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

Neighborhood Safety Initiatives (NSI), a program of the Center, is seeking a Neighborhood Equity Planner to support the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance crime prevention grant. Underway since 2015 and led by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice(MOCJ), MAP is a comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety and strengthen community well-being in 15 public housing developments across New York City, and the BJA has allowed us to increase investments at Wagner Houses and extend the Center’s community engagement model to Jefferson and Johnson Houses in East Harlem. 

The Center is a key implementation partner in NeighborhoodStat is a resident-driven; community organizing initiative in partnership with the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). Underway since 2015, MAP is a comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety and strengthen community well-being in 15 public housing developments across New York City. The initiative aims to enhance safety and overall quality of life by strengthening collaboration and capacity among public housing residents. Since 2016, citywide meetings have been convened to share information and data, facilitate community engagement to identify neighborhood priorities, enhance the quality of life and spur collaboration and accountability among city agencies and local stakeholders.

NSI is working to advance the advocacy process by assisting each of 15 designated communities to convene local stakeholder groups. Stakeholder teams activities include collaboratively identify community conditions, prioritize local initiatives, access and analyze data, identify and leverage resources, improve resident capacity through trainings; and implement participatory placekeeping projects and policy recommendations that address structural racism, local concerns and enhance public safety, reduce victimization, promoting healing and improves well-being. The initiative’s overarching goal is to build community agency in policy change within a social, racial, and spatial justice framework.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design and co-supervised by the Associate Director of Operations and Planning, the Neighborhood Equity Planner will lend support to the MAP Engagement Coordinator/ Program Managers with planning and implementation of action plans across a geographic area, which includes built environment projects, public space programming, and social programs.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Operations Support & Project Management

  • Work closely with the Project Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design, and Associate Director of Operations and Planning to advance all NSI tasks and timelines, including but not limited to community projects on the ground, Policy summits with policymakers, and residents, participatory design workshops with residents NStat teams, and participatory budgeting events with the wider community, community events and program support;
  • Collaborate with NSI management to design and implement systems that support effective project planning and team support; 
  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design and Associate Director of Operations and Planning in managing and selecting vendors for supplies, event production, staff and participant retreats, and programming; 
  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Operations and Planning and Program Managers (MEC) in processing supply, catering, and purchasing requests for program activities and events across the NSI team.
  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Operations and Planning in the maintenance and coordination of program materials, place-making toolkit, equipment, technology, and other inventory;
  • Provide support in tracking project expenses and managing programs finances which include payment protocols, bill processing, orders, expense reports, and American Express reconciliation in accordance with Center policies; 
  • Support the maintenance of inventory of office and program supplies including placemaking tool kit, postage, program participant incentives, and Metro Cards; 
  • Troubleshoot with the Center’s technology department when issues arise;
  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design and Associate Director of Operations and Planning in managing and selecting a roster of design collaborators, vendors for supplies, event production, staff and participant retreats, and programming;
  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Operations and Planning in the management, maintenance, and coordination of program materials, place-making toolkit, equipment, technology, and other inventory;
    Draft vendors contracts and coordinate with CCI Legal and Fiscal departments to approve contracts;
    Support MECs drafting Action Plans scopes of work and support the refinement of these based on City Agencies’ comments;

Action Plan Management and Support

  • Provide support to the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design in coordinating with prospective vendors to obtain bids for projects, repairs, and installations, and sourcing materials for action plans;
  • Purchase action plan materials and work with the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design, Associate Director of Operations and Planning, Program Managers (MEC), and Program Associate to maintain materials and organize delivery details; 
  • Attend weekly Action Plan meetings and report to  Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design updates and progress reports regarding vendors, contracts, invoicing, supply purchases, and more; 
  • Attend MEC/PM’s resident meetings in support of action plan development and facilitation of action plan modules as needed;
  • Provide onsite support to ensure quality execution of action plans;

Organizing and Direct Action Support 

  • Provide operational support for resident teams, Program Managers (MEC), and key NSI staff across multiple NYCHA sites by notetaking, recording, and keeping timelines, tracking milestones, monitoring budgets and expenses, making approved purchases, submitting and securing permits, liaising with vendors, coordinating supplies and providing day-of-event support;  
  • Develop solutions to operational challenges during meetings as needed.
  • Attend in-person, teleconference, virtual meetings with the Program Manager and resident teams to provide updates, discuss budgets, outline logistics, and manage timelines.
  • Utilize project management tools and facilitation guides with MECs, key management staff, operations, and stakeholders to ensure timely execution of project deliverables;
  • Provide onsite support during community events and meetings (i.e; setting up events spaces, maintaining materials, vendor communications, etc.)

Research and Evaluation 

  • Support the Associate Director of Neighborhood Equity Design and Director of Capacity Building in the implementation of evaluation tools and methods across NSI sites;
  • Assist Program Managers (MEC’s) with ensuring continuity and progress of resident organizing goals through the consistent creation, filing, and distribution of meeting agendas and meeting minutes in a digital, designated, and centralized location. 

Administration 

  • Submit stipends for designated stakeholder teams monthly utilizing internal CCI systems;
  • Process invoices and supply requests, and communicate closely with fiscal to ensure timely payments utilizing internal CCI systems;
  • Support the drafting of contracts utilizing internal CCI systems;
  • Collaborate with NSI management, key Center staff, and Design to implement systems that support effective project planning and team support;
  • Maintain and file documentation of stakeholder team activities including but not limited to sign-in sheets, meeting notes, photos, facilitation guides;
  • Maintenance of spending trackers assigned to each team and NSI as a whole to keep track of project spending pace and habits;
  • Maintain all events on a centralized and digital calendar;
  • Work within the Concur system to support the Associate Director of Operations and Planning to reconcile the project’s AMEX and process invoices if needed. 
  • Attend weekly Operations meetings and provide reports to the Associate Director of Operations and Planning regarding contracts, invoices, supply purchases, catering requests, stipends, spending trackers, community event support, and more. 
  • Perform additional relevant tasks as needed.

Qualifications:  The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent lived experience and at least 3 years of work experience in a related field (preferred). Additional qualifications include:

  • Candidates must be highly organized and detail-oriented;
  • Excellent communication skills required;
  • Willing to travel within the 5 boroughs and knowledge of NYCHA developments;
  • Excellent time management and task prioritization skills;
  • Ability to lift at least 20 pounds;
  • Must show demonstrated knowledge of all Microsoft, including excel, and Google Suite programs; 
  • Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred;
  • Driver’s License required.

Position Type:  Full-time (occasional weekends, evenings, and holidays)

Location:  Manhattan, NY with frequent travel to sites across all 5 boroughs.

Compensation: Hour rate starts at $30.44/hour (equivalent of $55,400 annually) and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Court Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like TalkSpace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

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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