About JFF
Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S.education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economicadvancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairlyshut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goalis to align education, workforce, and employment changemakerstoward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facingsystemic barriers to advancement will work in qualityjobs.
To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices,influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staffof more than 300 people across the country working remotely and inoffices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland,California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels,forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs,policymakers, and education and workforce development providers tobreak down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.
We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We havean operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens ofleading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learnmore about JFF and join us as webuild a future that works—for everyone.
DEIBW at JFF
Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW)are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teamsacross race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age,and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuringthese differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivatea culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success ofthe employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads,professional development, and equitable career advancementopportunities. Learnmore about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.
We seek to invest in and learn from those who represent thecommunities we serve, particularly individuals from populations whohave been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce.Knowing its importance to the success of our work and theengagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain adiverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to ouropen roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment toourNorthStar , we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level ofeducation attained is less than a four-year degree; People ofColor; and people with records to apply.
About the Position
Reporting to the Senior Director, Research, Evaluation andAnalytics (REA) the Director will be the designated research leadand liaison to JFF’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement (CJEA). In thisnewly created role, you will use your content knowledge related tojustice, reentry and corrections domains to develop and direct theexecution of CJEA’s research agenda.
As a Director, Research you will lead the development of aresearch agenda for the CJEA team, helping to understand andmeasure progress towards impact areas, surface critical researchissues, and develop a strategy to curate important field research.This impactful work will enable CJEA to serve as a platform toadvance understanding of the experiences impacting people withrecords’ economic mobility.
As a contributor to both the REA and CJEA teams, you will beinstrumental in leading collaboration internally, and with externalpartners, especially researchers and stakeholders who are directlyimpacted by the criminal legal system, to identify significanttopics, programs and policies that contribute to the sharedunderstanding of effective supports for the economic mobility forpeople with records.
This role is ideal for an analytical and strategic researcher,who is skilled in both qualitative and quantitative methods, and iseager to impact programs and projects in support of economicmobility for people with records.
About the Team
JFF's Research,Evaluation & Analytics (REA) team works to create a futurewhere evidence-driven programs and policies empower individuals,transform education and workforce systems, and ensure that everyonehas access to quality jobs and meaningful career pathways. Throughour Evaluation Services, Research to Advance the Field, and LaborMarket Information Analytics, the REA team provides insights thatshed light on the development, implementation, and impact ofprograms and policies that support inclusive and equitable economicadvancement for all. REA collaborates with staff and project teamsacross JFF to provide data-based insights that inform and enhanceour work, as well as the broader ecosystems in which wework.
Additionally, the Center for Justice & Economic Advancement (CJEA) promoteseconomic mobility for people with records of arrest, conviction andincarceration through a multipronged impact agenda. The impactdrivers include expanding talent development opportunities,equipping employers to implement fair chance hiring practices,establishing state and federal policies that normalize opportunity,and creating and curating research to inform practice, systems andpolicy changes.
What you'll do
Lead impactful research and evaluationefforts
- Lead research andevaluation on topics that advance CJEA’s impact agenda, serving asa subject matter expert both internally and externally
- Lead teams ofresearchers and the program team to analyze and develop researchproducts, ensuring quality control and on-time completion ofdeliverables (including managing budgets, workplans, program staffand partners)
- Conduct research ontopics impacting economic mobility for people with records,including education and training models; fair chance hiring andemployment; labor market experiences and outcomes; and experiencesof specific populations, like young adults andwomen
- Determine and implementappropriate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodsapproaches, and data collection and cleaning processes, integratinga lens of racial equity and an asset-based framework to understand,elevate, and communicate issues critical to CJEA’s impact agendaand people impacted by the criminal justice system
- Evaluate the outcomes ofCJEA lines of business and collaborate with partners to evaluateexternal programs through contracts and grants
- Lead and author thetranslation of research and evaluation findings across multipleformats (i.e., reports, briefs, digital material, andpresentations) and products, (i.e., reports, blogs, infographicsand journal articles) to communicate results of research andevaluation projects
- Lead the development ofnew research and evaluation proposals in collaboration with JFF andexternal partners to support funding for CJEA
Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusionand results through learning
- Develop externalrelationships with research professionals/organizations and sitesfor partnering on research and evaluation to advance CJEA agendaand field-building work
- Contribute to learningand growth of the REA team through discussions with internal staffand external funders to identify, shape, and pursue new workrelated to people with records and how the experiences and issuesimpacting this population inform issues across JFF’sportfolio
- Empower and mentorresearch project teams and ensuring they have the tools andresources needed to execute work, meet expected deliverabledeadlines and produce high-quality project outcomes
- Proactively buildrelationships and trust with internal and external stakeholders,encouraging them to share their collective expertise andknowledge
- Center diversity,equity, inclusion and belonging at all stages of designing andexecuting projects
Contribute to CJEA, REA and JFF's programmaticstrategy
- Shape and implement newand existing bodies of work that support JFF’s strategicgoals/mission and respond to and influence developments in thefield
- Participate in strategicplanning for the REA team; contributing to prioritization of whatwe research, when to research it, and how that research isconducted; provide decision support to senior management forplanning and program development
- Engage with other unitsto support strategic and project objectives and/or developresearch-based lines of inquiry in education and workforcedevelopment
- Synthesize andcommunicate insights from research and evaluation offering creativesolutions and innovations to inform program strategy andexecution
- Design work rooted inclosing equity gaps and driving systemic change in partnership withJFF Practices, Centers, or JFF Labs
Who you are
- You bring livedexperience with the justice system and/or professional experienceleading research and evaluation efforts related to economicmobility for people with records, through both qualitative andquantitative methods (New hires at the Director II level at JFFtypically bring 12 years of prior professional experience through acombination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelancepositions)
- You are a strategic andanalytical researcher, skilled at developing, piloting, recruitingfor, and fielding surveys and interview protocols for research andevaluation
- You have demonstratedsuccess collecting, cleaning, managing, and analyzing quantitativedata and are familiar with statistical software (i.e., Stata, R,SPSS); you have experience with data visualization tools a plus(i.e.,Tableau)
- You are adept atanalyzing qualitative data, coding and analyzing themes forfindings and the development of promising practices for thefield
- You have led researchprojects in a manner that efficiently uses resources and probes themost relevant content by executing workplans, timelines and budgetsto ensure success of research projects
- You are committed toempowering, developing and coaching others through feedback, toensure effective and consistent delivery of programs and services,while expanding the capacity and expertise of the team
- You are a skilledcommunicator and demonstrate the ability to present to a range ofaudiences including practitioners, policymakers and researchersthrough products, presentations, (including at national conferencesand workshops) to disseminate research lessons andfindings
- You have demonstratedexperience working with diverse stakeholders, especially those whoare directly impacted by the criminal system to develop researchand resources (i.e., action research, first personblogs)
- You possess high energyand passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability toapply JFF’s core values to all areas of yourwork
- You are energized bystewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-daywork, including embracing the differences and celebrating thediversity that each individual brings to JFF
- You value buildingpositive and collaborative relationships with others, includingpeople whose identities and backgrounds differ from yourown
What We Offer
At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world whereeveryone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our teamworks hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and inreturn, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitivesalaries, and a comprehensive benefitsprogram that includes flexibility and choice as core values inorder to support people wherever they are in their lives andcareers.
JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC;employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person orhybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experienceand promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers anannual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-timeemployees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment asneeded.
The hiring range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000annually, in alignment to JFF’s Director II salary band and ourcompensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will bedetermined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevantexperience and market demands.
To Apply
As part of your application, please include your resume and athoughtful cover letter, addressed to Lisa Soricone, SeniorDirector, Research, Evaluation and Analytics, outlining how yourskills and experience meet the qualifications of theposition.
We are accepting applications through August 26, 2024.Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed, andcandidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week ofSeptember 2, 2024.
At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensurethat everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully accessand engage with our application and hiring process. If you areunable to complete this application due to a disability and/or havespecific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participatein our hiring process, please contact us at .
Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visasponsorship or open to F-1 student visaholders.
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