Policy Assistant (Justice and Safety Division) | The Urban Institute
Policy Assistant (Justice and Safety Division)
About Urban Institute:
The Urban Institute is a research-to-impact institution founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. From advancing well-being to fostering shared prosperity, leaders across sectors are working every day to create brighter futures for all people and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered evidence and solutions that drive meaningful change, and this remains our charge today.
The Opportunity
The Justice and Safety Division’s (JSD) mission is to drive change to establish safe communities and an equitable and effective criminal legal system. We conduct objective, rigorous, interdisciplinary research, evaluation, and policy analysis and deliver data-driven recommendations, training, and technical assistance. In carrying out our research, we seek to center the voices, experiences, and perspectives of the people, practitioners, and communities most affected by crime and the criminal legal system. JSD seeks a Policy Assistant (Step 1/ Policy Management track) who can work collaboratively on projects covering multiple touchpoints in the criminal legal system, including policing, courts, corrections, reentry, and victim services, as needed. The position’s core responsibility will be to provide detail oriented, organized project management for various projects in the division, with some opportunity for research and analysis as available.
People from communities that are overrepresented in the criminal legal system and people with direct experience with the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.
What You’ll Do:
Support and collaborate with colleagues within the Justice and Safety Division (JSD) and across Urban to prepare internal and public products such as literature reviews, memos, reports, policy briefs, blog posts, webinars, and social media.
Support planning and development of presentations, technical assistance, and trainings delivered by Urban staff for practitioners, policymakers, and other external audiences, including developing talking points, writing background memos, composing PowerPoint presentations, and creating training materials.
Conduct background research on a range of topics by identifying, interpreting, and synthesizing both quantitative (statistical and survey data) and qualitative information (literature scans, review of relevant federal/local policies).
Support a range of data collection activities including planning for and implementing field work/site visits, focus groups, interviews, and surveys.
Provide project management support by scheduling team meetings and coordinating logistics; drafting emails, agendas, talking points, and presentations; taking notes and identifying action items and next steps.
Coordinate and support logistics and content development for convenings, webinars, trainings, and public events, including drafting invitations, conducting background research, developing speaker prep materials, and supporting outreach to presenters and participants.
Oversee logistical tasks for proposal development and contribute to substantive content.
Who You Are:
The successful candidate will:
Have a bachelor’s degree in criminology, sociology, public policy, or a related field.
Preferably have demonstrated experience in a relevant professional setting, such as a nonprofit, philanthropic, government, or advocacy organization.
Be exceptionally well-organized, highly motivated, and able to work effectively on multiple projects at once.
Have excellent attention to detail, a willingness to adapt to changes in work assignments, and a nimbleness in changing course quickly.
Have familiarity with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Proficiency in a statistical software package like Stata, SPSS, or R is a plus.
Have excellent oral and written communication skills.
Demonstrate interest in criminal justice policy through their academic major, prior work experience, involvement in volunteering programs, leadership positions in academic and/or extra-curricular settings or public policy-related internship. Experience in fast-paced work environments that engage with federal, state, local policymakers, philanthropic and/or non-profit leaders is a plus.
Have a willingness and ability to travel.
Applications must include all of the following:
Resume
Cover letter
The recruitment process for the selected candidates is as follows:
Phone screen
Panel interviews, if selected to proceed
