Research Manager

About The Clean Slate Initiative

Founded in 2019, The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is working across the country, and in Congress, to pass and implement laws that automate record sealing for people with eligible records who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and to expand who is eligible for sealing.

CSI’s vision is that people will no longer be defined by their records and will have the opportunity to contribute to their community, have a fair opportunity to work, get an education, and achieve their full potential. To date, thirteen states, and Washington D.C., have passed Clean Slate laws impacting more than 18 million people. CSI works with bipartisan leaders and organizations and offers our expertise on what works: intelligent policy design, an eye toward implementation, and campaign strategies that center lived experience.

Along the way, we work to redefine the narrative around people with records, cutting through the bias and stigma, to reorient the legal system to live up to the ideals of second chances. Learn more about our work here.

Reporting to the Director of Research and Data, the Research Manager will play a key role in advancing CSI’s research initiatives. This role will support the Research and Data team in developing evidence-based and data-driven insights to inform record sealing policies and strategies to support our reform efforts nationwide. The Research Manager will conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and synthesize research and data findings to create actionable recommendations for CSI’s advocacy campaigns and policy implementation strategies.

The Research Manager will work on timely projects that support the Research and Data Team, including:

• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews regularly on criminal justice, labor market, housing, and other outcomes, and policy effectiveness related to record clearance and adjacent policies

• Synthesize academic research, policy reports, and other data sources to inform Clean Slate campaigns and groundwork, highlighting findings pertinent to advancing racial equity in record clearance and the legal system more broadly.

• Monitor emerging research and studies in progress, translating findings into timely insights for internal decision-making.

• Conduct advanced desk research to inform Clean Slate and stepping stone legislation (that is, legislation that puts a state on the path toward Clean Slate)

• Design and conduct qualitative and quantitative research (e.g., key informant interviews, focus groups, surveys, secondary data analysis, etc.) as needed to inform The Clean Slate Initiative’s research agenda and strategic approach.

• Design and coordinate research in collaboration with the Implementation Team to inform CSI’s notification efforts.

• Lead the analysis and dissemination of findings from CSI’s State Partners Survey and other regular stakeholder survey projects.

• Lead the development of state-level case studies that integrate legal, policy, and empirical insights for external audiences.

• Identify strategic opportunities for disseminating CSI’s research through publications, conferences, and other outlets.

• Co-author white papers, policy briefs, blogs, memos, articles, analytic reports, and thought pieces that establish CSI as the national leader on automated record sealing.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, persuasive narratives tailored to policymakers, advocates, funders, and other stakeholders, including evidence-based data-driven reports, research and policy briefs, memos, summaries, and other publications for both internal and external audiences.

• Disseminate research findings and evidence-based recommendations internally and externally through oral and written communication methods.

• Work closely with the Director of Research and Data to shape and execute CSI’s short- and long-term research priorities and ensure research is aligned with ongoing advocacy needs and campaigns.

• Participate in…