Chief Research Officer

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.  

The Center is a 900-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Center is seeking an experienced and innovative Chief Research Officer (CRO) to lead and expand multiple research teams in evaluating the Center’s work and advancing cutting-edge research initiatives aimed at promoting safety and racial justice—in partnership with communities, legal systems, and the people most impacted. The ideal candidate will have deep methodological expertise, a background in securing funding from government and philanthropic sources, experience conducting research on criminal justice and/or community safety topics, and a passion for translating research into action. Additionally, the candidate should possess a foundation that enables them to effectively lead research and analytics teams, build data and research capacity, and drive evidence-based decision-making to enhance the overall impact of the Center’s work. 

As a member of the Center’s executive team, the CRO will report directly to the Managing Director of National Initiatives and Research and be responsible for setting the Center’s research agenda and working with organizational leaders to expand and integrate the use of research and data in all aspects of CJI, including the operating programs and policy and expert assistance. The Senior Directors of the Center’s Data Analytics and Applied Research (DAAR) and National Research departments will report to the CRO. These departments include teams dedicated to using data analytics to enhance the Center’s operations, advancing research-practice strategies, and conducting sophisticated quantitative research, exploratory qualitative research, program evaluations, and participatory action research. These bodies of work will address some of the most pressing criminal legal challenges by seeking knowledge and solutions beyond the traditional system. 

Develop and Implement a Strategic Vision for the Center’s Research: 

• Build and maintain a research and data analytics agenda that advances the Center’s mission, addresses emerging social justice and equity issues, and helps drive innovation across programs, practices, and expert assistance;
• Lead collaborative, organization-wide development of a cohesive strategy that integrates and deepens the use of research throughout the Center’s programs and initiatives; and
• Identify opportunities for the Center to develop actionable research to influence policy at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Lead the Center’s Research Departments: 

• Oversee the Center’s Data Analytics and Applied Research and National Research Departments, and supervise the Senior Directors of the two departments;
• Represent the Center’s research and data interests in discussions at the executive and board levels;
• Foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within and between the research departments and invest in their ongoing professional development;
• Oversee the financial stability of the departments;
• Design the team's organizational structure and optimize staff and resources; and
• Ensure quality and rigor of research and data analysis for the departments and manage potential risks.

Develop Collaborations with Funders and Partners:  

• Collaborate with the Development Office and Center leadership to develop a fundraising strategy for the Center’s research;
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with funders, communicating need for and outcomes of Center research;
• Identify strategic partnerships and funding opportunities to sustain and expand the Center’s research;
• Represent the Center’s Research Externally;
• Lead the Center’s efforts to advance evidence-based, data-driven solutions to criminal legal and community safety challenges by collaborating with policymakers, impacted individuals, and communities to guide, support, and promote the Center’s research;
• Work with the Office of External Affairs to increase visibility and expand the impact of the Center’s research results within the media and among policymakers; and
• Communicate research findings and data analytics to a variety of audiences, ensuring that complex information is both accessible and actionable.

Provide Research and Data Analytics Guidance and Expertise within the Center: 

• Guide high quality and rigorous research designs (exploratory, experimental, and quasi-experimental), analytic plans, data collection methodologies, and fieldwork;
• Lead the Center’s efforts to take a data-informed approach to program and organization decision making, creating processes to improve quality and management of data;
• Develop systems that support the work of the Center’s programs, practices, and expert assistance teams to translate their research into action;
• Develop partnerships within and across Center programs and operations, identifying opportunities for intersecting research and promoting a culture of innovation; and
•  Additional tasks as necessary.  

Qualifications: 

• Advanced degree in Sociology, Criminology, Public Policy, Psychology or a related field (Ph.D. preferred);
• Demonstrated success in securing and stewarding funding from federal agencies and philanthropic organizations;
• Extensive research experience that demonstrates methodological and statistical expertise, as well as some familiarity with participatory action research;
• Experience using research to inform programming and policies that improve outcomes for individuals and communities impacted by systemic racism and inequity;
• Familiarity with data systems and the use of analytics to improve an organization's programming and operations;
• Strong track record serving in a leadership and management role, supervising team members and demonstrating a collaborative and transparent leadership style;
• Proven ability to translate research and data findings into actionable recommendations;
• Ability to communicate complex information to a broad range of audiences, including policymakers, communities, and funders; and
• Commitment to the Center’s mission and model of working alongside and on behalf of historically marginalized populations. 

Position Type: Full-time.

Position Location: The CRO will spend a minimum of 50% of their time at the Center's New York City Office.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is between $200,000 - $225,000 and is commensurate with experience. 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. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of 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 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

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