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About the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ)
The Data Collaborative for Justice is a research institute launched at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2013. DCJ seeks to inform criminal justice policy through rigorous research on mass incarceration, racial disparities, bail reform, case backlog, and other justice reform topics. DCJ partners with reformers, think tanks, and state and local agencies in New York and maintains a small portfolio of partnerships around the nation. DCJ operates under the Research Foundation of the City University of New York.

About the Current Position
DCJ is seeking a Senior Research Associate to work primarily on a series of research products pertaining to New York’s bail reform law, case processing delays in New York courts, and recent changes in NYC’s jail population. The ideal candidate will bring meaningful experience conducting criminal justice research in New York and a solid content knowledge of how pretrial justice works in New York City and State. The work will involve quantitative analysis with large datasets and report writing that blends analytic rigor with accessibility to policymakers. The successful applicant will report to DCJ’s director and work closely with a current senior research associate and other staff. The Senior Research Associate will also assist in identifying worthwhile future projects.

Responsibilities
•    Conduct quantitative research on pretrial decision-making, racial disparities, sentencing outcomes, and/or recidivism in New York State as part of a multiyear evaluation of the state’s new bail reform law.
•    Participate in projects analyzing trends in New York City’s jail population, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
•    Lead or assist on projects involving case processing performance across New York State—especially in felony cases that, historically, take the most time to resolve.
•    Undertake additional projects that may arise, potentially in New York or elsewhere across the country.
•    Identify, develop, and draft research proposals for submission to funders; and implement ideas for new research. 
•    Author reports that combine analytic rigor and clear writing.
•    Observe and enforce all Research Foundation (RF) policies on ownership of intellectual property, use of facilities and equipment, and investigation on human subjects. 
•    Maintain confidentiality as required by the project or as directed by supervisors.
•    Work collaboratively with other DCJ staff and external partners. 

Main Qualifications
•    Ph.D. or Master’s degree, with an absolute minimum of five years of relevant research experience.
•    Evidence of prior research focused on New York’s criminal justice system.
•    Familiarity with the use of statistical analysis software, including R, SAS, Stata, and/or SPSS—including the ability to code and clean data prior to the analysis stage. (Experience with R is preferred.)
•    Ability to author or co-author reports, research briefs, or other documents of varying complexity, alongside an interest and ability in making written products responsive to current policy debates.
•    Ability to present findings on Zoom or at conferences or symposia. 
•    Ability to balance competing priorities, complex situations and tight deadlines.
•    Ability to exercise intellectual leadership in anticipating and resolving research issues and in authoring proposals designed to address new topics of interest.

Location: Manhattan; DCJ is currently in hybrid mode with a mix of in-person and remote work, a status that may change in either direction as conditions evolve.