Principal Research and Evaluation Manager, LARS

About Acacia Center for Justice:

The Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) provides legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development, coordination, and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are twofold: to support immigrant legal services and defense networks to provide exceptional legal services to immigrants; and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness, and freedom. Acacia ensures accountable, independent, zealous, and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants.

Job Summary:

The Acacia Center for Justice seeks a quantitative social scientist to conduct research and evaluation of programs delivering legal support to immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. The successful candidate will join Acacia’s Legal Access, Orientation, and Representation Services (LARS) programs. This team works with a national network of human rights defenders delivering seven legal orientation and representation programs to adults, children, and families throughout the United States. LARS is funded by a contract from the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The Principal Research and Evaluation Associate (PREM) functions as a social scientist who manages three research and evaluation associates and works closely with data scientists and data engineers to supervise and implement mandated and ad hoc research, evaluation, data analytics, and reporting across programs. Specifically, they will design, manage, and implement analyses to monitor the delivery of legal services under the LARS contract and the factors affecting it. These include key performance indicators (KPIs), analyses of program costs, evaluation of program inputs and outputs, and other analyses and metrics in support of the contract. The PREM’s responsibilities require expertise with quantitative methodologies and at least one statistical programming language (R, Python, and/or SQL), preferably R. The PREM will communicate their research and evaluation outputs through memos, reports, data visualizations, and presentations to internal and external stakeholders, including EOIR. The PREM will work in close coordination with the Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, REDA leadership and team members across units at Acacia, including non research program management staff, maintaining the feedback loops necessary to monitor and improve program management and performance and ensure compliance with contract deliverables. This position has significant supervisory responsibilities and provides support and mentorship to members of their team as well as advice, methodological guidance, and peer review to researchers working on other projects and initiatives across the organization. The PREM will also play an important role in ensuring that Acacia’s race, equity, and inclusion priorities are a core aspect of its research, as reflected in methodological approaches, publications, hiring and staffing, external and internal research communications, and other activities.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of measurement, evaluation, and learning metrics, including KPIs and cost analyses.
• Lead and manage rigorous performance outcomes measurement and data analytics in support of federal contracts, in partnership with other senior research staff, senior data science staff, senior program management staff, and external partners.
• Lead and develop additional analyses, and train, supervise, and mentor others on both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Communicate findings from research and data analysis in writing and presentations delivered to internal and external audiences, including representing the work in communication with federal government stakeholders, fielding questions and addressing requests for additional information.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, the Director of Research and Evaluation, and other research leadership to establish a long-term research agenda in support of the team’s work.
• Manage integration of insights gained from performance evaluation metrics and statistical analyses into program planning and implementation, collaborating closely with senior program management staff and a nationwide network of service providers.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of developments in program support, program administration, and federal policy to strategically guide research in support of the contract and program goals.
• Participate in peer review of research designs, literature reviews, and analysis plans.
• Develop research proposals in support of fundraising led by REDA leadership and Acacia’s External Affairs and Development units.
• Develop and present IRB applications and ensure that research is conducted to the highest ethical standards.
• Supervise, support, and mentor research associates across methodologies and levels.
• Strategize and build opportunities for professional growth, development, and skill building among supervisees.
• Support recruitment and hiring for the research team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Commitment to using research and analysis to address and undo racism and inequity in the immigration legal system; lived experience preferred.
• Advanced quantitative skills, including hands-on experience with administrative and relational datasets and both predictive and causal analyses; ability to think creatively about how to use statistical methods to address pressing policy questions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and Word, or similar software.
• Fluency in at least one analytical programming language (e.g., R, Python, Stata, and/or SQL), R preferred; ability to learn R while in the role required.
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills, including authoring and editing research reports in written and visual formats accessible to a broader audience, and translating and presenting research findings to external stakeholders.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Strong understanding of the U.S. immigration system; experience working with immigration related data.
• Fluency in data management.
• Ability to work collaboratively using Git/GitHub, or the ability to quickly learn for code review.
• Fluency in a language other than English spoken by people impacted by immigration enforcement in the United States.

Education and Experience:

• PhD or master's degree preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required, plus four to seven years of relevant experience in applied research, equivalent applied experience, social science, or other related disciplines. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• At least three years of full-time research experience, including the leadership of a substantial research or evaluation project from inception through conclusion and dissemination.
• Experience in the fields of program evaluation, applied economics, quantitative sociology, computational social science, statistics, measurement, or a related field.
• Experience working on evaluation and measurement on government contracts.
• Experience leading in a project management role.
• Experience in a supervision role

People of color and those who have been impacted by the criminal system and immigration system are strongly urged to apply.

To Apply:

Please upload a resume and cover letter at the link provided or email hiring@acaciajustice.org with Subject: ATTN: Human Resources / [Job Title], Acacia Center for Justice

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Acacia is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to recruit persons of diverse backgrounds and support their retention and advancement within the organization. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture inclusive of people with respect to their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, marital status, age, disabilities, political affiliation, religious beliefs, or any other characteristic. Our commitment to justice and diversity also means providing a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and engaging.

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties, responsibilities and requirements but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function within our organization.

Acacia Center for Justice is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

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