Senior Research Associate, Reshaping Prosecution

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates researchers and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until theyre fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just antiracist solutions so that money doesnt determine freedom; fewer people are in jails prisons and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information visit.

Vera has a staff of 216 people is headquartered in Brooklyn New York and has offices in Washington D.C. Los Angeles and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect independence collaboration commitment anti-racism and equityboth in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in peoples educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

About the team:

The Reshaping Prosecution (RP) initiative is dedicated to transforming what it means to be a prosecutor by focusing on the dignity of all people impacted by the criminal justice system. Prosecutors play a critical but often hidden role in mass incarceration as one of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. They decide who to charge (or not charge) with a crime what crime to charge whether to ask that a person sit in jail pending trial and what sentence to ask for upon conviction (or what alternative remedies to pursue in lieu of prosecution or conviction). Yet despite this immense power prosecutors have largely not been the focus of criminal justice reform efforts until recently. Our team helps prosecutors across the country and the communities they serve work to shrink the front end of the system pursue racial equity and increase transparency.

The Senior Research Associate will lead applied quantitative research efforts with selected prosecutors offices around the country. Core to that work is the analysis of data from prosecutors administrative case management systems and from community-based organizations that are conducting diversion programs in partnership with those offices. To successfully carry out that core responsibility the Senior Research Associate should be experienced and comfortable with: making administrative data requests of government agencies and non-governmental organizations or non-profits; managing data construction and data delivery with partners who may not have the relevant expertise to assess data needs or data quality; compiling cleaning and documenting what are often disparate disconnected or sometimes only semi-structured data files into master datasets for analysis as well as managing updates to those master datasets as new data become available or necessary; and developing thoughtful analyses of that data through the production of discipline-relevant metrics univariate bivariate and multivariate statistics and conveying that information effectively to non-researchers. The Senior Research Associate will work on a team of researchers and former prosecutors and public defenders to build a comprehensive understanding of prosecution within a community using data from district attorneys offices and diversion program providers to spur policy changes that help shrink the front end of the criminal legal system.

The Senior Research Associate will also provide technical assistance to prosecutors offices and community-based organizations leading diversion programming to improve their fluency with and ability to use data in their criminal justice reform efforts. The Senior Research Associate will contribute to efforts to expand the visibility of prosecutor and community research including the development and delivery of new products trainings convenings and presentations. They will assume a leadership role within the Reshaping Prosecution research teamhiring training and developing junior researchersand will report directly to the Associate Director of Research.

About the role:

Research Design and Management

• Develop and present IRB applications and ensure that research is conducted to the highest ethical standards may serve as Principal Investigator on research projects requiring this designation
• Develop expertise in distinct areas and run projects in that space; act as subject matter expert for that area of expertise when needed and propose new projects
• Ensure project management of the implementation of components of the initiatives strategy while balancing relationships process and results.
• Manage the project management of the initiatives research sites and/or sub-projects
• Manage project targets and milestones and work to ensure that key targets and milestones are met.
• Build and maintain relationships with community and government partners to implement and develop strategies
• Support more senior staff with the development of an initiative or program theory of change and MEL metrics and when necessary manage elements of the process
• Assist in the development of initiative strategic plans
• Conduct peer-review of research designs and analysis plans

Data collection management and analysis

• Manage train and supervise others on data collection and analyses (qualitative or quantitative)
• Manage and develop discrete components of large research projects and conduct train and supervise others on accompanying analyses (quant or qual)
• Work with Initiative Leadership and team to research develop & draft fact sheets and educational materials
• Foster relationships with external partners/sites to facilitate research projects
• Serve as primary contact for external partners/sites related to research elements of projects
• Provide support to related technical assistance and advocacy projects

Write up/presentation of projects

• Manage the planning drafting and editing of research reports and presentations as needed
• Manage the development writing and/or editing of research publications and evidence-based messaging and products in support of project or initiative goals
• Present at internal Vera events (department meetings brown bag discussions etc.)
• Present at external events (academic and policy-focused conferences professional meetings etc.)
• As part of a team provide research support to partners and stakeholders including preparation of public presentations facilitation of meetings and shared expertise

Team Support and Internal Collaboration

• Support hiring and recruitment for research associates analysts assistants and/or interns
• Supervise and mentor research associates analysts assistants and/or interns as needed
• Invest in the professional development of team members
• Collaborate with internal departments (advocacy communications legal finance people place and culture IT etc.) when necessary

Fundraising/Proposal Development

• Develop research proposals in support of fundraising led by senior leadership in the program or initiative
• Participate in funder meetings as needed

Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for

• Bachelors degree and 4 plus years of relevant lieu of degree requirement applicable work or life experience may be considered
• Relevant work experience in criminal justice criminal legal reform or social justice fields
• Quantitative research experience ideally with administrative data not originally collected for quantitative analysis (i.e. incomplete or even unstructured data requiring extensive cleaning and reformatting)
• Bachelors degree in statisticsdata science or social science or related fields with training in statistics and social science research methods; or relevant work or academic history

Preferred:

• Masters degree in statistics data science or social science or related field with training in statistics and social science research methods
• Experience with the justice systemeither you were yourself in the system have a family member who is/was in the system you worked in the system or you worked to change the system
• Familiaritywith the criminal justice system the role of prosecutors and experience working with criminal justice data

Knowledge Skills & Abilities youll bring:

• Proficiency with at least one statistical software package (R preferred) data visualization and presentation
• Deep knowledge of the relationship between prosecutorial processes and the data that track them
• Solid presentation skills developing and delivering conveying sophisticated quantitative findings through data visualizations to a non-technical audience
• Solid writing skills particularly for technical and training documents
• Staff development and training

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn NY Washington D.C. Los Angeles CA or New Orleans LA office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $100000 - $105000 per year. In addition this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325.Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institutes total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field supporting Vera staff - both personally and professionally - is a priority. To do this we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay generous paid time off a comprehensive health insurance plan student loan repayment benefits professional development training opportunities and up to $2000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work employer-funded retirement plan and flexible time.To learn more about Veras benefits offeringsclick here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Place and Culture / Senior Research Associate Reshaping Prosecution
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St Suite 4-2A Brooklyn NY 11232
Fax:
Please use only one method (online mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race color creed national origin sex age disability marital status sexual orientation military status prior record of arrest or conviction citizenship status current employment status or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice particularly racial justice in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences includingwith regard toeducational background and justice system contact and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera please visit.