Director 2

About the role

The Justice For Everybody Movement (J4EM) is a Yale University initiative dedicated to reimagining public safety as a collective, democratic responsibility. The Executive Director will serve as the organization’s operational and strategic leader, shaping one of the most ambitious university-based public safety initiatives in the country.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Founding Director to develop and execute J4EM's multi-year strategic direction, translating the organization's intellectual mission into a coherent programmatic and operational agenda.
• Represent J4EM in high-level external engagements — including with university leadership, peer institutions, funders, policymakers, and media — as a credible, articulate spokesperson for evidence-based justice reform.
• Develop an integrated strategy across J4EM's four initiatives (Education, Advocacy, Reform, and Partnerships), executing against shared impact metrics and ensuring programmatic coherence and mutual reinforcement.
• Drive strategy execution at every level of the organization — translating vision into workplans, milestones, and accountability structures that keep the team aligned and moving.
• Build and steward a culture of rigor, equity, and community accountability throughout the organization.
• Cultivate and sustain deep, productive collaborations across Yale University's schools and departments.
• Maintain and deepen J4EM's institutional relationship with Harvard's Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.
• Lead the design and launch of a formal J4EM Fellows Program.
• Create the infrastructure to support a growing organization, including operational systems, HR practices, financial management, and compliance.
• Develop a team culture that honors both scholarly excellence and the knowledge and experience of directly impacted communities.
• Develop and steward strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations in J4EM's priority geographies.
• Lead the development of J4EM's first-of-its-kind digital learning platform.
• Ensure that digital learning content reflects J4EM's scholarly rigor and community accountability.
• Commission, edit, and oversee the creation of original written content produced by J4EM's incarcerated partners and community contributors.
• Organize and lead international off-sites and convenings.

Qualifications

A PhD in a relevant field, extensive experience in criminal justice reform, and a proven track record of leadership and strategic planning are required. Strong communication skills, a deep understanding of the structural drivers of inequality in the American criminal legal system, and a demonstrated ability to build and maintain cross-institutional partnerships are also essential.

Skills

• Strategic thinking and implementation
• Collaborative leadership
• Public speaking and media relations
• Grant writing and fundraising
• Curriculum design and educational innovation
• Interdisciplinary research and community engagement
• International collaboration and convening
• Community organizing and advocacy
• Research and data analysis
• Writing and editing

Benefits

J4EM offers a competitive salary, generous benefits package, and a supportive work environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Pay

Salary range: $120,000 - $150,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, with some evening and weekend work required for external engagements and events.