Lead Researcher, JusticeForward Initiative

About the role

This is a full-time temporary, benefit-based position with a 30 month grant assignment. The appointment is renewable at the discretion of the University and dependent upon performance and continued funding.

Responsibilities

• Lead IPJ’s JusticeForward research workstream under the direction of the Executive Director and in close coordination with the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and relevant project partners.
• Conduct rigorous, ethical, and well-scoped applied research using appropriate quantitative, qualitative, policy, institutional, community-engaged, or mixed-methods approaches, drawing on relevant documents, stakeholder perspectives, student learning, partner experience, and other sources of evidence.
• Produce grant-required and project-related research, learning, and knowledge products that are responsive to project goals, partner needs, student learning, and implementation realities, including reports, briefs, scholarly or research-oriented outputs, public-facing resources, presentations, and other applied materials as needed.
• Teach or co-teach credit-bearing practica that integrate students into JusticeForward research, policy, and dissemination work.
• Design and support structured student roles that contribute meaningfully to applied research, stakeholder engagement, practitioner-facing products, and other project needs.
• Mentor students engaged in JusticeForward-related research, practica, internships, presentations, or other applied learning activities, helping connect their project work to classroom learning, professional development, and justice-sector career pathways.
• Translate JusticeForward research findings into clear, actionable recommendations and public-facing products for relevant policy, practitioner, community, and higher education audiences.
• Collaborate with IPJ communications, grant, and leadership staff to ensure that JusticeForward research products are effectively edited, designed, shared, and positioned for practical use.
• Help maintain, develop, and expand external relationships that support JusticeForward research, stakeholder learning, dissemination.
• Support stakeholder engagement, convenings, presentations, briefings, publications, and other dissemination activities connected to the JusticeForward Initiative.
• Contribute flexibly to other IPJ research, evaluation, teaching, public engagement, and program development activities as assigned by the Executive Director.
• Contribute to the growth of IPJ’s broader applied research and practice portfolio by supporting new initiatives that align with the Institute’s mission and have a plausible pathway to external support.
• Participate in the intellectual life of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and the Kroc School through internal meetings, public events, Kroc Pot discussions, faculty/staff conversations, and other relevant activities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in a relevant field such as peace and conflict studies, public policy, international relations, law, human rights, sociology, criminology, social work, education, political science, justice studies, public administration, or a closely related field.
• At least two (2) years of relevant professional experience in applied research, policy analysis, evaluation, teaching, higher education, community-engaged work, advocacy, public problem-solving, or related practice.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct applied research, policy analysis, evaluation, or community-engaged research, including the ability to gather, synthesize, and analyze information from documents, interviews, stakeholder consultations, literature, program data, or other relevant sources.
• Strong writing and analytical skills, including experience producing or contributing to research reports, policy briefs, literature reviews, evaluation products, public-facing writing, practitioner tools, grant deliverables, or other applied knowledge products.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines, coordinate across teams, and move complex projects from concept to completion.
• Ability to work respectfully and effectively with students, faculty, staff, community partners, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and people with lived experience of justice-system involvement or other forms of marginalization.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical, rigorous, and useful work in applied research, policy, practice, or public problem-solving.