Operations Analyst- PRLS

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:

About the Post-Release Legal Services Program

Each year, thousands of unaccompanied children, many fleeing unspeakable violence in their own countries, enter the United States. Upon apprehension and after enduring a harrowing journey, they are detained in federal custody in facilities contracted by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and placed in removal (deportation) proceedings. Unaccompanied children do not have a right to a government-appointed attorney and too often must face the immigration courts without the benefit of counsel. Through its network of more than 90 LSP subcontractors across the U.S., Acacia currently provides free legal services to tens of thousands migrant children.

To meet the growing demand for legal services for unaccompanied children, Acacia, in partnership with 27 LSP subcontractors, will expand its work to include on-the-ground presence in select Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) courthouses to provide additional legal services and representation to children released from ORR in conjunction with EOIR’s Juvenile Dockets. Under the new PRLS program,

LSP subcontractors will conduct Know Your Rights presentations aimed at increasing children’s understanding of immigration proceedings, host workshops to assist children with navigating different forms of immigration relief and provide direct representation. Acacia and its partners will also engage in community outreach to create awareness and provide information and resources to partners who have direct contact with unaccompanied children. Finally, building on Acacia efforts to expand representation, LSP subcontractors will develop innovative recruitment, and retention plans to build capacity in the field and provide continuity of service to unaccompanied children.

The Operations Analyst will support the REDA team by maintaining PRLS data quality standards, liaising with subcontractors to support accurate and timely data entry, and performing administrative tasks on projects in support of contract delivery as needed. They will work closely with members of the REDA team to uphold quality standards by engaging in regular data verification and monitoring of reporting processes; interface with subcontractor staff to set process, promote best practices, and onboard/offboard staff who interact with the program’s database; and coordinate with other program units within PRLS in support of program goals.

Note: The Post-Release Legal Services Program is contingent on Acacia Center for Justice being awarded a contract to provide post-release services.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

Perform subcontractor administration for REDA systems and processes

• Onboard subcontractor and program staff to PRLS data systems, including managing access, providing training, and distributing policy and guidance documentation
• Offboard subcontractor and program staff to PRLS data systems, including revoking access and coordinating with program analysts on other offboarding tasks
• Provide regular training and troubleshooting for subcontractor data management staff
• Ensure documentation and internal trackers are up to date
• Support subcontract navigation of data entry systems to ensure accurate and timely data entry

Ensure quality control of program databases

• Run pre-built queries and reports in an analytical database to prepare datasets for verification
• Liaise with subcontractor data staff and Vera program management staff for quality assurance of data collection systems and their contents
• Conduct iterative verification of subcontractor-inputted data between subcontractor communications and database queries
• Work closely with REDA and PRLS programmatic staff to diagnose and handle outlier cases and errors in data entry

Provide Administrative Support to REDA Staff

• Assist in developing training, guidance, and policy for data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Assist in the preparation and review of regular and long-term report deliverables to government stakeholders

Carry out special projects in support of the program’s research, evaluation, and analytics agenda under the supervision of senior REDA staff

• Conduct background research in support of long-term REDA projects
• Expand on querying and other analytics skillsets to support components of large-scale REDA projects

Support Data Systems and Analytics work across legal service programs and federal contracts at the Operation Analyst level, where necessary.

Other duties as assigned

Required Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Relevant administrative work experience focused on client relations or customer service.
• Strong proficiency in Excel or other spreadsheet software, including an ability to sort, filter, and write formulas.
• Proven experience in detail-oriented tasks such as data error checking and correction.
• A demonstrated interest in or knowledge of immigration and/or children’s rights issues
• Ability to work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently, both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize, multitask, and work under deadlines
• Interest in gaining basic skills in querying, coding in an analytic language, and/or other analytics technology a plus.
• While this is not a current hiring requirement, this position may require tier 1 background investigation, tier 2 background investigation, or Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) security clearance in the future (for additional information: https://www.dcsa.mil/is/eqip/).
• Acacia is unable to provide H1B sponsorship at this time; candidates must have United States citizenship.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Proficiency in software commonly used by the team including Amazon Web Services (AWS), ClickUp, Qualtrics, Slack, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Github, and ServiceNow.
• Emerging interest in the use of data for public service and/or social justice.
• Familiarity with SQL, R, and/or another coding language is a plus.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

• In accordance with federal contracts, a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check is required for this position. While this is not a current hiring requirement, this position may require a US Federal security clearance.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree + 0-3 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a bachelor's degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered.

Compensation and Benefits:

Acacia has established an internal compensation philosophy that centers equity and pay transparency. The salary for this position is set at $65,000. This is a non-exempt role. The salary listed is just one component of Acacia’s total compensation package for employees. Supporting Acacia staff—both personally and professionally—is our priority.

• Medical/Dental/Vision- Some plans at $0 cost to the employee
• Employee Assistance Program
• 20 days per year of vacation time
• 12 days per year of sick time
• 5 personal days
• 4 organization-wide Wellness Days
• 11 observed holidays, including the last week of December.
• $2000 Professional Development Stipend
• Home office set-up stipend
• Internet Stipend
• 401k with 5% employer contribution, no employee participation required.
• Student loan repayment assistance.
• Gym Reimbursement

People of color and those who have been impacted by the criminal system and immigration system are strongly urged to apply. Acacia is deeply committed to race equality, inclusion and belonging and strives to create a work culture that recognizes everyone's unique lived experience.

To Apply:

Submit your resume and cover letter through the Acacia Careers site. If you encounter technical issues or have accessibility needs, email your resume and cover letter to hiring@acaciajustice.org with Subject: ATTN: Human Resources / [Job Title], Acacia Center for Justice

PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT THROUGH ONE METHOD.

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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