Program Associate, Community Justice Connect

Crown Heights, NY
Full Time
Community Justice Connect
Entry Level

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

  1. Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
  2. Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and
  3. Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide.
Learn more about our work at www.innovatingjustice.org.
 
THE OPPORTUNITY

The Center for Justice Innovation is seeking a Program Associate for its Community Justice Connect Storefront site in Crown Heights.  Community Justice Connect, operated by the Center for Justice Innovation, is a network of storefront centers that train community volunteers to provide free legal information, assistance, and referrals to people with civil legal problems. The program seeks to solve issues in areas like housing, public benefits, employment, family law, and immigration before they become emergencies that must be litigated in court. Currently, Community Justice Connect operates in Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens.

Reporting to the Site Manager, the Program Associate will help to oversee the volunteer recruitment, site administration, and outreach to community partners to build a strong network for reaching clients and providing services. The Program Associate must also help to create a warm and welcoming environment for volunteers and visitors to the site. 


Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Help recruit volunteers to participate in the Community Justice Connect program at least every six months, and on as as-needed basis;
  • Organize volunteer schedules and staffing;
  • Provide assistance to the Managers as they supervise volunteers, offer information, and assist clients, including some evening and weekend hours;
  • Participate in Housing Justice Initiatives and Working Group meetings and activities;
  • Conduct outreach on an ongoing basis for new volunteers and clients;
  • Attend local community board meetings and events held by local elected officials;
  • Screen cases that are referred to attorneys for legal advice;
  • Coordinate with Community Justice Connect team on organizing community clinics and workshops, and establishing policy and procedures for legal referrals;
  • Support ongoing volunteer training and appreciation events;
  • Provide for data collection, recording and reporting;
  • Provide support to all Community Justice Connect offices as needed, including filling in and working from other sites as needed;
  • Support Community Justice Connect staff and volunteers in other sites as needed;
  • Support Community Justice Connect offices, including, but not limited to, maintaining vendor payments, office supplies, extermination services, office cleaning services, etc;
  • Support day-to-day operations of programs, including scheduling, relationships with community partners, project implementation, and outreach (including attending community board meetings);
  • Manage Social Media page for each location;
  • Attend community meetings, stakeholder groups, and community events;
  • Other relevant duties, as assigned.
Qualifications: The selected candidate will have:
  • A bachelor's degree and preferably 1-2 years of related experience working in at risk communities or at least 5-6 years of relevant experience required;
  • Knowledge of community base work;
  • Experience in non profit world is a plus;
  • Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred; 
  • Excellent written and verbal skills are a must;
  • Candidate must be a skilled communicator, highly organized and detail-oriented, and able to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and maintain strong relationships with multiple stakeholders and organizations onsite, in the community and nationally;
  • Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-responsive manner;
  • Strong commitment to social justice and anti-oppressive practice.

Position Type: Full-time, some nights and weekends are required.

Position Locations: Crown Heights (Brooklyn)

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $27.48 - $31.86 per hour, annually equivalent to $52,000 - $58,000 based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience. 

Benefits: The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Share

Apply for this position

Required*
Apply with Indeed
We've received your resume. Click here to update it.
Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran
  • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
    • a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
    • a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
  • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
  • An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
  • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran status



Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please check one of the boxes below:

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Human Check*