Lead Researcher, JusticeForward Initiative

Lead Researcher, Justice Forward Initiative

Posting #: 5700
Position Status: Full-time temporary
Location: San Diego
Position Type: Administrator, Joan

B. Kroc School of Peace Studies

Position Title & Department:
Lead Researcher, Justice Forward Initiative;
Kroc School of Peace Studies

Department

Description:

The Kroc School of Peace Studies trains the changemakers and peace builders of today and tomorrow. Kroc is the first stand-alone school of peace in the United States. Innovation in learning and programs is at the center of what we do and who we are. We combine theory and practice not just to understand crises and world issues, but also to imagine new possibilities and develop solutions to humanity’s urgent challenges from increasing inequality and violence to climate change.

At Kroc, people discover new ways of building more peaceful and socially just communities through a multidisciplinary lens and experiential learning. We look for passionate individuals who believe in the power of university learning to transform the world for the better.

University

Description:

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background.

The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges .

Detailed

Description:

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.

The Lead Researcher for the Justice Forward initiative leads applied research, student-integrated learning, and public-facing dissemination for Justice Forward:
Safer Students Workforce Initiative, a grant-funded workforce development and applied research initiative designed to strengthen pathways for justice-impacted students into careers within the justice sector.

Working under the direction of the Executive Director of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and in close collaboration with the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, the Lead Researcher is responsible for conducting and producing the core Justice Forward research deliverables required under the grant, including a barrier and opportunity scan, learning framework, midpoint and final reports, practical public-facing resources, and related scholarly, policy, or practitioner-oriented outputs.

The position integrates applied research, policy analysis, teaching, student mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination. The Lead Researcher will teach or co-teach a credit-bearing practicum course that embeds students in Justice Forward’s research, policy, and advocacy work. The position will help students contribute meaningfully to policy mapping, research brief development, stakeholder analysis, and the translation of findings into accessible practitioner-facing resources.

This is a fixed-term, grant-funded position. Eighty-Five percent of the role will be assigned to Justice Forward grant activities. The remaining 15% will support other IPJ research, teaching, evaluation, program development, or applied initiatives as assigned by the Executive Director.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Justice Forward Applied Research and Knowledge…