Researcher - Youth, Family, Community Development

AIR is seeking a Researcher focused on advancing justice and community safety to join our Youth, Family, and Community Development within AIR's Human Services Division. AIR's work in justice systems is committed to transformative change that dismantles structural disparities. Our work spans the justice continuum--from prevention to intervention and reentry--and embeds community-based, restorative, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive approaches. We aim to address root causes of harm and trauma to promote safety, dignity, and thriving. 

In support of this work, the selected candidate will apply a strengths-based, equity-focused perspective to work aimed at building evidence on equitable pathways to thriving for youth, adults, families, and communities. This includes an understanding of the potential of all people to thrive under the right conditions and with the right supports, as well as an orientation toward supportive and restorative, rather than punitive, approaches. Related topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Community violence prevention and intervention
• Juvenile and criminal justice diversion
• Community- and school-based restorative justice
• Youth engagement and re-engagement with school and work
• Mentoring (including credible messenger mentoring)
• Police accountability and reform
• Reimagining public safety systems
• Prison-based education and reentry supports
• Alternatives to exclusionary discipline and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline

The Researcher will provide project management support and task leadership for contract and grant research and evaluation projects. In this role, the Researcher contributes to conceptualizing the vision for this work, serves as a key team member in implementing research studies and evaluations, manages their own work and/or the work of others to ensure the timely completion of tasks within budget, and adheres to high quality research and evaluation standards that meet client requirements. Candidates with relevant lived experience are encouraged to apply.

This position has the flexibility to work remote or located out of any of AIR's U.S. office locations.

About AIR: 

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world. 

Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day project work and operations in task-lead and project director roles.
• Manage projects and/or tasks by preparing timelines, coordinating staff on task assignments, and contributing to task products to ensure they are completed on time, on budget, and with quality.
• Independently execute project work by managing own time, communicating with project directors about deadlines, and completing tasks with quality.
• Conceptualize problems and identify questions in justice research and evaluation, and collaborate in designing studies to address them.
• Use content knowledge and experience in relevant research domains (e.g., positive youth development, community violence prevention and intervention) to design and execute relevant and responsive projects for the field.
• Contribute to the development of study designs, including appropriate research questions and aligned methods and analytic plans.
• Contribute to research proposals for Federal, state, foundation, and other clients.
• Develop and implement creative solutions to practical challenges in applied research.
• Lead or serve as a key contributor to the collection and analyses of data.
• Contribute to the design and planning of quantitative and/or qualitative data collection instruments including interview protocols, focus group protocols, and surveys.
• Lead field-based data collection activities including interviews, structured observations, focus groups, surveys, and document review.
• Lead and/or oversee data management and analyses of surve