Careers Job Description
General Description
As a champion of racial justice and institutional, structural, and personal transformation, the John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity (the Institute) opens doors and eliminates barriers to success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. We create access to higher education and pathways to satisfying careers, and advocate for the right to housing, employment, healthcare, and other human rights too often denied people with criminal convictions.
The Institute, previously known as the Prisoner Reentry Institute, has a diverse portfolio of projects that focus on what it takes for people to live successfully in the community after being involved in the criminal legal system, and on increasing the effectiveness of the professionals and systems working with them. The Institute’s comprehensive and strategic approach includes direct service, research, technical assistance, training, and policy advocacy. We consider both the individual barriers and needs of people involved in the criminal legal system and the structural conditions that create or exacerbate obstacles encountered by criminal legal system-involved people. We convene students, faculty and staff across the university through the CUNY Justice Learning Collaborative to work together to make the City University of New York more accessible and supportive to students who have been under correctional supervision. As a highly regarded institution working to transform the criminal legal system, we also convene and consult with colleagues and policy makers throughout the U.S. To learn more, visit our website: https://justiceandopportunity.org/
The College Access Portfolio
We are seeking a senior level program administrator to be responsible for oversight of Institute programs to increase college access and success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. The College Access portfolio includes College Initiative (CI) which serves 500 people a year and enrolls students in colleges across CUNY, as well as some SUNY and private colleges; HSE Connect, our partnership with the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center to aid students in earning their high school equivalency degree; and College Pathways which provides for-credit college classes at Rikers. The Support Services unit conducts intake assessments on new students, provides reentry planning and transitional services to students being released from John Jay’s college-in-prison program at Otisville Correctional Facility, and connects students with needed social services in the community. Peer mentoring and alumni activities are important dimensions of the spirit of community and mutual support that distinguish Institute programs.
Other Duties
College Access is currently in the exciting process of restructuring its workflow, program protocols and approach to serving students. In addition, we recently implemented a powerful new database – Salesforce – that will allow staff to engage in continuous quality improvement as we shift toward a more data-driven approach to evaluating our work.
We are seeking a seasoned leader that can support and lead these changes, and help the unit reach its next level of development. Our new director will be committed to leading a team that can provide the highest quality of service to students and will be able to support the growth and development of staff.
This role requires focus, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. In addition, successful candidates will possess the ability to support and develop staff and engage and inspire a team. Candidates must be committed to social justice for people with lived experience in the criminal legal system.
The Director reports directly to the Deputy Director of Programs and will supervise the Manager of College Initiative, Manager of Support Services and the Coordinator of Peer Mentoring and Alumni Services. In addition, the Director also manages our relationship with a contracted provider of civil legal services which aids students in cleaning up their rap sheets and learning how to protect themselves from discrimination based on a background check.
Key Responsibilities:
The Director of College Access will:
- Oversee all aspects of the organization’s College Access programs, including Academic Counseling, Mentoring and Alumni Services and Support Services.
- Directly supervise a staff of three program leaders who collectively supervise 10 staff reporting to them.
- Establish short and long term goals for programs and services under his/her direction and monitor staff progress at meeting the goals
- Ensure that students are receiving high quality services from the Institute
- Lead and support program staff in developing and executing new program systems, protocols, and practices.
- Work with program leaders to ensure that jobs are clearly defined, and staff are properly supported.
- Work closely with community stakeholders to achieve program goals, including program funders, John Jay administrators and faculty, CUNY colleagues, and other consultants.
- Write funder reports and manage program budget; participate in funder calls and meetings.
- Develop data collection and reporting mechanisms on program activities. Manage data collection, prepare reports, and develop quality assurance and program improvement systems based on data analysis.
- Represent the Institute at community meetings, task forces and conferences.
- Actively serve on the Institute’s leadership team
- Create a long-term vision for growth and work with program and executive leadership to realize this vision.
Qualifications
- Minimum 5+ years of leadership experience in the field of human services. Experience with higher ed is a plus.
- A track record of skillful program planning, implementation, and management including work plan and budget development
- Excellent organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
- Experience supervising staff and supporting the growth of a team.
- A demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Excellent training or facilitation skills
- Strong written and oral communication skills; comfort speaking in public forums
- Experience using data to inform program oversight, management and quality improvement
- Bachelor’s degree
- Able to work occasional evenings and weekend hours.
Individuals with relevant life experience are encouraged to apply. Please include resume with cover letter describing your interest and qualifications.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
Institute for Justice and Opportunity
Full Time
Depends on Qualifications
Jul 27, 2021 (Or Until Filled)