Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., 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.

About the team:

Restoring Promise is an initiative at Vera that seeks to transform prison cultures, climates and spaces by partnering with correctional leaders to reimagine housing units for young adults and realign.  

As Restoring Promise Research Associate has analytical, methodological, and emerging project development skills, and has training in mixed methods. This role will report to a Senior Research Associate. The Research Associate supports Restoring Promise through task management and by taking ownership of research tasks that are components of broader projects. The Research Associate works across a range of projects in support of Restoring Promise’s portfolio—for example, producing analysis and contributing to reports—under the supervision of a more experienced researcher.  

The Research Associate has fluency in the team’s core subject areas and, over time, specialization and growth of skills that allows them to develop products, develop supervision skills, and become increasingly involved in research design and analysis, with support and guidance from senior research staff. The Research Associate may be asked to develop IRB materials or substantial complements of research design, analysis, and write up. 

Associates also collaborate with team members to advance project or initiative goals, by actively engaging in team meetings and program activities, and supporting efforts to ensure Vera’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) priorities are a core aspect of Vera’s research, including in methodological approaches, publications, hiring and staffing, and external and internal research communications. 

All Restoring Promise research is informed by a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework. The Research Associate is expected to maintain a PAR approach in all research processes and identify additional touch points for collaboration in study design and implementation. The Research Associate’s approach to their tasks must be rooted in anti-racist philosophy and practices, with a commitment to the values of Restoring Promise: Race Equity, Cultural Healing, Restorative Justice, and Community and Family Partnership. 

About the role:

Data Collection, Management, and Analysis 

  • Conduct data collection (qualitative interviews or observation; surveys; quantitative instruments, etc.) in consultation with senior research staff  
  • Conduct data management (entry, cleaning, coding) and analysis 

Write Up / Presentation of Research

  • Prepare data or background research for reports 
  • Write up results and integrate into public-facing products including reports, advocacy documents, or other publications (quant or qual) 
  • Conduct background research and literature reviews  
  • Contribute to draft public-facing products including reports, advocacy documents, or other publications (quant or qual) under the supervision of senior researchers 
  • Present research at department meetings, “brown bag” discussions, and other internal Vera events 
  • Present at academic and policy-focused conferences and professional meetings 

Proposal Development   

  • Draft sections of research proposals in support of senior staff 
  • Support in the development of research design  

IRB

  •  Prepare projects for IRB review, with support and approval of a Senior Research Associate or above

Other duties as assigned 

What qualifications are we looking for?

  • Bachelor’s degree in statistics, computer science, social science, or related field AND at least 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
  • Knowledge of, and experience in, social science research, ideally including experience in local or state government, or criminal justice  

Preferred: 

  • Experience with the criminal legal system and / or young adult development 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 using participatory action research (PAR) approaches   
  • Experience working with incarcerated people or doing research in prisons  
  • Experience working with Departments of Corrections and / or correctional staff 

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

  • Experience in mixed methods research (e.g. completing a research project using mixed methods)
  • 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  
  • Experience using quantitative and qualitative research software
  • Ability to travel 20% of time 

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • SPSS, R, STATA and Dedoose (or similar quantitative and qualitative software) 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA, or New Orleans, LA office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $82,000 - $85,000. 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, click here. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325.

Application Process:

To receive further consideration for this career opportunity, applicants are asked preliminary questions about logistics, their interest and qualifications. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional details about their experience via a phone screen/form in advance of an invitation for a virtual or in-person interview with the team. Some searches may explore scenarios during the interview process and/or an assessment prior to reference checks and a hiring decision.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Research Associate, Restoring Promise
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.

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.

Apply for this Job

* Required
resume chosen  
Dropbox
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
cover_letter chosen  
Dropbox
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Vera Institute of Justice ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

How would you describe your gender identity? (mark all that apply) *





How would you describe your racial/ethnic background? (mark all that apply) *











Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Vera Institute of Justice’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.