JOB LISTING

THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS

JUSTICE CENTER

Position Description

            TITLE:                                   Project Assistant   

REPORTS TO:                     Director, CSG Justice Center

GROUP:                                Executive        

UNIT/TEAM:                        Justice Center, New York, NY          

The Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies, informed by available evidence, to increase public safety and strengthen communities. In general, the Justice Center works closely with legislative leaders, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, victim advocates, and others to develop consensus on various, often highly politicized, criminal justice issues and translates this consensus into comprehensive reports, policy briefs, state and federal legislation, model policies, and innovative programs. The Justice Center not only develops written and web-based materials, but also provides on-the-ground technical assistance to cross-systems policymakers and practitioners from multiple systems (corrections, mental health, housing, etc.), in state and local jurisdictions.

The Justice Center is looking for a motivated, self-sufficient, enthusiastic and creative professional to assist the Director.

DUTIES

Specific responsibilities of the Project Assistant include but are not limited to:

• Performing significant research on complex issues, including relevant legislation, policy, and programs, and synthesizing the analysis in clear, concise writing;

• Preparing reports, briefs, memos, and talking points, on various criminal justice issues that will be submitted to policymakers, practitioners, the media, the criminal justice field, and Justice Center colleagues;

• Designing Microsoft PowerPoint presentations that translate report findings and other CSG Justice Center publications and materials into simple, visually appealing, and easy-to-understand illustrations for diverse audiences;

• Ensuring that senior staff and, where applicable, Justice Center colleagues, consultants, or funders are aware of relevant project developments and that other work in the field is leveraged for the advancement of project goals;

• Actively supporting the planning and participating in policy-focused meetings of high-ranking government officials, advocates, and national experts, initially by developing agendas, providing support for senior policy staff, and describing agreements reached, and eventually by leading such meetings; and

• Developing a knowledge base in the project assistant’s area(s) of policy work with room for exploring additional issue areas within criminal justice.

The project assistant will report directly to the Director of the CSG Justice Center.  In doing so, he/she will support the director in preparing for meetings and following up on action items that these meetings generate.  These meetings will cover all aspects of the Justice Center, so the topics covered will address a wide range of issues. 

Requirements:

The ideal candidate should have some or all of the following qualifications:

• Excellent research, writing, and editing skills and an analytical mind;
• Strong oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively distill and present complex information in a concise way, in front of policymakers and practitioners;
• Ability to juggle multiple projects in an efficient manner;
• Familiarity with Microsoft PowerPoint and high level of comfort working in this medium;
• Attention for detail, both with written products as well as project management;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including maturity, an ability to work independently and in a team setting, and a sense of humor;
• Efficient, organized work style and an ability to prioritize quickly and confidently;
• Ability and willingness to travel;
• Minimum one year of work experience, ideally, in the field of criminal justice, involving policy analysis;
• Experience in state government, including exposure to the legislative process and opportunities to interact with elected officials and policymakers, is desirable; and
• Bachelor’s degree (required) in a related field, such as criminal justice, political science, sociology, or public policy (preferred).

Please mention you learned of this employment opportunity on the Careers In Government website.

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested individuals must submit the following materials to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs:

1. Cover letter
2. Résumé
3. Writing sample (preferably      no more than three pages)
4. Names and contact      information for references (at least two)
5. Sample PowerPoint      presentation (maximum 12 pages - converted to PDF)

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.

CSG is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

CSG participates in E-Verify