Lead Researcher, JusticeForward Initiative

Details•San Diego, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Researcher for the JusticeForward initiative leads applied research, student-integrated learning, and public-facing dissemination for JusticeForward: Safer Students Workforce Initiative, a grant-funded workforce development and applied research initiative designed to strengthen pathways for justice-impacted students into careers within the justice sector. Working under the direction of the Executive Director of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and in close collaboration with the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, the Lead Researcher is responsible for conducting and producing the core JusticeForward research deliverables required under the grant, including a barrier and opportunity scan, learning framework, midpoint and final reports, practical public-facing resources, and related scholarly, policy, or practitioner-oriented outputs. The position integrates applied research, policy analysis, teaching, student mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination. The Lead Researcher will teach or co-teach a credit-bearing practicum course that embeds students in JusticeForward’s research, policy, and advocacy work. The position will help students contribute meaningfully to policy mapping, research brief development, stakeholder analysis, and the translation of findings into accessible practitioner-facing resources. This is a fixed-term, grant-funded position. Eighty-Five percent of the role will be assigned to JusticeForward grant activities. The remaining 15% will support other IPJ research, teaching, evaluation, program development, or applied initiatives as assigned by the Executive Director.

Requirements

Master’s degree required in a relevant field such as peace and conflict studies, public policy, international relations, law, human rights, sociology, criminology, social work, education, political science, justice studies, public administration, or a closely related field.
At least two (2) years of relevant professional experience in applied research, policy analysis, evaluation, teaching, higher education, community-engaged work, advocacy, public problem-solving, or related practice.
Demonstrated ability to conduct applied research, policy analysis, evaluation, or community-engaged research, including the ability to gather, synthesize, and analyze information from documents, interviews, stakeholder consultations, literature, program data, or other relevant sources.
Strong writing and analytical skills, including experience producing or contributing to research reports, policy briefs, literature reviews, evaluation products, public-facing writing, practitioner tools, grant deliverables, or other applied knowledge products.
Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines, coordinate across teams, and move complex projects from concept to completion.
Ability to work respectfully and effectively with students, faculty, staff, community partners, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and people with lived experience of justice-system involvement or other forms of marginalization.
Demonstrated commitment to ethical, rigorous, and useful work in applied research, policy, practice, or public problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

Terminal degree preferred, such as PhD, JD, EdD, or equivalent in a relevant field.
Direct experience working on issues related to criminal justice, reentry, collateral consequences, public safety, probation, corrections, diversion, restorative justice, community violence prevention, or justice-sector workforce pathways.
Familiarity with San Diego County justice-sector agencies, community-based organizations, reentry programs, or higher education programs serving justice-impacted students.
Experience conducting applied research activities such as stakeholder interviews, listening sessions, focus groups, policy scans, workforce pathway mapping, institutional analysis, or implementation-oriented research.
Quantitative research skills, including experience with statistics, survey design, data analysis, monitoring and evaluation systems, or mixed-methods research.
Experience developing applied research products such as policy briefs, public-facing reports, pathway maps, implementation guides, practitioner tools, scholarly publications, or other products intended for academic, practitioner, policy, or community audiences.
Experience teaching, co-teaching, facilitating workshops, mentoring students, supervising student researchers, or supporting credit-bearing practica, field placements, research apprenticeships, policy clinics, or other forms of practice-based learning.
Demonstrated ability or strong potential to produce peer-reviewed scholarship, law review articles, book chapters, or other academically credible publications from applied research, policy research, evaluation, or community-engaged research.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage IPJ’s JusticeForward research workstream under the direction of the Executive Director and in close coordination with the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and relevant project partners.
Conduct rigorous, ethical, and well-scoped applied research using appropriate quantitative, qualitative, policy, institutional, community-engaged, or mixed-methods approaches, drawing on relevant documents, stakeholder perspectives, student learning, partner experience, and other sources of evidence.
Produce grant-required and project-related research, learning, and knowledge products that are responsive to project goals, partner needs, student learning, and implementation realities, including reports, briefs, scholarly or research-oriented outputs, public-facing resources, presentations, and other applied materials as needed.
Teach or co-teach credit-bearing practica that integrate students into JusticeForward research, policy, and dissemination work.
Design and support structured student roles that contribute meaningfully to applied research, stakeholder engagement, practitioner-facing products, and other project needs.
Mentor students engaged in JusticeForward-related research, practica, internships, presentations, or other applied learning activities, helping connect their project work to classroom learning, professional development, and justice-sector career pathways.
Translate JusticeForward research findings into clear, actionable recommendations and public-facing products for relevant policy, practitioner, community, and higher education audiences.
Collaborate with IPJ communications, grant, and leadership staff to ensure that JusticeForward research products are effectively edited, designed, shared, and positioned for practical use.
Help maintain, develop, and expand external relationships that support JusticeForward research, stakeholder learning, dissemination.
Support stakeholder engagement, convenings, presentations, briefings, publications, and other dissemination activities connected to the JusticeForward Initiative.
Contribute flexibly to other IPJ research, evaluation, teaching, public engagement, and program development activities as assigned by the Executive Director.
Contribute to the growth of IPJ’s broader applied research and practice portfolio by supporting new initiatives that align with the Institute’s mission and have a plausible pathway to external support.
Participate in the intellectual life of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and the Kroc School through internal meetings, public events, Kroc Pot discussions, faculty/staff conversations, and other relevant activities.
Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.