, we will have launched the nation's first free prison video conferencing and virtual learning platform.

LETTERS FOR FAMILIES

App that bypasses the absurdly high cost of making phone calls to prison by converting texts, photos, games & news to snail mail. We currently have over 3500,000 users in all 50 U.S. states, and in 42 countries.

LETTERS FOR ORGANIZATION

Web app that enables criminal justice orgs, reentry groups, voting rights, and legal clinics to extend their services directly to the incarcerated using our letters infrastructure. Our users include: the Marshall project, Connecticut Bail Fund, Pen America & Defy Ventures.