Careers at RFCUNYJob Openings

The National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College is seeking a full-time, New York City-based Strategic Advisor to support our emerging violence reduction work in Mexico. The Advisor will be a senior member of the International Team, working with partner cities implementing NNSC’s interventions globally and engaging regularly in policy dialogue concerning evidence based violence reduction.

In the summer of 2018, NNSC launched a new partnership to support violence reduction efforts in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City. The Advisor will work with a cross-section of actors to support this partnership, including, but not limited to, local and state level law enforcement, elected officials, non-governmental and community organizations, and public-sector agencies in Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez. The Advisor will provide technical and strategic advising, connect Chihuahua partners to U.S. and international jurisdictions for peer support, and help integrate lessons back into NNSC’s overall learning. The Advisor may also provide support to additional jurisdictions in Latin America, as they emerge.

The Advisor will receive significant support from NNSC in the form of training, peer exchanges, and participation in regular technical workshops. The Advisor must fully appreciate the technical aspects of NNSC’s violence reduction approach and work to bridge our technical approach with the Mexican context. This position, therefore, requires both substantive knowledge of violence reduction and a proven track records of managing relationships, including distance relationships.
The Advisor will report to the Director of the International Interventions Team (IIT). S/he will be supported by and support a Chihuahua-based Advisor hired to provide on-the-ground and real time support to the Mexican partnership.

Technical Responsibilities

The ideal candidate will have significant experience working collaboratively on highly sensitive matters of violence or community safety, be willing to take and receive feedback, be able to critique others diplomatically and strategically, and be emotionally intelligent. The Advisor will:

• In concert with the Chihuahua-based Advisor, provide strategic advising to the local project management team1 with a specific focus on providing technical guidance and ensuring retention of core principles. This will be done through in-person communication, regular advising calls, and the fostering of peer exchanges between Mexico and U.S. city partners as well, potentially, as other international sites.
• Support the drafting of internal and external reports, including quarterly and annual reports as needed.
• Represent NNSC’s Mexico portfolio, and potentially NNSC’s Latin America portfolio, in public, for example at conferences and roundtables both in Mexico and the U.S.
• Design and execute collaborative learning opportunities including peer exchanges and working sessions to support Mexican-based adaptations.
• Report outcomes, challenges, and innovation opportunities to the International team via weekly team meetings and direct conversations with the Director. Participate in ongoing development and refinement of the application of a contextualized Group Violence Intervention model as part of the International team.
• Support the IIT Director with organizational strategic planning, fundraising, budgeting, and identifying areas for programmatic improvement. Help to guide NNSC as it shifts into working more deliberately and regularly in Mexico.
• Support partners in determining methods through which to measure progress against specific goals and outcomes. Continuously review operational data to achieve desired public safety outcomes by incorporating the best available evidence.

Organizational Relationships

The Advisor will work in conjunction with the Chihuahua-based Advisor to support Seguridad y Justicia, our partner in implementation. A proven track record of and interest in working with a diverse range of actors is essential.

• Support the functioning of governing structures, including the Executive Steering Committee, which will comprise representatives from Police, Governor’s office, Mayor's Offices, prosecutor’s offices, USAID, U.S. Embassy, and U.S. Consulate, among others. Other Governing structures will include a Law Enforcement working group, Social Services Working Group and Community Working Group.
• Work closely with Chihuahua and NYC-based teams to troubleshoot common challenges and build on violence-prevention good practices.
• Work with a diverse range of Mexican, U.S. and international experts to garner their input and expertise in ways that could contribute to positive pro-peace outcomes.