Who we are:The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a non-profit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country's legal systems. Vera is an "inside"A' lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. Vera is committed to securing equal justice, ending mass incarceration, and strengthening families and communities.About Acacia Center for Justice:The Acacia Center for Justice is a new non-profit created through a collaboration between the Vera Institute of Justice ("Vera"A' ) and the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights ("CAIR"A' ) Coalition. The CAIR Coalition is a non-profit organization in the focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region. CAIR adheres to the fundamental belief that all people - no matter their story - deserve to be free, safe, supported, and have access to a just legal system.The objective of the Acacia Center for Justice ("Acacia"A' ) is to expand on Vera's work over the past twenty years in providing legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia's goals are two-fold: to help non-profit service providers provide exceptional legal services to immigrants and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness and freedom. Acacia will focus the collective power of both Vera and CAIR on delivering accountable, independent, zealous and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants at risk of deportation.Why the Name "Acacia Center for Justice"A' :The Acacia flower was chosen for two reasons. First, it is a species of plant found almost everywhere in the world. Second, the Acacia flower historically represents regeneration, perseverance, and integrity. Much of our work with immigrants and refugees builds on these principles of shared humanity and our endless pursuit for justice in the American immigration legal system. Please note: This career opportunity will begin as a position with the Vera Institute of Justice that will transition to Acacia Center for Justice on or before the July 1, 2022. Who you are:The Director of Research and Evaluation is one of the founding positions at the Acacia Center for Justice (ACJ), created to support the mission of ensuring due process in immigration proceedings. ACJ is preparing to bid on a federal contract to administer a suite of programs that provide vital national immigrant legal defense and orientation services to adults and children facing deportation, in detention and following release. As a key part of this work, ACJ will be responsible for delivering high quality research, evaluation and performance monitoring, and data analytics. The Director of Research and Evaluation will work with other senior leaders in the organization to ensure that research, evaluation, measurement, and analytics are an integral part of program design and management, contract oversight, and policy and practice recommendations.In the first few months of the work, the Director of Research and Evaluation will be solely responsible for research, evaluation, measurement, and analytics: managing hiring of new staff, and supervision and implementation of tasks until other staff are fully hired and onboarded. This includes overseeing the data pipeline and processes to clean, organize, and connect data from various sources; analysis of program and administrative data organized in relational databases; sophisticated quantitative approaches; performance monitoring; and all other research and evaluation activities necessary to full deliverables in federal contracts while reflecting the state of knowledge in the immigration policy and legal services field more broadly. The Director of Research and Evaluation will onboard with Vera to ensure that they are well-supported in learning the research portfolio.While these programs and data reporting have been developed over the course of more than a decade, in both transitioning from the current contractor to ACJ and beginning a new contract, there is potential for these legal programs to undergo changes including new requirements, deliverables, and respective structural developments. The Director of Research and Evaluation is a highly involved management position, working across internal teams and in partnership with the federal government.The position involves hands-on research, policy fluency and close working relationship with government and non-profit partners, management of a research agenda and deliverables, including strong written and verbal communication skills, and leadership of an interdisciplinary team.Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:Leadership of researchDevelop and lead all aspects of ACJ's research in close collaboration with the Executive Director, programmatic leadership, senior research and data science staff, and external partners to comply with multiple, competitive federal contracts;Participate in annual planning, budget development, and staffing plans in partnership with the Executive Director, program directors, and budget and contract compliance staffData management and analysisGuide, support, and manage rigorous performance outcomes measurement and data analytics in support of federal contracts in partnership with senior research staff, senior data science staff, senior programs staff, and external partnersOversee internal staff members and external partners in development and maintenance of data infrastructure (ETL), ensuring compliance with complex data security requirements in partnership with legal counsel, and support navigation of related IT dependencies Application of research insightsMaintain an in-depth understanding of developments in program support, program administration, and federal policy in order to strategically guide research in support of the contract; Serve as an internal and external spokesperson, skillfully presenting research findings and evidence-based conclusions relevant to a range of audiences including external partners, funders, and media;Develop and manage integration of insights gained from performance evaluation metrics and statistical data reporting into program planning and implementation, collaborating closely with senior program staff and a nationwide network of service providersTeam leadership, mentorship, and developmentSupervise, support, and mentor a team of researchers across methodologies and levels, including senior data science and social science staff ;Strategize and build opportunities for professional growth, development, and skill building; Develop staffing plans and lead recruitment and hiring for the research teamWhat qualifications do you need?Required:Fluency in data management and prior experience supervising researchers across methodologies and levelsDemonstrated experience in a policy or applied research environment Exceptional written and oral communications skills, including authoring and editing research reports in written and visual formats accessible to broader audiences, and translating and presenting research findings to community-based partners, advocates, funders, and media through a variety of written and visual mediaExpertise in applied research requiredAdvanced quantitative skills are preferred, including hands-on experience with administrative and relational datasets and both predictive and causal analyses; ability to think creatively about how to use statistical methods to address pressing policy questionsIn accordance with federal contracts, a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check is required for this position. While this is not a current hiring requirement, this position may require Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) security clearance in the future (for additional information: Preferred:Advanced degree + 12-15 years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.Experience in the fields of economics, quantitative sociology, computational social science, statistics, measurement, epidemiology, computer science, or a related field or experience working on evaluation and measurement on federal contractsExperience managing work on federal program and/or contracts Lived experience and/or demonstrated commitment to using research and analysis to address and undo racism and inequity in the immigration legal system.Fluency in a language other than English spoken by people impacted by immigration enforcement in the United StatesCompensation and Benefits: The compensation range for this position is $133,900 - $140,100. 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"A cents € both personally and professionally"A cents € 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 and remote work schedules. To learn more about Vera's benefits offerings, .Applications may also be faxed to:ATTN: People Resources / Director of Research and Evaluation, Acacia Center for JusticeVera Institute of Justice34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232Fax: (212) 941-9407Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (eg, an exemption) to this requirement.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 Powered by JazzHRHYqX3FTyaB