Part-Time Statewide Community Research Assistant

Part-Time Statewide Community Research Assistant

Location: Any of CFJ’s regional offices (Fresno, Long Beach, Oakland, or San Jose)

Spring 2024

Organization Overview

Californians for Justice is a statewide, youth-powered organization fighting to improve the lives of people of color, immigrants, low-income families, LGBQiA2S+/TGNC youth and other marginalized communities. Through organizing in schools and in their neighborhoods, youth who join Californians for Justice become leaders in their own communities. They deepen their knowledge on issues like systemic racism, gender and sexuality, and education inequity, and organize and activate their peers to take action.

CFJ organizes students to have a voice in both local and statewide education policy. Our campaign and policy reform goals include adequate and equitable school funding, increased access and success in K-12 and higher education, and creating Relationship Centered Schools - schools that invest in youth voice, in staff, and in creating space for youth and adults to build positive relationships with one another. CFJ currently has four regional offices in Fresno, Long Beach, San Jose and Oakland, 48 full-time equivalent staff and a budget of $7 million.

Californians for Justice has been successful because of our strong, dedicated staff team. CFJ staff are unwavering in their commitment to youth power and racial justice, to building connection and trust with their teams, and have a strong sense of purpose and dignity in their work.

Position Overview

We are excited about the opportunity to add a part-time Assistant to our Research team. The ideal candidate is a graduate student or independent scholar with experience in community-based research and the availability to work approximately 20 hours per week.

The Research Assistant will report and provide support to the Statewide Community Researcher as CFJ develops a broad-based culture of data, research and evaluation. Their work will support and inform our statewide team, regional organizing teams, unified campaign and will help identify, quantify and qualify the impact of our programs across the state.

This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with a passion for social justice and interest in the landscape of public education and its potential for transformative practices.

Additional Details

The position is part-time and non-exempt. The Research Assistant role falls within the Associate-level job family at CFJ. The position can be based in any of CFJ’s four offices - Fresno, Long Beach, Oakland or San Jose. We are currently working in a hybrid environment with staff expected to attend in-person trainings, team, and community building events.

Organizational Competencies

Associates at CFJ are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the following competencies:

• Impactful Collaboration - Is present in the work and rooted in the mission. Completes multiple project deliverables simultaneously with sound judgment. Delivers results that have been checked for accuracy, and vetted by stakeholders.
• Problem Solving - Asks: What else is possible? Recommends solutions to enhance existing processes and understands resources available to overcome likely issues.
• Sustainability - Practices emotional intelligence skill set; learns by observing and supporting peers. Develops personal approach to rest/reflection/action cycle. Learns how to receive and respond to feedback.
• Communication - Develops own sense of how they want to be at work - body language, written tone, verbal tones and ability to code switch as necessary, etc. Communicates assumptions and gets clarification on tasks up front to minimize the need for rework.
• Relationship-Building - Has developed credibility with immediate team and community members by delivering quality and thoughtful results. Expands working relationships beyond immediate teams to key cross-functional peers.

Essential Responsibilities (90%)

• Conducting thorough literature reviews to gather relevant information and previous studies related to the research topic.
• Assisting with the collection of data through various methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or archival research.
• Organizing and analyzing data using statistical software or other analytical tools to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Recording and documenting research findings, methodologies, and processes accurately.
• Assisting in the preparation of research reports, papers, articles, or presentations for publication or presentation at conferences.
• Providing administrative support to the research team, which may include scheduling meetings, submitting invoices and coordinating logistics for research activities.
• Collaborating with other team members, including researchers, professors, and other research assistants, to achieve research goals and objectives.
• Ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines and standards in research practices, including obtaining necessary approvals for research involving human subjects.
• Providing technical support for research equipment, software, or tools used in data collection and analysis.
• Staying updated with the latest developments and advancements in education through ongoing learning and professional development activities.
• Effectively communicating research findings, progress, and challenges to supervisors, collaborators, and other stakeholders.
• Identifying and addressing any challenges or issues that arise during the course of the research project, and proposing solutions.

Organization-wide responsibilities (10%)

• Participate in CFJ grassroots fundraising campaigns and events as needed.
• Participate in occasional organization-wide campaign events as needed.

And other duties as needed.

Essential Qualifications

• Experience with social justice and community-driven research methods rooted in race, stratification and/or inequality
• Coursework or study in race, gender, and intersectionality
• Technology knowledge and experience working with various platforms and tools including Google Suite, Slack, Zoom, etc.
• Advanced proficiency using and building workbooks with Microsoft Excel and/or Google Spreadsheets.
• Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to work and support people from a variety of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, sexual, and gender backgrounds.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including editing skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to organize and prioritize a complex work plan with ever-changing details; Excellent time management skills.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Strong commitment to social justice, racial justice, and youth empowerment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Education, Sociology, Anthropology, Ethnic Studies (including Black Studies, Native American/Indigenous Studies, Chicano Studies, Latinx Studies, etc), Gender/Sexuality/Women’s Studies, Justice Studies, or Social Psychology; comparable, transferable experience will be considered
• Experience with data analysis software (ex: Nvivo, Stata, Python, etc)
• Understanding of the educational landscape in California and/or nationwide
• Proficiency with Mac computers

Physical Demands

• Able to work on a computer, including sitting at a desk, for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Manual dexterity to operate a keyboard.
• Able to see or read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids
• Able to speak clearly and in audible tones on the phone and in person and be understood by others.
• Able to hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone.
• Able to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Able to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Compensation

The pay for this position is $29.57 per hour, aligned with all CFJ Associate-level salaries. This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay. CFJ also provides generous benefits including 100% paid monthly premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents. In addition, employees are offered substantial paid time off, employer-sponsored 401(K) and 529 plans, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, sabbatical program, paid parental leave, and more.