Research Analyst, Advancing Universal Representation at Vera Institute of Justice in Brooklyn, New York

Job description

• The Research Analyst for the Advancing Universal Representation (UREP) Initiative works in a supporting research role to build and share evidence in support of the Initiative’s goal to advance policies and programs that support due process in the immigration system by: 1) expanding access to legal representation for immigrants facing deportation—with the ultimate goal to establish a federal right to government-funded counsel for all immigrants facing deportation who cannot afford an attorney—and 2) combatting the harms of immigration detention. The Research Analyst collects, manages, and analyzes primarily quantitative and occasionally qualitative data; assists in the writing of reports and other research materials to support the Initiative’s strategic advocacy and policy priorities; fields rapid response research requests; conducts literature reviews; supports the generation and design of new research; reviews documents; and presents findings from research projects.
• In this role, the Research Analyst reports directly to the Principal Research Associate, with support and mentorship from the Research Associate, the Principal Data Scientist, and the Associate Director of Research for the UREP Initiative and will also develop and strengthen their own skills and work independently. The Research Analyst contributes to and supports discrete tasks but also has some task ownership and task management. The Research Analyst primarily works on qualitative research projects, which requires independent coding and analysis, and will also occasionally perform tasks beyond research-specific tasks, including some advocacy and administrative work.
• The Research Analyst 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.

Responsibilities

• Clean and manage data (primarily quantitative).
• Develop and maintain code, codebooks, instruments, or other research materials.
• Support data collection under the supervision of senior research staff.
• Support quantitative and qualitative analysis of data and/or write up of methods and results.
• Field rapid response data requests from team members and external partners, including quickly producing programmatic and immigration court statistics, identifying and sharing existing research to provide evidence in support of advocacy materials, and more.
• Prepare and format reports, factsheets, and other products.
• Conduct background research and compile materials, including literature reviews.
• Prepare data, statistics, background research, or data visualizations for reports and other products.
• Carry out special projects in support of the Initiative’s research agenda or another program under the supervision of senior research staff.
• Support other lines of work within the Initiative (i.e., advocacy, programs, and blueprint design) on a variety of assignments, as needed.
• Contribute to research project development and design.
• Participate in cross-cutting Initiative events and lobbying activities, as needed.
• 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, computer science, or social science, or related field + up to 3 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• A demonstrated interest in research, and/or some experience using research methods in academic or applied settings.
• Experience with the immigration legal system and/or immigration policy through lived or work experience.
• Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal-legal and/or immigrations system
• A demonstrated commitment to racial justice
• Experience in quantitative research (e.g. completing a research project using quantitative methods).
• Coding experience, preferably for data analysis, in Python (highly preferred) R, Stata, or SQL.
• Ability to synthesize complex literature and share findings from existing research.
• Skilled in writing findings from research in a manner that is easily understood by the general public.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Developing ability with data visualization and presentation and a desire to learn more.
• Spanish language proficiency a plus.

Skills

Required

• Careful attention to detail

Preferred

• Spanish language proficiency a plus

Benefits

• The compensation range for this position is $64,000 - $67,000. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325. 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.