Overview

THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.

The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs
The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Policy & Expert Assistance
The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC; “Justice Center”), a project of the Center for Court Innovation, seeks to re-engineer how the justice system works in Brownsville, Brooklyn. In particular, the Justice Center is dedicated to building multiple off-ramps for young people who come into contact with the justice system by providing much-needed services to young people arrested in Brownsville. The aim is to provide the kind of support that young people need to become law-abiding members of society. The ultimate goal is to reduce crime and the use of incarceration, while at the same restoring local faith in the justice system.

The Brownsville Community Justice Center seeks an Associate Director of Justice Initiatives to oversee the Justice Center’s Justice Initiatives department. Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Associate Director will oversee all program development within the Justice Initiatives Department including interest-based programs, transformative justice projects, and alternative to incarceration work. Additionally, this position will support the growth and development of best practices and guidelines for social workers and case managers to be used across all departments at the Justice Center. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Lead the strategic planning and implementation of the Justice Initiatives department’s youth programs development, anti-violence organizing, social work supportive services and placemaking initiatives;
  • Coordinate with operations staff to develop and manage the operations of the Community Initiatives Department, providing program support, data tracking, event planning and execution, management of equipment/program supply requests, establishing and monitoring new protocols, policies and procedures, developing communication materials, and systems implementation within department;
  • Supervise the Community Initiatives Program Manager and Transformative Initiatives Coordinator to ensure smooth operations and day-to-day management of the Community Initiatives Department;
  • Support staff in developing and implementing new and innovative youth programs, community interfacing initiatives and events, recruitment, and overall community engagement strategies;
  • Provide supervision to Social Workers, Program Manager and youth programs staff including but not limited to providing professional development opportunities, daily task management and follow-up, of assigned responsibilities;
  • Actively support the development of curriculum by staff and subcontractors for interest-based trainings;
  • Oversee internal audit of program files and electronic databases to ensure compliance of grant deliverables;
  • Oversee grant implementation, including preparation of quarterly grant progress and other program reports, ensuring all reporting requirements and deliverables are met, and supporting grant writing and fundraising, as needed;
  • Participate in and facilitate team meetings (and trainings) to ensure coordination and appropriate work flow across supervisees and cross departmental collaborations;
  • Work closely with the Community Initiatives Department to support cross departmental collaboration on events, projects, community wide installations and youth engagement when necessary;
  • Work with the Justice Center’s Project and Deputy Directors to build and maintain relationships with city agencies, local service providers and program partners, including law enforcement, faith leaders, stakeholders and community-based organizations to identify neighborhood resources and troubleshoot issues;
  • Represent the Justice Center at community events and meetings;
  • Actively maintain a work culture conducive to innovation and team building;
  • Develop training and support systems for supervisees and subcontractors;
  • Model and facilitate creative problem solving and youth development strategies for supervisees and subcontractors;
  • Additional relevant tasks, as needed. 

Qualifications:  The ideal candidate will be a LMSW or LCSW and have at least 5 years of experience working with youth and/or youth programming administration. SIFI eligibility required; certification preferred. This demanding position requires a creative, highly organized, aggressive self-starter who can get things done in a high-paced environment. Candidates must be comfortable navigating interdisciplinary settings and must be willing to roll up their sleeves and be actively involved in day-to-day operations. Candidates must possess in-depth knowledge of best practices in youth work including leadership development, strengths-based practices, and trauma informed approaches. Additional requirements include:

  • Significant experience in leadership roles in non-profit or government organizations required;
  • Prior people management experience preferred;
  • Experience with anti-violence program development strongly preferred;
  • Strong ability to set and adhere to timelines;
  • Ability to effectively juggle multiple priorities;
  • Excellent administrative and computer, written, and oral communication skills;
  • Ability to manage many projects and assignment simultaneously;
  • Experience working closely with delinquent, court-involved youth and families;
  • Ability to work well with colleagues, partners, and others in a fast-paced environment;
  • Familiarity with the Central Brooklyn and/or Brownsville communities is a plus.

Position Type:  Full-time; occasional nights and weekends, as needed. 

Compensation:  Salary range starts at $78,000 and is commensurate with experience. Center for Court Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive health, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long term disability, and life insurance. All healthcare benefits are effective on the date of hire. Paid time off includes 20 days of paid vacation per year, 15 paid sick days, Flexible Spending Account plans for health and dependent care, commuter FSA and offers a 10% employer match on the 403(b) retirement plan.

The Center for Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.

As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.

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