Associate Director of Research, Vera California

verainstituteofjustice

Los Angeles (preferred); Remote from California · United States

Posted Aug 7, 2026

Full-time
Remote
Vera California

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Job description

About the team:

Vera California aims to advance policies and funding to reduce incarceration and support the community-based systems of care that promote safety and wellness in California. We use data and policy analysis to drive concrete change and center racial equity (e.g., sharing data analysis with state legislators on the potential impacts of criminal justice bills). We bring expertise on best practices from around the country to local conversations in California. We collaborate with government leaders and community partners on policy development and implementation, working together toward a new vision of safety, wellness, and racial justice for all Californians.

Our work covers diverse criminal justice reform issues in California. It includes developing policy recommendations around county-level jail incarceration processes; pretrial and bail reform issues; state and local budgetary processes; and general public safety debates in Los Angeles and statewide.

About the role:

The Associate Director of Research is a manager-level role that reports to the Initiative Director with a “dotted line” to the Institute’s Managing Director of Research. In this role, the Associate Director of Research leads all aspects of the team’s research portfolio, including designing research plans, directing the team’s research activities, collaborating with other Vera California leadership (the director and associate director) on overall strategy, and overseeing staff working across a range of methods and projects. As the leader of a small research team, they are expected to engage directly in the research and represent California’s research portfolio externally.

Associate Directors of Research at the Vera Institute of Justice bring experience managing research projects and teams, advanced methodological skills, and strength in leveraging research and evidence in support of policy and advocacy solutions. We are seeking someone for the California team who brings understanding of relevant administrative datasets and has fluency in advocacy and communications strategies in support of big goals.

1. Research Leadership

Develop, manage, and oversee all aspects of Vera California research, coordinating with the initiative director to ensure alignment with Vera California priorities and timelines, the managing director of research on methodological approaches, and other Vera teams on overlapping content areas
Supervise, support, and mentor Vera California research staff, and lead research hiring or recruitment as needed
Support the whole Vera California team in ensuring appropriate deployment of data and evidence in support of its solutions
Work with Vera California director and associate director as a management team on annual planning, program development, staffing plans, and fundraising
Serve as a member of the Vera Research Leadership Team, along with other associate directors of research, collaborating on cross-cutting research priorities and policy and ensuring that researchers across the organization receive appropriate support
Cultivate relationships with CA-based researchers and organizations in the field, including acting as a primary point of contact for Vera California’s research partnerships
Support internal collaboration by partnering Vera’s Advocacy Department, Communications Department, Central Research and Data Science teams, and other Vera initiative staff to develop coordinated strategies that leverage research (including in advocacy campaigns)

2. Research Design and Implementation

Serve as Principal Investigator on research projects, developing and presenting IRB applications when relevant and ensuring that research is conducted to the highest ethical standards
Lead/train/supervise on data collection and analysis, overseeing all aspects of mixed methods research and data management and analysis for Vera California and ensuring alignment between project implementation and policy timelines
Participate in hands-on data collection and analysis
Conduct team and cross-team peer review in areas of methodological and subject matter expertise and coordinate peer review for Vera California products as needed
Coordinate with central data science team to ensure appropriate data infrastructure and standardized approaches

3. Research Presentation and Products

Serve as a research subject matter expert and organizational representative in key areas of Vera California’s work, including in testimony, to media, in coalitions, and other public facing forums
Shape evidence-based messaging and research for Vera California’s work, overseeing development, writing, and editing of research publications and evidence-based products in support of Vera California’s goals, including short data-informed fact sheets that respond to rapid response advocacy inquiries

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required:

Advanced degree and 9+ years of relevant experience, preferably in a relevant social science field, like public policy, criminal justice, or sociology. In lieu of degree requirement, relevant work or life experience may be considered.
Several years of experience supervising interdisciplinary research teams and working with mixed methods research and/or researchers;
Experience conducting applied policy research
Subject matter expertise, including an understanding of current criminal legal systems and policy, particularly in the state of California as well as relevant data sets and sources

Preferred:

Direct experience with and/or impact by the criminal justice or immigration system

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

Associate Directors of Research are subject matter experts, experienced researchers, managers, mentors, and project leaders with advanced research design and analytic skills
Experience leveraging social science approaches in applied research settings
Track record of having worked on collaborative analyses and ability to support and build advocacy efforts and external stakeholder relationships
Commitment to race equity is required
Ability to travel up to 15% of the time. This may vary dependent on the location of the applicant.

Location:

Please note this role can be remote from California, with strong preference for Los Angeles-based candidates who are able to follow a hybrid schedule to Vera's office in Los Angeles, CA.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $129,000 - $134,000.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.

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 / [JOBTITLE]
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 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.