Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Salary Range:$45,000 – $72,000 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 Policy Analyst 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 this position may include, but are not limited, to:
- Performing legal research, including identifying, retrieving, organizing, and categorizing state juvenile and family law statutes
- Organizing and synthesizing large amounts of qualitative information
- Collaborating in the planning and execution of multi-disciplinary research projects
- Disseminating information through well-written documents, websites, and presentations targeted mostly to a non-legal audience
- Responding to requests for technical assistance of a legal nature
- Keeping abreast of and reviewing current research in the field
- Assisting with proposal development
The minimum requirements for this position include:
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in paralegal studies, legal studies, criminology/criminal justice, library science, public policy, or related fields; an Associate's degree or certificate in Paralegal Studies may be considered if experience merits; advanced degree preferred
- Three to five years' experience in child welfare, domestic violence, or juvenile and family law/justice related field
- Experience in a non-profit or grant-funded environment preferred
- Travel may be required
The successful candidate for this position must:
- Be knowledgeable in legal research techniques and social science research study designs
- Have working knowledge of and interest in the juvenile justice system
- Have strong, effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing, with an emphasis on public policy, law, and the social aspects of juvenile justice administration
- Be able to establish and maintain positive and collaborative working relationships with co-workers and national and local juvenile justice professionals
- Have strong public presentation skills
- Be able to effectively manage diverse tasks across projects and meet expected timelines
- Be able to plan and carry work through to completion, with limited supervision, with accuracy and with strong emphasis on attention to detail
- Be willing and able to work independently and seek assistance when needed
- Be able to independently identify and solve problems and make decisions
- Have strong computer skills and proficiency using software programs such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Adobe Professional, Westlaw, and LexisNexis
- 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 Melissa Sickmund, Director, 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
• Writing Sample representative of policy work
• National Council Application form (available at www.ncjfcj.org)
Please direct all of the required application materials to:
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Lauri Watkins, Human Resources Generalist
P.O. Box 8970
Reno, NV 89507
Email (preferred): hr@ncjfcj.org