Associate Director of Research, Vera California

About the team:

Vera Californiaaims to advance policies and funding to reduce incarceration and support the community-based systems of care that promote safety and wellness in California.We use data and policy analysis to drive concrete change and center racial equity(e.g., sharing data analysis with state legislators on the potential impacts of criminal justice bills). We bringexpertiseon best practices from around the country to local conversations in California. We collaborate with government leaders and community partners on policy development and implementation, working together toward a new vision of safety, wellness,and racial justice for all Californians.

Our work covers diverse criminal justice reform issues in California. It includes developing policy recommendations around county-level jail incarceration processes; pretrial and bail reform issues; state and local budgetary processes; andgeneral publicsafety debates in Los Angeles and statewide.

About the role:

The Associate Director of Research is a manager-level role that reports to the Initiative Director with a “dotted line” to the Institute’s Managing Director of Research. In this role, the Associate Director of Research leads all aspects of the team’s research portfolio, including designing research plans, directing the team’s research activities, collaborating with otherVera Californialeadership (the director and associate director) on overall strategy,andoverseeing staff working across a range of methods and projects. As the leader of a small research team, they are expected to engage directly in the research and represent California’s research portfolio externally.

Associate Directors of Researchat the Vera Institute of Justicebring experience managing research projects and teams, advanced methodological skills, and strength inleveragingresearch and evidence in support of policy and advocacy solutions. We are seeking someone for the California team who brings understanding of relevant administrative datasets and has fluency in advocacy and communications strategies in support of big goals.

1. Research Leadership

• Develop, manage, and oversee all aspects of Vera California research, coordinating with the initiative director to ensure alignment with Vera California priorities and timelines, the managing director of research on methodological approaches, and other Vera teams on overlapping content areas
• Supervise, support, and mentor Vera California research staff, and lead research hiring or recruitment as needed
• Support the whole Vera California team in ensuring appropriate deployment of data and evidence in support of its solutions
• Work with Vera California director and associate director as a management team on annual planning, program development, staffing plans, and fundraising
• Serve as a member of the Vera Research Leadership Team, along with other associate directors of research, collaborating on cross-cutting research priorities and policy and ensuring that researchers across the organization receive appropriate support
• Cultivate relationships with CA-based researchers and organizations in the field, including acting as a primary point of contact for Vera California’s research partnerships
• Support internal collaboration by partneringVera’sAdvocacyDepartment, CommunicationsDepartment,Central Research and Data Science teams,andother Vera initiativestaffto develop coordinated strategies thatleverageresearch (including in advocacy campaigns)

2. Research Design and Implementation

• Serve as Principal Investigator on research projects, developing and presenting IRB applications w hen relevant and ensuring that research is conducted to the highest ethical standards
• Lead/train/supervise on data collection and analysis, overseeing all aspects of mixed methods research and data management and analysis for Vera California and ensuring alignment between project implementation and policy timelines
• Participate in hands-on data collection and analysis
• Conduct team and cross-team peer review in areas of methodological and subject matterexpertiseand coordinate peer review for Vera California products as needed
• Coordinate with central data science team to ensure appropriate datainfrastructure and standardized approaches

3. Research Presentation and Products

• Serve as a research subject matter expert and organizational representative in key areas of Vera California’s work, including in testimony, to media, in coalitions, and other public facing forums
• Shape evidence-based messaging and research for Vera California’s work, oversee ing development, writing, and editing of research publications and evidence-based products in support of Vera California’s goals, including short data-informed fact sheets that respond to rapid response advocacy inquiries

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required :

• Advanced degree and9+years of relevant experience, preferably in a relevant social science field, like public policy, criminal justice, or sociology. In lieu of degreerequirement, relevant work or life experience may be considered.
• Several years of experience supervisinginterdisciplinary research teamsand working with mixed methods research and/or researchers;
• Experience conducting applied policy research
• Subject matterexpertise,includinganunderstanding of current criminal legal systems and policy, particularlyin the state of California as well as relevant data sets and sources

Preferred :

• Direct experience with and/or impact by the criminaljusticeor immigration system

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Associate Directors of Research are subject matter experts, experienced researchers, managers, mentors, and project leaders with advanced research design and analytic skills
• Experience leveraging social science approaches in applied research settings
• Track recordof having worked on collaborative analyses and ability to support and build advocacy efforts and external stakeholder relationships
• Commitment to race equity isrequired
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time . This may vary dependent on the location of the applicant.

Location:

Please note this role can be remote from California, withstrong preference for Los Angeles-based candidates who are able to follow ahybrid schedule to Vera's office in Los Angeles, CA.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $129,000 - $134,000 . 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, .

Vera is an equal opportunity 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