Job Title: Research Associate
PVN ID: VB-1901-002881
Category: Research
Location: OFFICE OF SR VC-BUDGET, FINANCE & FISCAL POLICY

Job Description

General Description

ISLG is an institute within the City University of New York. The Institute’s mission is to help achieve improvements in the financing, delivery, and measurement of critical public services by assisting current and future leaders in government, non-profit organizations, and the private sector, in the U.S. and internationally, by offering research, technical assistance, and education and training. The Institute’s director, Michael Jacobson, previously served as New York City’s Probation and Correction Commissioner and president of the Vera Institute of Justice.

 

Project Description

ISLG is hiring a Research Associate to assist in work with the New York County District Attorney’s Office (DANY) on its Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII), which aims to reduce crime and improve fairness and efficiency in the criminal justice system. This work spans many projects distributed among four portfolios: a) Youth, Families, and Communities, b) Victims of Crime, c) Diversion and Reentry Support, and d) Enhancing Effectiveness Across Systems. In this work, ISLG provides technical assistance to DANY and oversees the CJII, including performance monitoring for all grantees.

 

The Research Associate will monitor the performance of grantees under the Diversion and Reentry portfolio primarily, which includes the College-in-Prison Reentry InitiativeEarly Diversion (Project Reset and Adult Project Reset), Social Enterprises, Reentry Challenge, and Reentry Services and Supports initiatives. In addition, the Research Associate will work on a team currently conducting a process evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative. The Research Associate may also be asked to contribute to other portfolios of CJII or on other projects at ISLG, as necessary.

 

The position is full-time. For more information about ISLG and CJII, please visit www.islg.cuny.edu and www.cjii.org.

 

Position Description

Reporting to senior research staff and working closely with research, policy, and communications staff, the Research Associate will oversee performance measurement for the Diversion and Reentry portfolio. DANY and ISLG see performance monitoring as a critical component of the CJII, helping to adjust the implementation of individual initiatives, ensure initiatives’ success, and inform relevant work in other jurisdictions (in or outside of NYC). To these ends, the Research Associate will be responsible for the following:

  • Developing and operationalizing performance metrics for future grantees and initiatives;
  • Working with existing and future grantees to adapt performance metrics according to the specific program components for each grantee;
  • Receiving and managing performance data from grantees;
  • Interpreting and summarizing data, which are typically aggregate and non-identifiable, into digestible reports and memoranda for DANY and other stakeholders;
  • Analyzing, interpreting, and thinking critically about performance measurement trends, including their policy and practice implications
  • Reporting back to grantees about their ongoing performance, including visualizing data to depict grantees’ performance over time;
  • Assessing the suitability of CJII grantees for evaluation and making recommendations to DANY about appropriate evaluation designs;
  • Liaising with and managing external evaluators selected to conduct process and/or outcome evaluations of designated CJII grantees;
  • Engaging key project stakeholders, including personnel from city agencies in meetings, emails, and phone calls;
  • Preparing and carrying out presentations for a wide range of audiences
  • Traveling to meetings, conferences, and sites, as needed
  • Working closely with Research and Policy teams to oversee the implementation of the Diversion and Reentry portfolio and other CJII initiatives;
  • Participating in cross-organizational collaboration to generate new ideas and grow the Institute’s body of work.

In addition, in partnership with the Associate Research Director and Senior Research Associate, the Research Associate will manage an ongoing process evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative, a multi-site correctional education initiative in New York State. The Research Associate will:

  • Liaise with Education Providers, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), and other stakeholders to schedule site visits to DOCCS facilities;
  • Conduct observations, interviews, and focus groups with initiative stakeholders, including occasional travel to New York State correctional facilities (approximate travel: 2-4 trips per year; 1-3 days per trip);
  • Review program documents;
  • Develop and process data requests and data collection protocols from Education Providers, governmental agencies, and other relevant organizations;
  • Clean, code, merge, and prepare administrative data files for analysis; and
  • Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis, as needed
  • Assist in interpreting and disseminating process evaluation findings (writing interim and final reports)
  • Assist in managing the grant award for the external evaluator selected for the outcome evaluation of the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative

 

This is an exceptional opportunity to work on transformative criminal justice initiatives and to assist in building a portfolio of work in a recently-established institute with a talented and ambitious team producing a scientifically rigorous and impactful body of work.

Other Duties

Qualifications

  • MA or PhD in education, human development, sociology, psychology, public health, social work, or related social science field;
  • Demonstrated understanding of criminal justice policy, including an ability to translate analytical and research findings into policy and practice recommendations;
  • At least two years of experience conducting research in an applied research setting;
  • Experience in collecting and working with administrative data (experience with criminal justice data a plus);
  • Excellent data management and analysis skills, including extensive experience cleaning, coding, merging, and analyzing quantitative data files in SPSS, SAS, or STATA (including fluency in programming/syntax in one or more of these programs);
  • Experience working in a foundation, government, or non-profit organization, managing large projects with many stakeholders;
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to present research findings to multiple audiences; and to develop clear, visually-compelling reports for government, non-profit, and private sector partners;
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to create and maintain excellent working relationships with government and community partners;
  • Ability to work on a team as well as independently;
  • An exceptional commitment to accuracy and attention to detail;
  • Ability to adapt to changing demands and requirements as projects develop;
  • Excellent time management skills and experience working in deadline-driven environments; and
  • Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly in Excel and PowerPoint.

This is a full-time position with excellent benefits and is located in New York City. Salary range: $55,000–$80,000 depending on research skills and level of experience. Applicants may also be considered at the Research Analyst level.

How to Apply

To apply, you will need to submit a cover letter describing your qualifications and interests and attach your curriculum vitae. Questions about the position or ISLG can be addressed to info@islg.cuny.edu.

 

Application review will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.

 

 

About the Research Foundation

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) was established as a not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of New York in 1963. RFCUNY supports CUNY faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support (pre-award) from government and private sponsors and is responsible for the administration of all such funded programs (post-award).

RFCUNY stands between CUNY’s principal investigators (PIs) and the sponsors who support them and strives to fulfill its essential responsibilities to both groups. Working closely with individual PIs and Grants Officers on the campuses, RFCUNY oversees employment, accounting, audit, reporting, purchasing, and special responsibilities that include management of a planned giving program; liaison with governmental agencies and foundations; negotiation of agreements; facility construction and renovation; protection and commercialization of intellectual property; and compliance with applicable standards in research involving human subjects, animal care, environmental and radiological safety, and conflicts of interest.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Key Features

Department
CUNY Institute for State and Local Gover
Status
Full Time
Annual Salary Range
$55,000.00 - $80,000.00
Closing Date
Mar 21, 2019 (Or Until Filled)
Bargaining Unit
No

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