Who you are:

Arrests for domestic violence, particularly against women, have increased exponentially since the 1980s. The multi-prong approach of this project rectifies the harms of the carceral approach and lifts up interventions that are responsive and accessible to traditionally left out or criminalized survivors.

Disrupting Gender-Based Violence is an initiative at Vera that is advocating for changes to the mandatory arrest laws in New York State and for increases in funding for non-system responses to Gender-Based Violence. To advance this work, the initiative is seeking a part-time Research Associate over the course of 4 – 5 months to support the Senior Research Associate with primary data collection for a research study. Vera seeks to understand the impact of Mandatory Arrest Laws on survivors of gender-based violence across New York State, particularly how it impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The research will primarily focus on original data collection, seeking to interview survivors and understand their experiences with mandatory arrest laws, their navigation of the criminal legal system, and needs.

The Research Associate is expected to conduct approximately 75 interviews over the course of 4 – 5 months throughout New York State. The Research Associate is expected to organize and travel to various locations within NYS to conduct these interviews in-person unless otherwise requested by participants. At the conclusion of this position (4 – 5 months) there may be an opportunity to extend if it is mutually beneficial to Vera and the Research Associate

What you'll do:

Conduct qualitative semi-structured interviews and surveys with survivors of GBV

• Both in-person and remote interviews (e.g., Zoom, phone)
• Comfortable with using pre-existing survey instrument and providing ongoing feedback
• Maintaining data privacy and security, transferring, and storing encrypted interview audio and notes on secured Vera network
• Ensure participants are compensated for study

Recruit participants for study

• Facilitate communications with partner organizations for recruitment, including sharing recruitment materials
• Engage with potential participants and conduct screens to ensure eligibility
• Schedule interviews with study participants
• Facilitate any communication with local organizations (libraries, community centers) that can host participants for interviews to ensure safety and privacy in line with Vera protocols

Data management and Analysis

• Organize documentation, including consent forms, de-identification of data, payments to participants, and other study materials following Vera protocols and regulations
• Provide supervisor with weekly updates on interviews with demographic breakdown
• Keep track of participant payment documentation
• Lift top-line insights and trends from interviews
• Summarize preliminary analysis for internal staff

Ad hoc duties as needed

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree + 3-5 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered
• Demonstrated commitment to race equity, a track record of taking initiative and independent problem-solving, and quantitative analytical skills and experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in qualitative social science with 3 - 5 years of relevant experience working with those who have been impacted by Gender-Based Violence, defined as any type of violence that is rooted in exploiting unequal power relationships between genders including but not limited to Intimate Partner Violence, Family Violence, and Sexual Violence.
• Experience conducting semi-structured interviews in-person, and remote via phone call, zoom, etc.
• Experience managing research studies independently, including recruitment, data collection, and data management
• Experience working with survivors of Gender-Based Violence, System-Impacted people, and performing trauma-informed interviews
• Experience being deeply embedded in BIPOC communities
• Spanish fluency and/or comfort working with an interpreter
• Collaborate effectively with team members, including giving and receiving feedback
• Strong communications skills with supervisors and team members, including communicating through challenges and obstacles to completing research tasks

Preferred:

• Masters in qualitative social science with experience working with those who have been impacted by Gender-Based Violence
• If enrolled in a PhD program, ABD and/or equivalent experience conducting independent research
• Supervised or trained researchers on qual methods, with emphasis on semi-structured interviews
• Experience with audio encryption software

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Semi-structured interviews, trauma-informed, culturally specific

Travel Requirements:

• Ability to travel across New York State
• Preference for having driver’s license and comfort traveling independently

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office with a majority of work being in-person across New York State. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $81,000 - 86,000. 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—both personally and professionally—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. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Research Associate, Gender Based Violence
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

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 (e.g., 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 www.vera.org