Who you are:

The Research Analyst for the Redefining Public Safety (RPS) Initiative will work in a supporting research role and contribute to a range of projects focused on promoting equitable approaches to community safety that reduce reliance on policing, such as civilian crisis response and community violence intervention strategies. They are passionate about racial justice, the development of public safety ecosystems that meet people’s needs, and the role of research in supporting policy, practice, and system change.

The Research Analyst will collect, manage, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, support the writing of reports and presentation of research materials, conduct background research and literature reviews, and support the development and design of research projects.

In this role, the Research Analyst works with support and mentorship from the senior research staff for the RPS Initiative and will also develop and strengthen their own skills and work independently. The Research Analyst will contribute to and support discrete tasks but will also have task ownership and some task management. The Research Analyst will work on qualitative and quantitative research projects, and perform tasks beyond research-specific tasks, including some administrative work. This position will report to a Senior Research Associate for the RPS Initiative.

The Research Analyst also collaborates with team members to advance Initiative goals by actively engaging in team meetings and program activities. The Research Analyst is also expected to support efforts to ensure Vera’s race equity and inclusion priorities are a core aspect of Vera’s mission, both internally in how team members work together, and in research, including in methodological approaches, publications, hiring and staffing, and external and internal research communications.

What you'll do:

Data collection, management, and analysis

• Support qualitative and quantitative data collection under the supervision of senior research staff.
• Support development of codebooks, data collection instruments, consent forms, and other research materials
• Clean, code, and manage qualitative and quantitative data.
• Support qualitative and quantitative analysis of data and/or write up of methods and results.

Write up/presentation of research

• Conduct background research and literature reviews
• Prepare and format reports and other products.
• Prepare qualitative and quantitative data, statistics, background research, or infographics for reports and other products.

Research project development and design

• Contribute to research project development and design.

Administrative tasks

• Manage and respond to emails from external partners who work with Vera.
• Schedule and facilitate meetings.
• Data entry tasks, including creating, updating, and maintaining spreadsheets and databases.

Support special projects and other initiative needs

• Carry out special projects in support of the initiative’s research agenda under the supervision of senior research staff, as needed.
• Support other lines of work within the initiative (i.e., programs and advocacy) on a variety of assignments, as needed

What qualifications are we looking for?

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, in addition to 1+ years of work experience
• Demonstrated interest in research.
• Commitment to race, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time.

Preferred:

• Lived experience with the criminal legal system is a plus.
• Experience using research methods in academic or applied settings.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Experience in quantitative or qualitative research (e.g. completing a research project using quantitative or qualitative data and/or contributing to data collection, management, or analysis)
• Experience entering and cleaning tabular data (e.g. data from surveys or administrative data sources) and/or experience facilitating interviews or group discussions and meetings.
• Ability to synthesize and communicate findings from existing research literature and other sources of information.

• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to race, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to work independently and manage work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently.

Technical knowledge we need you prepared to use:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Some experience with and/or a desire to learn quantitative data management and analysis software, like R, Python, Stata, SPSS, or SQL. R or Python experience preferred.
• Desire to learn GitHub for team collaboration on quantitative data management and analysis.
• Some experience with and/or a desire to learn qualitative data management and analysis software, like Dedoose, NVivo, Atlas.TI, or MAXQDA.

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Washington, DC; New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA or Brooklyn N.Y office. 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 $62,000 - $67,000. 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 Analyst, Redefining Public Safety
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