Who we are

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grassroots organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.

Vera has a staff of almost 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

Who you are

The research analyst has both task ownership and some task management. The focus of the analyst’s work will be contributing to projects using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. They report to the research associate, senior research associate, or associate director of research. The research analyst is a supporting role requiring emerging methodological and project management skills. In this role, researchers develop their skills while working independently, with support, mentorship and supervision from more experienced researchers and program staff.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Data collection, management, and analysis

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

Write up/presentation of research

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

Fundraising/ proposal development

• Play a supporting role in research development and proposal writing

Carry out special projects in support of a program or initiative’s research agenda under the supervision of senior research staff

• collaborates with team members to advance project or initiative goals, by
• actively engage in team meetings and program activities, and 
• support efforts to ensure Vera’s race equity and inclusion priorities are a core aspect of Vera’s research, including in methodological approaches, publications, hiring and staffing, and external and internal research communications

What qualifications do you need?

Required:

• BA or equivalent
• 1+ years of work experience
• Basic computer literacy
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google productivity suites (e.g., Word, Excel, Sheets)
• Elementary numeracy and quantitative reasoning
• Proficiency in writing in English
• Basic understanding of social policy with a race and gender lens
• Commitment to race equity

Preferred:

• Experience in a position or equivalent service that requires gathering information, writing and presenting
• Demonstrated interest in research
• Relevant lived experience
• Some experience using research methods in academic or applied settings
• Some proficiency with Qualtrics, Forms or other software commonly used for data collection
• Some proficiency with SPSS, R, Stata or other software commonly used in quantitative analysis
• Some proficiency with Dedoose, MaxQDA, Nvivo, Delve, or other software commonly used in qualitative or mixed methods analysis

List of required software applications:

• Will vary depending on methodology and initiative

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $56,700 - $59,700. 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 and remote work schedules. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Research Analyst, Research/Ending Girls Incarceration
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.

As a federal contractor, and 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