Senior Research Associate

University at Albany • Albany, NY

89d • $105,000 - $115,000

About The Position

To help support our research and evaluation efforts, the New York State Youth Justice Institute (YJI) is seeking to hire a Senior Research Associate. The incumbent will work on a myriad of impactful, funded projects with a focus on evaluation and participatory research. The Senior Research Associate will help lead, execute, and support myriad qualitative and quantitative research projects and tasks that are included in the Institute's work plan. These range from evaluations of specific programs and pilots to the design of research projects, assessment of data quality, compilation of literature reviews, etc. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the YJI's Communications and Training and Technical Assistance teams to ensure the dissemination and visualization of findings in an actionable manner. The incumbent is expected to engage in cross-institutional networking at the systems and community levels to expand YJI's network of research partners and opportunities. They may be asked to attend and or present at conferences and other training events. This full-time position is based in Albany, NY, at the YJI.

Requirements

• MA or MS degree in Criminal Justice, Social Welfare, Sociology, Public Policy, or a related field.
• 10 years of relevant full-time professional experience in data-rich environments.
• Demonstrated substantive knowledge of juvenile justice and emerging adulthood research and policy in the United States.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practice literature, evidence-based programming, implementation science, and data narrative.
• Experience working with web-based survey tools, virtual conference applications, data analysis, and visualization software.
• Demonstrated experience conducting evaluation research, particularly in New York State.
• Strong communication skills to explain complex data concepts to a diverse audience.
• Understanding of basic qualitative and statistical methods and data analysis techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to multiple assignments and priorities.

Nice To Haves

• PhD in Criminal Justice, Social Welfare, Sociology, Public Policy, Political Sciences or a related field.
• A minimum of seven years of relevant full-time professional experience (post-PhD conferral).
• Strong commitment to social justice and demonstrated research record focused on equity in the areas of race/ethnicity, gender, and/or SOGIE.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct program evaluations, including logic model development, evaluation plan development, and evaluation framework selection for multi-site and multi-year projects.
• Provide responsible, competent technical advice to internal and external stakeholders.
• Organize and manage all statistical, analytic, and data management aspects of successful evaluation projects.
• Synthesize information from external sources to ensure programs operate as intended.
• Provide models for data-driven storytelling, including data visualization.
• Consult with relevant partners on the planning and conduct of evaluation studies, in the analysis of data, and the interpretation and presentation of findings.
• Participate in multiple research projects with minimal supervision, operating within time and budget constraints.
• Manage internal relationships and resources to achieve project deliverables within a 'team culture.'
• Promote awareness of data quality issues and share best practices for data collection and management.
• Promote the creation of a data-driven, evidence-based, and/or research-informed culture.
• Work with different stakeholders to identify data needs, tailor training programs, and assess the impact of data literacy initiatives.
• Expand YJI's technical and subject-matter presence through conference presentations, report authoring, and multimedia information repositories.
• Supervise at least two advanced graduate students.

Benefits

• Salary range: $105,000-115,000.
• Position funded by a grant expected to continue through at least 2028.
• Potential for appointment extensions contingent on funding and program needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Master's degree