Operations Analyst, UCP-Research, Evaluation & Data Analytics (REDA)

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a non-profit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. Vera is an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. Vera is committed to securing equal justice, ending mass incarceration, and strengthening families and communities.

About Acacia Center for Justice:

The Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) is a new non-profit created through a collaboration between the Vera Institute of Justice (“Vera”) and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (“CAIR”) Coalition. The CAIR Coalition is a non-profit organization focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region. CAIR adheres to the fundamental belief that all people – no matter their story – deserve to be free, safe, supported, and have access to a just legal system.

The objective of the Acacia Center for Justice is to expand on Vera’s work over the past twenty years in providing legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development, coordination and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are two-fold: to support immigrant legal services and defense networks to provide exceptional legal services to immigrants and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness and freedom. Acacia will focus the collective power of both Vera and CAIR on delivering accountable, independent, zealous and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants at risk of deportation.

Please note: This career opportunity will begin as a position with the Vera Institute of Justice that will transition to Acacia Center for Justice at a later date.

Who you are:

REDA Operations Analyst

Vera seeks an Operations Analyst to work with the Research, Evaluation, and Data Analytics (REDA) unit of its Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP) – a national network that provides legal information and pro bono assistance to unaccompanied children in immigration removal proceedings, both in and released from federal custody. Vera’s Unaccompanied Children Program is responsible for managing a network of over 50 legal service provider organizations (LSPs), where the REDA unit works in conjunction with other UCP program units and subcontractor LSPs to generate research, program evaluation, reports, and data analysis organizations.

The Operations Analyst will support the REDA team by maintaining UCP’s data quality standards, liaising with subcontractors, and performing administrative tasks on projects as needed. They will work closely with members of the REDA team to uphold quality standards by engaging in regular data verification and monitoring of reporting processes; interface with subcontractor staff to set process, promote best practices, and onboard/offboard staff who interact with the program’s database; and coordinate with other program units within UCP in support of program goals.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Perform subcontractor administration for REDA systems and processes

• Onboard subcontractor and program staff to UCP’s data systems, including managing access, providing training, and distributing policy and guidance documentation
• Offboard subcontractor and program staff to UCP’s data systems, including revoking access and coordinating with program analysts on other offboarding tasks
• Provide regular training and troubleshooting for subcontractor data management staff
• Ensure documentation and internal trackers are up to date

Ensure quality control of program databases

• Run pre-built queries and reports in an analytical database to prepare datasets for verification
• Liaise with subcontractor data staff and Vera program management staff for quality assurance of data collection systems and their contents
• Conduct iterative verification of subcontractor-inputted data between subcontractor communications and database queries
• Work closely with REDA and UCP programmatic staff to diagnose and handle outlier cases and errors in data entry

Provide Administrative Support to REDA Staff

• Assist in developing training, guidance, and policy for data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Assist in the preparation and review of regular and long-term report deliverables to government stakeholders

Carry out special projects in support of the program’s research, evaluation, and analytics agenda under the supervision of senior REDA staff

• Conduct background research in support of long-term REDA projects
• Expand on querying and other analytics skillsets to support components of large-scale REDA projects

Other tasks as needed

What qualifications do you need?

Required:

• Bachelors degree + 0-3 years of relevant experience.  In lieu of a Bachelors degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered
• Relevant administrative work experience focused on client relations or customer service
• Strong proficiency in Excel or other spreadsheet software, including an ability to sort, filter, and write formulas
• Proven experience in detail-oriented tasks such as data error checking and correction
• A demonstrated interest in or knowledge of immigration and/or children’s rights issues
• Ability to work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently, both independently and collaboratively with a team
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize, multitask, and work under deadlines
• Familiarity with SQL and/or other data manipulation is a plus
• Interest in gaining basic skills in querying, coding in an analytic language, and/or other analytics technology a plus
• While this is not a current hiring requirement, this position may require Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) security clearance in the future to handle specific secure datasets (for additional information: https://www.dcsa.mil/is/eqip/).

Preferred:

• Emerging interest in the use of data for public service and/or social justice

List of Required Software Applications:

• Excel or other spreadsheet software
• Microsoft Suite

Compensation and Benefits:  

The compensation range for this position is $55,100 – $58,800. 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 and remote work schedules. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings,  click here. 

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Operations Analyst, UCP—Research, Evaluation, and Data Analytics (REDA)
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.

As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action 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