Research Associate

About the team:

The Research Associate (Quantitative) will work at the intersection of research and systems change. The Research Associate will contribute to a range of projects in support of Greater Justice New York initiative’s policy and advocacy work. The research associate will primarily support quantitative analysis and coding, working with administrative and survey data across New York to understand the current landscape of criminal legal issue as well as the impact of the policy changes the initiative is working to implement. The research associate will be involved in building and maintaining the initiative’s database using R, Python, and GitHub. The Research Associate should be well-versed in conducting quantitative research in criminal legal system and have solid data management skills. The Research Associate will collaborate with internal and external colleagues to acquire, manage, clean, and analyze data, partnering with Vera’s internal data science team as needed; and share findings through memos and presentation for a range of projects focusing on policy changes to make NY criminal legal system smaller and more effective.

About the role:

Develop and implement research methodologies in support of the initiative’s priorities

• Collect, clean, and analyze quantitative and/or qualitative data
• Use of statistical analysis software to conduct multivariate quantitative analyses
• Synthesize findings and draft and edit memos, presentations, and reports to democratize knowledge and promote transparency
• Prepare and format reports and other products
• Prepare statistics, background research, or infographics for reports and other products

Build and maintain database

• Update and troubleshoot the initiative’s NY data hub
• Streamline the process of data collection and building database
• Develop data tools to support initiative’s policy and advocacy efforts

Lead and support projects

• Develop tools to support system change and data-informed strategy development and implementation
• Contribute to and support discrete tasks while also owning tasks and managing laterally and up to ensure completion
• Support research team operations including contributions to advocacy and administrative work of initiative

Strategy development and implementation

• Stay informed on developments in the field and engage in team discussions and planning regarding how to apply learning to the work internally and externally
• Collaborate with team members to advance initiative goals by actively engaging in internal meetings and planning activities
• Support efforts to ensure that Vera’s race, equity, and inclusion priorities are a core aspect of the initiative’s research agenda. This includes how team members work together and in the research itself – methodological approaches, publications, and communication

Conduct and support rapid response

• Support in identify analytic strategies and data sources for rapid response work
• Conduct quantitative analysis for rapid response requests
• Support in reviewing and managing rapid response tasks conducted by colleagues

Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Bachelors degree plus 3 to 5 years of relevant work experience in academic or applied research settings. In lieu of a bachelors degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered. Areas of study may include criminal justice, criminology, political science, criminal justice, public policy, or another related field
• Experience working with large datasets and advanced knowledge of R or other programming languages
• Knowledge of, and experience in, social science research, ideally including experience in local or state government, or criminal justice

Preferred:

• Lived experience as a person with justice system involvement
• Experience with data management system
• Experience in web scraping

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Solid quantitative research and communications (i.e., verbal and written) skills
• Strong R skills and knowledge in Github
• Time management skills along with focused attention to detail are integral components of the position
• Understand the impact of structural racism and oppression
• Understanding of the impact of structural racism and oppression
• Ability to work under time pressure and other stresses that make collegiality of critical importance
• Not afraid to fail, learn from failure, and to ask for help/support
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word
• Ability to travel outside of New York City occasionally

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

• R, Python, RShiny, HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, 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 $79,000 - $85,000. 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 Institute’s 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 $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Research Associate, Greater Justice New York
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

In order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability / medical contraindication or sincerely held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

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, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.