Engagement Coordinator, Neighborhood Safety Councils

Overview

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 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 Justice Center, 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

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

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.

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values.

The Opportunity

Since 2011, the Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC), an operating project of the Center, has worked to address systemic inequality, enhance public safety, and create opportunities for to lead in building a safer, more equitable community. The Neighborhood Safety Council (NSC) builds on BCJC's decade of community-driven work, serving as a platform for , government partners, and community stakeholders to co-design and implement initiatives that improve safety, foster economic opportunity, and reduce reliance on the justice system.

The Engagement Coordinator will play a key role in building and sustaining community participation in the NSC, with a focus on recruiting, developing and managing a Youth Leadership Council (YLC) that amplifies the voices of people in shaping community safety strategies and executing public design projects. Reporting directly to the Program Manager, the Engagement Coordinator will design youth-focused leadership opportunities, facilitate skill-building workshops, and ensure that youth perspectives are integrated into the NSC's priorities and decision-making processes. This position is ideal for someone passionate about youth development, community organizing, and leadership cultivation.

Responsibilities

• Youth Leadership Council Development & Management :

Design, launch, and manage the Youth Leadership Council (YLC), recruiting participants from across Brownsville, with an emphasis on those directly impacted by the justice system;

Conduct targeted outreach to recruit youth and for the YLC and other NSC activities, using both digital platforms and on-the-ground engagement;

Work closely with the Program Manager to cultivate partnerships with youth-serving organizations, city agencies (DYCD, DOE, etc.), and community groups to enhance youth leadership opportunities; and

Track participation, attendance, and outcomes for the YLC, ensuring accurate data entry and reporting;

Qualifications

Position Type : Full-time, Monday- Friday from 10 : 00am - 6 : 00pm.

Position Location : Brownsville, New York.

Compensation : The compensation for this position is $60,000. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a network, 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 Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military service eligibility, veteran status, marital status, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or circumstances, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. If you have questions, please refer to the job posting for contact information. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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