Senior Researcher, Community Safety & Violence Prevention

AIR seeks a Senior Researcher for the Human and Community Development program to lead research, evaluation, and strategic growth related to community safety. This role advances evidence and practice on broad community‑ and systems‑based approaches to preventing and reducing violence and enhancing community safety. This includes community and hospital‑based violence intervention, alternative response approaches, and law enforcement‑based strategies, all with an emphasis on prevention science.

The Senior Researcher will lead complex studies and evaluations; collaborate with federal, state, local, and community partners; contribute to portfolio strategy and business development; and mentor staff. The ideal candidate brings deep subject‑matter expertise in community safety and violence prevention; strong project and people management skills; an understanding of rigorous and varied, mixed methods approaches to building evidence; and a commitment to strengths‑based, community‑informed research and practice.

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not‑for‑profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data‑driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

The responsibilities for this position include:

• Manage large, complex research and evaluation projects focused on community safety, violence prevention, and related systems‑change efforts.
• Anticipate project risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure timely, high quality deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with ethical standards, IRB requirements, and data governance policies.

• Lead and contribute to proposals and capture efforts for federal, state, local, foundation, and other client opportunities related to community safety.
• Develop competitive proposal strategies, including conceptual design, methodological plans, staffing, and budgets.
• Identify new business opportunities and cultivate partnerships that advance the organization’s mission.

• Serve as a senior methodological leader, advising teams on rigorous quantitative and/or qualitative approaches.
• Lead the review, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of data using appropriate practices and techniques.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and strong documentation across all analytic workflows.

• Translate complex research findings—both orally and in writing—into actionable insights tailored to policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
• Manage client and stakeholder relationships with professionalism and awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
• Cultivate external relationships with researchers, practitioners, community partners, and other leaders working across the community safety and prevention landscape.

• Manage and mentor staff to build technical capacity in community safety, prevention science, research design, and client service.
• Provide thought partnership and coaching to mid level researchers on research design, analysis, and dissemination.
• Model inclusive leadership practices and foster a collaborative team environment.

• PhD in criminology, sociology, psychology, public health, public policy, social work, anthropology, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Deep knowledge of community safety, violence prevention and intervention, prevention science, and/or implementation science.
• Ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines.
• Experience in a contract research, evaluation, policy, or applied research organization.
• Experience with broad data collection methodologies (including but not…