Senior Research Associate

To help support our research and evaluation efforts at the NY State Youth Justice Institute (YJI), we are seeking a Senior Research Associate. The incumbent will lead and support a variety of qualitative and quantitative research projects, including program evaluations, data management, and dissemination of findings.

• Design and conduct program evaluations, including logic model development, evaluation planning, and multi‑site project design.
• Provide technical advice to internal and external stakeholders and manage all statistical, analytic, and data‑management aspects of evaluation projects.
• Synthesize information from literature and external data to ensure programs operate as intended, including systematic reviews, meta‑analysis, and qualitative synthesis.
• Develop models for data‑driven storytelling, including data visualization and evidence translation.
• Consult partners on planning, analysis, and presentation of findings.
• Participate in multiple research projects with minimal supervision within time and budget constraints.
• Manage internal relationships and resources to achieve project deliverables and promote a team culture.
• Advocate for data quality and best practices in collection and management.
• Build a data‑driven, evidence‑based culture that supports funding, grant opportunities, and impact demonstration.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify data needs, tailor training, and assess data literacy initiatives.
• Expand YJI’s presence through conference presentations, report authoring, and multimedia repositories.
• Supervise at least two advanced graduate students.

• Reports to the Executive Director of the NYS Youth Justice Institute.
• Supervises two advanced graduate students.

• 25% travel.
• Strong communication skills – explain complex data concepts to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis techniques.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Excel.
• Experience with interview and focus group guide development, NVivo coding, case study development.
• Experience with survey design, Qualtrics, descriptive statistics (SPSS), and measurement selection.
• Participatory research design experience.
• Documented evaluation expertise across design, implementation, and dissemination.
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments and prioritize projects.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills.

• MA or MS in Criminal Justice, Social Welfare, Sociology, Public Policy, or related field from an accredited institution.
• 10 years of relevant full‑time professional experience in data‑rich environments, including government agencies, nonprofits, or community organizations.
• Substantive knowledge of juvenile justice and emerging adulthood research and policy in the United States.
• Knowledge of best‑practice literature, evidence‑based programming, implementation science, and data narrative with publications or other outputs.
• Experience with web‑based survey tools (Qualtrics, Survey Monkey) and virtual conferencing tools (Zoom, Webex).
• Experience with data analysis software (Stata, SPSS, NVivo) and visualization software (Tableau, Flourish).
• Demonstrated ability to work with culturally diverse populations.
• Experience conducting evaluation research in New York State and working with government or nonprofit sectors.
• Experience designing and reporting survey results and creating action‑oriented visualizations.

• PhD in Criminal Justice, Social Welfare, Sociology, Public Policy, or related field from an accredited institution.
• Seven years of post‑PhD full‑time professional experience.
• Strong commitment to social justice with a research record focused on equity in race/ethnicity, gender, and SOGIE.

Senior Research Associate, R1;
Salary Range: $105,000–$115,000. Position funded by a grant and expected to continue through at least 2028, with potential extensions.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER.