Senior Coordinator, Capacity Building

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, $130 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 Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC) seeks to co-create community safety in Brownsville, Brooklyn by investing in local residents, transforming public spaces, and creating youth opportunity. The Justice Center envisions a safe and resourced Brownsville where all residents can thrive. The Justice Center focuses on engaging young people most impacted by criminal legal systems and community violence as leaders and innovators to create community driven public safety solutions.

BCJC is seeking a Senior Coordinator, Capacity Building. Reporting to the Program Manager, the Senior Coordinator will be a key leadership role within BCJC, responsible for designing and executing strategies that strengthen the capacity of youth, staff, and community members to address public safety through a community-centered, restorative, and justice-informed lens. This role emphasizes partnership development, training and facilitation, program design, and continuous improvement practices rooted in equity and community empowerment.

The Senior Coordinator will drive both internal and external initiatives aimed at equipping stakeholders with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to implement effective, grassroots public safety solutions. This includes managing experiential learning programs, creating feedback systems, and maintaining data-driven practices to support lasting neighborhood change.

Partnership Development & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Cultivate and maintain strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, public agencies, and subject matter experts to enhance the Justice Center’s capacity in public safety, civic engagement, and program innovation;
• Organize and lead meetings, workshops, trainings, and events to educate and engage staff, youth, and stakeholders on neighborhood public safety challenges and solutions; and
• Facilitate collaborative design sessions with youth, staff, and community stakeholders to develop responsive and locally grounded program initiatives.

Training & Capacity Building:

• Lead initiatives to build the skills and leadership of youth, staff, and community members in grassroots organizing, narrative change, public awareness campaigns, and restorative approaches to public safety;
• Assess training needs of program staff, youth participants, and subcontractors; coordinate and co-facilitate orientation sessions and professional development workshops; and
• Design and implement experiential and project-based learning opportunities that promote civic engagement, critical thinking, and real-world application of skills.

Program Design, Evaluation & Improvement:

• Develop logic models and theory of change frameworks to monitor program inputs, outputs, and progress toward desired community and organizational outcomes;
• Establish structured processes for collecting participant and stakeholder feedback on program services and case management; analyze findings and lead team efforts to incorporate insights into program iteration; and
• Ensure the accuracy and consistency of data collection, entry, and interpretation; generate regular reports for internal teams, funders, and community stakeholders to inform decision-making.

Strategic Support & Leadership:

• Support the Justice Center’s broader mission by contributing to strategy development, cross-departmental collaboration, and organizational learning efforts;
• Maintain working knowledge of emerging best practices in community-led public safety, capacity building, and restorative justice, and apply these insights to program development; and
• Perform other duties, as assigned, in service of the Justice Center’s goals and community impact.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, education, community development, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred;
• Minimum 4–5 years of professional experience in program development, training, capacity building, or community organizing required;
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative initiatives, facilitate trainings, and engage diverse stakeholder groups;
• Strong project management skills, with a track record of designing and implementing multi-stakeholder programs;
• Experience with data tracking, logic modeling, and impact evaluation methodologies;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present complex ideas clearly to multiple audiences;
• Commitment to equity, restorative justice, and community-led solutions to public safety and social challenges; and
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends to attend community events or meetings.

Position Type: Full-time, Monday - Friday from 10:00am - 6:00pm. This position is based in a dynamic, community-facing environment, with regular off-site engagement at partner organizations, schools, and community meetings. Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends is essential.

Position Location: Brownsville Brooklyn.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $65,000 - $70,000 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 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 does not sponsor or support any immigration status, which includes supporting or completing any foreign student training plan. 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.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.

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.