Associate Director of Research, Vera California

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 they’re 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 doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 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 equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

About the team:

Vera California aims to spark momentum for decarceration and investments in the long–underfunded community-based systems of care that promote safety and wellness in California. We use data and policy analysis to drive concrete change and center racial equity. We bring expertise on best practices from around the country to local conversations in California. We collaborate with government leaders and community partners on policy development and implementation, working together toward a new vision of safety, wellness and racial justice for all Californians.

About the role:

The Associate Director of Research reports directly to the Initiative Director with a “dotted line” to the Initiatives’ Director of Research. In this role, the Associate Director of Research oversees staff working across a range of methodologies and multiple projects or studies, engages in sophisticated hands-on research as needed, and manages the team’s research portfolio. This position has fluency in advocacy and communications strategies and draws on their substantial expertise in the field to oversee evidence –based messaging and policy in support of big goals. They are responsible for all research products and publications coming out of their teams. Associate Directors of Research bring substantial management experience, advanced methodological skills, strong research communication skills, and experience building and leading a research team. This is a senior –level position for researchers with extensive technical expertise and substantive knowledge and experience.

Research leadership 

Develop and lead Vera California’s research strategies and budgets: 

• Develop, manage, and oversee all aspects of Vera California research, coordinating with the initiative director and institute’s director of research
• Work with Vera California director and associate director on annual planning and program development, staffing plans, and fundraising
• Serve as a member of the Vera Research Leadership Team, along with other associate directors of research, collaborating on cross-cutting research priorities and policy and ensuring that researchers across the organization receive appropriate support
• Supervise, support, and mentor Vera California research team staff
• Cultivate relationships with organizations in the field, including acting as a primary point of contact for peer research organizations
• Support internal collaboration by partnering with Advocacy, Communications and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning staff to develop coordinated strategies that leverage research and working with Vera’s Insights team, Data Science team and other departments to produce research products

Research Design and Implementation 

• Serve as Principal Investigator on research projects, developing and presenting IRB applications and ensuring that research is conducted to the highest ethical standards
• Lead/train/supervise on data collection and analysis, overseeing all aspects of mixed methods research and data management and analysis for Vera California
• Participate in hands-on data collection and analysis
• Conduct team and cross-team peer review in areas of methodological and subject matter expertise;
• Coordinate with central data science support team to ensure appropriate data analytics workflow

Presentation / Publication of research 

• Sign off on evidence-based messaging and research for Vera California; oversee development, writing, and editing of research publications and evidence-based messaging and products in support of Vera California’s goals, including rapid response work
• Act as an internal and external spokesperson/representative of Vera California’s work to a range of audiences

Hiring/ Supervision 

• Partner with the Vera California director and Vera research leadership to develop staffing plans and lead recruitment and hiring for research staff
• Manage research and/or data science teams, including hiring and recruiting through the principal associate level, coordinating with the research director to ensure internal consistency and collaboration
• Provide training, mentoring, and technical assistance to researchers within and across teams as needed, supporting earlier career researchers in their professional development goals

Other projects and duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Advanced degree + 9-12 years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, relevant work or life experience may be considered. Additionally, ADRs will have several years of experience supervising interdisciplinary research teams.Ability to design and supervise sophisticated quantitative analyses
• Experience supervising and working with mixed methods research and/or researchers; Experience conducting applied policy research; subject matter expertise including understanding of current criminal legal and immigration systems and policy in the state of California
• Ability to support and build advocacy efforts and external stakeholder relationships
• Advanced technical, methodological, analytic, and project leadership skills
• Commitment to race equity is required 

Preferred: 

• Direct experience with and/or impact by the criminal legal or immigration system 

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

• ADRs are subject matter experts, experienced researchers, managers, mentors, and project leaders with advanced research design and analytic skills
• Advanced data analytical and project management skills, and an extensive track record using research or data science approaches as a tool for applied justice reform
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time 

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

• Advanced knowledge of R or other statistical software, ability to work in/ learn GitHub and Python; familiarity with qualitative research methods and tools
• Microsoft Office suite

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Los Angeles, CA, 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 $129,000 - $134,000. 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.

Application Process:

To receive further consideration for this career opportunity, applicants are asked preliminary questions about logistics, their interest and qualifications. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional details about their experience via a phone screen/form in advance of an invitation for a virtual or in-person interview with the team. Some searches may explore scenarios during the interview process and/or an assessment prior to reference checks and a hiring decision.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Associate Director of Research, Vera California
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.

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.