Title: Research Assistant

Unit: Research Center

Reports to: Project Manager

Status: Part Time; Temporary; Non-exempt

Timeframe: November 2021 – March 2024

Hours: Approximately 12-20 hours per week; Weekly schedules are flexible and will be set based on employee availability and project needs.

Location: On-site, Long Island City, New York

The Organization:

The Fortune Society’s mission is to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. We do this by: believing in the power of individuals to change; building lives through service programs shaped by the needs and experience of our participants; and changing minds through education and advocacy to promote the creation of a fair, humane, and truly rehabilitative correctional system.

Purpose of the Position:

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Research Assistant will provide research assistance and administrative support to a 3-year desistance study, titled The Pathways Home: Desistance from Crime in the Context of Parole. The Principal Investigators on the project include Dr. Ronald Day of The Fortune Society and Dr. Lila Kazemian of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The study, funded by Arnold Ventures, aims to understand why and how people eventually end a criminal career. Specifically, the study will examine the desistance process of individuals recently released from New York State prisons who are on parole supervision in one of the five boroughs of New York City.

The Research Assistant will recruit study participants from parole offices in the five boroughs of New York City. The Research Assistant will also conduct surveys and interviews with study participants during each of the six data collection time periods: the baseline survey, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, 1 year follow-up, 2 year follow-up, and 3 year follow-up. The Research Assistant will also be responsible for entering survey and interview data into project’s database, maintaining contact with study participants to schedule follow-up surveys and interviews, and working with the Project Manager to synthesize findings for public-facing documents, such as those posted on the project’s website, or presentations for various conferences. A successful candidate will have a strong interest in data management and study coordination, as well as strong organization and communication skills.

Core Competencies:

Mission, Culture and Fit – Selected candidate must embody the values and mission of the Fortune Society. This includes meeting our participants where they are in the re-entry process, demonstrating our values through compassion and understanding; and affirming that none of us should be measured against the worse things we have done. Second chances are the Fortune Way.

Communication - The Research Assistant should demonstrate writing, speaking, and listening skills that enable them to communicate effectively and compassionately with potential participants, colleagues, and the Fortune community.

Responsible Research Conduct – The Research Assistant will be trained in study protocol as well as ethical guidelines for how to conduct research. The Research Assistant must be able to follow these guidelines.

Data Collection and Excel – The Research Assistant needs to have experience using Excel (or a similar program) for data collection and entry.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities:

• Recruit study participants;
• Conduct surveys;
• Track study participants for follow-up surveys and interviews;
• Schedule and conduct follow-up surveys and interviews
• Manage research databases;
• Work closely with the Project Manager to track project deliverables;
• Synthesize findings and prepare visual presentations of data;
• Conduct literature reviews and help draft text for reports and public-facing documents;
• Plan and coordinate meetings;
• Attend and participate in meeting, conferences and trainings; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in criminal justice, sociology, social work, psychology, or related field
• 1-2 years relevant work experience preferred;
• Prior research experience is preferred;
• Prior experience conducting surveys and/or interviews
• Ability to work well on your own and be self-directed, but also keep supervisor updated and share information with a team;
• Demonstrated strong written and oral communication;
• Approaches work with an attention to detail;
• Experience using Microsoft Office programs and database management systems;
• Ambition to learn, develop research skills, and seek out increased responsibilities.
• Appreciation of Fortune’s work in serving people who have been, or are at risk of being, incarcerated.
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a qualified disability or sincerely held religious belief or other legal basis). Applicants should not provide medical or genetic information in their applications.
• Cover letter and resume required to apply

Travel Requirements – Travel to our Long Island City office and designated project sites (e.g. other community-based organizations), as well as Parole offices in the five boroughs of New York City.

Physical Demands (if applicable):

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities and requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensing, experience and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

The Fortune Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of conviction history, race, religion/creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status or marital status.