Project Director, Brownsville Community Justice Center

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

Brownsville Community Justice Center (also known as the Justice Center) seeks to reengineer how the justice system works in Brownsville, Brooklyn. In particular, the Justice Center is dedicated to building off-ramps for young people who come into contact with the justice system by providing much needed services to young people arrested in Brownsville. The aim is to provide the kind of support that young people need to become law-abiding members of society. The ultimate goal is to reduce crime and the use of incarceration, while at the same time restoring local faith in the justice system. 

The Brownsville Community Justice Center seeks a Project Director to oversee all existing programming and develop new initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations of Community Development and Crime Prevention, the Project Director will oversee and manage all aspects of the project, including comprehensive collaboration with stakeholders, hiring and training of staff, development of policy, procedures, and program materials, management of contracting and fiscal reporting, and representation of the Center at local and citywide events, meetings, panels, and community forums.

• Lead the strategic planning and implementation of all Justice Center programming and services;
• Manage fundraising and budget for Justice Center initiatives, in conjunction with development and fiscal departments;
• Ensure all programs are meeting and/or exceeding program deliverables;
• Develop and maintain relationships with funders, government officials, and stakeholders;
• Work with local and city-wide stakeholders to expand on our place-making, workforce development and technology strategies;
• Manage existing partner relationships with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, NYPD, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (i.e. Parole), the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, and other community stakeholders;
• Identify community hot spots and work with staff to develop programming that empowers residents, creates civic opportunities for youth, reduces crime and sparks community revitalization;
• Oversee community organizing techniques used to mobilize the community to participate in activities designed to challenge and change local norms;
• Approve, develop, maintain, and track social media and marketing materials;
• Plan and oversee the execution of all Justice Center engagement activities;
• Ensure staff are providing the highest quality case management, education, training, internship, and employment services for Justice Center program participants;
• Participate in regularly scheduled meetings with staff and partnering agencies to ensure proper referrals and case management for Justice Center participants;
• Oversee all administration/management meetings and ensure that meeting proceedings are communicated to other Justice Center staff;
• Supervise senior program staff and develop training and support systems for supervisees and subcontractors while providing support for all staff, interns and volunteers;
• Model and facilitate creative problem solving and youth development strategies for supervisees and subcontractors;
• Prepare grant progress reports and other program reports as needed;
• Organize and participate in regular reviews with Center staff about program progress;
• Actively maintain a work culture conducive to innovation and team building; and
• Other relevant tasks, as needed.

• An Advanced degree and 4-5 years related experience or a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 6-7 years of relevant experience in project management, supervision, and leadership required;
• Significant experience in leadership roles with innovative community-based organizations preferred;
• At least 3 years of experience managing significant budgets and grant contracts preferred;
• Extensive supervision experiences a plus, preferably supervising multiple people simultaneously;
• Passionate and sensitive to the needs and interests of the population and the mission and philosophy of the Justice Center;
• An understanding of the challenges and strengths of the Brownsville, Brooklyn neighborhood;
• Extensive experience developing and overseeing programs with multiple priorities;
• Strong relationship builder and communicator with experience leading diverse teams;
• Strong ability to set and adhere to timelines;
• Ability to effectively juggle multiple priorities;
• Exceptional ability to communicate with and guide internal and external teams;
• Highly organized, responsible, innovative, and flexible;
• Excellent attention to detail and communication skills;
• Ability to do both immediate “nuts and bolts” thinking and long-term strategic planning, often simultaneously;
• Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to effectively communicate in a transparent and direct manner;
• Experience with coaching and managing staff and developing teams; and
• Demonstrated experience in setting and achieving strategic objectives.

Position Type: Full-time, some evening/weekend hours are required, as needed.

Position Location: Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $108,000 - $133,900 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.