Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Salary Range: $54,000 – $84,000 per annum, DOE
FLSA Status: Exempt
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), a non-profit organization headquartered in Reno, NV, is seeking a Research Associate for its research division, the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ, located in Pittsburgh, PA), to build on our exceptional 77-year record of improving courts and systems' practice and raising awareness of the core issues that touch the lives of many of our nation's children and families. As a leader in continuing education opportunities, research, publication development, technical assistance, and policy development in the field of juvenile and family justice, the NCJFCJ is unique in providing practice-based resources to jurisdictions and communities nationwide.
The mission of NCJFCJ is to provide all judges, courts, and related agencies involved with juvenile, family, and domestic violence cases with the knowledge and skills to improve the lives of the families and children who seek justice. Research is a vital component of NCJFCJ's efforts to improve the lives of children and families. Since its inception in 1973 in Pittsburgh, PA, NCJJ (www.ncjj.org) has been a resource for statistics and independent and original research on topics related directly and indirectly to the field of juvenile justice.
NCJJ's work looks at the nature of juvenile crime in the United States including occurrence, trends, and victimization, as well as the response of the justice system to these matters. Through empirical research and program evaluations, NCJJ works to improve the effectiveness and fairness of juvenile justice system processing, improve the outcomes of its many prevention and intervention programs, and guide policy development. NCJJ remains the country's only non-profit research organization concentrating solely on the juvenile justice system and the prevention of juvenile delinquency and child abuse and neglect.
NCJJ values staff who are independent, creative, tenacious, resourceful, dependable, and passionate about their work. NCJJ offers a collaborative work environment in a modern riverside location on Pittsburgh's rapidly developing south side.
The focus and duties of the Research Associate may include, but are not limited, to: developing effective methods for manipulating and maintaining large data sets; performing regular data analysis tasks and responding to special analysis requests; monitoring and becoming an expert in juvenile justice national data sets; disseminating and implementing project management timelines and tasks; informing the development and implementation of data collection tools and methods; informing the process of analyzing and interpreting project-related data; disseminating information online and through written reports and presentations; keeping abreast of and reviewing current research in the field; assisting with proposal development; and performing data analyses in Excel and SPSS
The minimum requirements for this position include:
- Master's degree from an accredited university in a behavioral science, social science, or law; an advanced degree is preferred
- At least three years' experience working as a researcher or evaluator in the juvenile justice, social science, or human service field, or
- Equivalent combination of training, education, and experience in a relevant field
- Experience in a non-profit or grant-funded environment preferred
The successful candidate for this position must:
- Have working knowledge of and interest in the juvenile justice system
- Be able to perform data analyses in Excel and SPSS (advanced skills in Excel required)
- Have understanding of database structure and social science research study designs
- Be able to effectively manage diverse tasks across projects and meet expected timelines
- Have strong communication skills including technical writing and public presentations
- Be able to organize and synthesize large data sets
- Be able to plan and carry work through to completion, with limited supervision, with accuracy and strong emphasis on attention to detail
- Be willing to work independently and seek assistance when needed
- Be willing and able to independently identify and solve problems and make decisions
- Be able to adapt to the working environment
The successful candidate for this position must be able to relocate to Pittsburgh, PA, and possess the capability to address geographical challenges inherent in communicating and collaborating with NCJFCJ headquarters.
This position reports to Charles Puzzanchera, Senior Research Associate, National Center for Juvenile Justice. For a complete job description and application instructions, please visit the employment page of our Web site at www.ncjfcj.org.
FOR FULL CONSIDERATION, applicants must submit the following documents no later than 5:00 p.m. (PST), Monday, October 13, 2014:
• Tailored Letter of Interest
• Résumé or CV
• National Council Application form (available at www.ncjfcj.org)
Please direct all of the required application materials to:
Email (preferred): hr@ncjfcj.org
Hard Copy:
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Lauri Watkins, Human Resources Generalist
P.O. Box 8970
Reno, NV 89507