THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.
The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.
Operating Programs
The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.
Research
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Policy & Expert Assistance
The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Center for Court Innovation has operated an Upstate New York office in Syracuse, New York, since 2004. The Upstate New York Office assists in the development of court and community-based justice initiatives and provides technical assistance to existing problem-solving courts throughout Upstate New York. Current initiatives include the Syracuse Peacemaking Project, the Parent Support Program, the Madison County MORE Project, and Cities RISE, as well as the planning and implementation of projects that seek to improve how the court system handles defendants with mental health issues, veterans, juveniles, human trafficking victims, elder abuse victims, and infants in the family court system.
The Center's upstate office is seeking a Project Director. The Project Director will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the Center for Court Innovation’s Upstate New York office, including fiscal management, program development and implementation, staff supervision, maintaining relationships with court system stakeholders, and responding to technical assistance and training requests. This position will report to the National Director of Technical Assistance.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Manage the project’s multi-million-dollar budget, including both public and private grants;
- Oversee day-to-day programming and fiscal operations for the Center’s Upstate New York office, including the supervision of 20 staff who run court-based and community-based programs;
- Provide technical assistance (TA) to new and existing justice innovations across Upstate New York, with a focus on problem-solving justice, strategic planning, and grant implementation strategies;
- Support the diverse portfolio of programs operating out of the Upstate New York office, including community-based restorative justice programming, housing and lead remediation programming, resident-led community development, jail-based programming, court-based programming, pretrial diversion, and indigent defense social work support;
- Oversee grant compliance and contracting, including reporting to federal, state, county, city and private funders;
- Fundraise the Upstate office’s operating budget through grant writing and funder engagement;
- Manage program data reporting, performance deliverables, and program expenditures as required by funder and grant reporting requirements;
- Develop and deliver presentations, trainings and continuing legal education on the Center’s portfolio of justice system-reform initiatives;
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with court system stakeholders, community providers, law enforcement, probation, and community organizations to find opportunities where justice system reform can occur;
- Identify funding opportunities to support the Center’s work in Upstate New York;
- Interview, hire and onboard staff and provide regular professional development and support to staff;
- Facilitate staff meetings, retreats, and team-building exercises to promote a positive, collaborative work environment, strong team morale, and an inclusive work environment;
- Work in collaboration with the Center’s centralized departments including fiscal, administration, human resources, legal, technology, development, communications, and strategic partnerships, to support and advance the work of the Justice Center as well as the Center as a whole; and
- Additional responsibilities as needed.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, advanced degree in law, public policy or social work preferred. Relevant experience (lived or professional) may be substituted in lieu of an advanced degree. A minimum of 5+ years in a related area, preferably as a criminal justice or family law practitioner. Experience supervising staff and grant writing is required. Additional qualifications include:
- Experience leading an organization/program and/or large team through significant change or development;
- Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally competent manner;
- Extensive supervision experiences a plus, preferably supervising multiple people of different disciplines simultaneously;
- Must show a demonstrated interest and ability to integrate equitable practices in court and community spaces;
- Must be able to articulate a commitment to racial equity and how they integrate practices into their work and supervision of staff that build equity and inclusion;
- Strong relationship builder and communicator with experience leading diverse working teams;
- Experience establishing and maintaining effective and collaborative working relationships;
- Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to present to large groups;
- Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills required; and
- Excellent written skills required.
Position Type: Full-time
Position Location: The Project Director is expected to work onsite in downtown Syracuse.
Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $108,000 to $141,750 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Court Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.
The Center for Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.
As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.