RESTORATIVE JUSTICE RESEARCH MANAGER

The mission of Just Cities is to advance racial and social justice through a radical transformation of urban planning and public policy structures and systems. We tackle major urban issues with those directly impacted by structural injustice. We believe the people most impacted by structural oppression should have the power to define and create solutions -- this is what we call Transformative Justice.

The founders of Just Cities, former Congressman Ron Dellums, Margaretta Lin, and Dan Lindheim, profoundly believe in the power of government to solve the big problems of our times. However, from their decades of experience they also understand that it takes a great deal of perseverance, innovation, multi-racial solidarity and coalition building, and love of community to transform governmental systems that have been rooted in legacies of racial capitalism. The people of Just Cities and our partners are dreamers, innovators, teachers, government officials, policymakers, grassroots leaders, artists, urban planners, legal and political strategists, organizers, and poets who center love for our communities and fellow human beings in our theory of change and on the ground practices.

Our current initiatives build upon our historic efforts that have led to national north star policies and plans, including on anti-displacement and housing justice, re-entry justice, land use and mobility justice, environmental justice, and public financing equity.

POSITION SUMMARY

Just Cities seeks a compassionate public policy/urban planning research and project manager to:

• Project manage the operational infrastructure of climate justice research and collaborative government/community-based work
• Manage transformative community-based academic research projects
• Supervise the project-based work of UC Berkeley Clinic graduate students in public policy and city planning programs

We seek a thoughtful, creative, and extremely organized individual who thrives on designing and managing organizational systems, loves supervising and collaborating with staff and mentoring students, loves working with grassroots leaders and government officials alike, is passionate about the messy realities of urban planning and policy making, and enjoys community-based research.

The full-time research and project manager will report directly to the Just Cities Chief-of-Staff. In addition, they will work directly with UC Berkeley researchers and students, community partners, and government agency partners.

POSITION PURPOSE: Apply knowledge and expertise in planning, policy, applied and data-driven community-based research, racial and climate equity analysis, and project management to help advance racial and restorative justice in projects and initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the PIs, the project manager will oversee the quality assurance and deliverables of transformative community-based research projects, applying the principles of transformative community planning that seek to empower rather than extract from low-income communities of color. The project manager will serve as the overall project/research manager for projects such as a California statewide report, housing equity research projects, and community-engaged research projects for State public agencies. Specific tasks include:

1. Manage Just Cities’ Urban Planning and Policy Projects and Initiatives (approx. 80% time)
   • Manage/drive/lead overall planning justice projects including supervising or coordinating the work of different researchers, community partners, grassroot resident leaders, and students. (E.g. creating and updating work plans, delegating tasks and following up as needed, setting meeting agendas/facilitating weekly check-ins, completing tasks as needed to move projects forward, etc.).
   • Oversee or conduct qualitative and quantitative research including racial equity analysis of housing, transportation, community development, and climate adaptation initiatives.
   • Manage/drive/lead the production of analyses, reports, and plans for government and community partners and peer-reviewed articles for academic audiences.
   • Manage/drive/lead the creation of accessible infographics and other data visualization products for community use.
   • Manage any grant or project reporting requirements, including writing reports.
   • Lead organizing convenings to present research findings.
2. Potential New Project Development (approx. 10% time)
   • Work with the leadership team to envision, formulate, and secure new projects, including through partnerships with government and community leaders or planning firms.
   • Develop concept proposals, responses to RFPs and other logistical requirements.
   • Manage the project development process with other Just Cities staff, community stakeholders and political allies.
3. Narrative Change and Community Education (approx. 10% time)
   • Work with Just Cities leadership and staff to identify priority mindset & narrative change in planning and manage/drive/lead education opportunities.
   • Support development of popular education materials to engage community members.

ATTRIBUTES OF IDEAL CANDIDATE

REQUIREMENTS

Academic and Professional Experience

• Demonstrated record of maintaining integrity, commitment to low-income communities of color, and advancing racial and social justice.
• Masters degree in related graduate school program.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience with solid background in planning, policy, qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, writing and editing reports and peer-reviewed articles. Preference for urban policy justice experience in housing, environmental, land use, and/or climate policies.
• At least 3 years of experience working productively with high-performing, collaborative, innovative teams.
• Deep experience working with grassroots community leaders and centering their lived experiences, voices, and power.
• Extremely strong project management skills managing complex, multifaceted projects that require multitasking, juggling, and meeting deadlines.
• Exemplary background in conducting research that centers racial and social justice
• Demonstrated results engaging in proactive and creative problem solving of complex problems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to details.

Interpersonal & Team Building Skills

• Works well with grassroots community members and leaders--deeply appreciates, values, and respects their expertise, knowledge and leadership roles.
• Loves building and working with a team to accomplish common goals.
• Able to lead/drive specific duties and responsibilities while honoring/incorporating the different roles that other team members play.
• Enjoys community and political processes and is able to “move at the speed of trust.”
• Knows when to lead and when to empower and support the leadership of others.
• Great at initiative-taking and creative problem solving.
• Takes joy in and actively promotes the success and visibility of colleagues and partners.
• Adept at resolving inevitable conflicts and misunderstandings in healthy and affirming ways.
• Experienced in cultural humility, self awareness and reflection of personal and cultural biases.
• Great at deep listening and communicating with others from that listening.
• Enjoys teaching and guiding younger colleagues and students and is able to provide constructive feedback in ethical ways.
• Great attention to detail but keeps eyes on the bigger picture/goals.
• Strong work ethic and effective time management.
• Proactive and timely communicator, including providing a heads up in anticipation of potential problems and timely responses to deadlines.
• Nimble and flexible--able to adapt, pivot, and change course when external realities change, including without advance notice.
• Loves learning new things and taking on new challenges.
• Positive attitude and desire to build relationships with colleagues and partners and cultivate a happy, harmonious and productive work environment
• Takes joy in colleagues and partners shining
• Envisions another world filled with justice, liberation, love, and happiness for all peoples

DESIRED

• Lived-experience of being directly impacted by planning and policy injustices.
• Graphic design skills for storytelling and narrative change.
• Experience with developing materials for popular education
• Experience conducting racial equity impact assessments and structural root cause analyses.
• Background in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods:

1) Qualitative: Experience conducting authentic community engagement, developing surveys and analyzing results, conducting interviews and focus groups, and facilitating working groups.

2) Quantitative: Experience using mapping and analysis tools such as ArcGIS, QGIS, and Qualtrics, Python, R, Q or Stata and Excel to analyze Census demographic data and develop neighborhood maps.

COMPENSATION: Competitive salary, employer healthcare plan, and vacation and sick leave. Just Cities benchmarks its salaries against comparable positions in the Bay Area to ensure that they are equitable. The annual salary range for this position is $91,000 - $99,000 and the negotiated salary will be based upon experience. Comprehensive benefits include medical, dental/vision, retirement, vacation, holidays, and generous family leave.

LOCATION: The project manager will work in person at Just Cities’ Berkeley, California office. Just Cities’ work from home policy allows staff to work remotely two days a week. In Additionally all staff are expected to be on site as needed for community-based meetings and events and may need to travel for specific projects.

APPLY: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with target date to fill position by December 31, 2024 (for January 2025 start). Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and writing sample to admin@justcitiesinstitute.org with the subject line: “Full Time Research and Project Manager.”

Just Cities values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBQT+ individuals, people who have been systems impacted, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. Just Cities is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, criminal history, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.