Project Director, Manhattan Justice Opportunities

Center for Justice Innovation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 108,000 - 139,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision and dental coverage

403(b) retirement plan

Job summary

Center for Justice Innovation in New York, NY, seeks a Project Director for the Manhattan Justice Opportunities program. The role leads a team of social workers, case managers, and coordinators to deliver social service‑based sentencing options in Manhattan courts.

The position requires a master's degree or higher (or a bachelor's with substantial experience) and proven leadership in criminal justice or court services.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with 4–5 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor’s degree with 6–7 years of experience in related fields.
• Experience supervising staff and leading teams in high‑pressure settings.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting to large groups.
• Knowledge of evidence‑based diversion practices and court/community collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the Manhattan Justice Opportunities project, supervise staff, and ensure fidelity to the program model.
• Draft policies, refine workflows, and coordinate across partners to improve service delivery.
• Supervise senior staff, manage recruitment and performance, and foster a collaborative, inclusive work culture.
• Coordinate with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and service providers to align program activities with court operations.

Skills

Team leadership

Policy development

Budget management

Stakeholder communication

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Education

Master’s degree or Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

• Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
• Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and
• Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide. Learn more about our work at www.innovatingjustice.org .

THE OPPORTUNITY

Manhattan Justice Opportunities seeks to rethink justice in Manhattan and build a justice system that is more responsive to individuals’ and communities’ needs. A team of 40 social workers, case managers, resource coordinators, peer specialists, and restorative justice practitioners, Manhattan Justice is a court-based assessment, resource, and referral hub that provides judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys at New York County Criminal Court and Supreme Court with social service-based sentencing options for misdemeanor and felony cases. The program serves around 2,000 court-mandated participants annually. Manhattan Justice offers onsite case management, psycho-educational groups, and restorative justice programming, and provides referrals to community-based service providers for mental health, substance use, employment, primary health care services and more. These services, which are open to anyone who needs them—including mandated participants’ families and friends, and others affected by the criminal justice system—help people address underlying issues in their lives, build stability, and decrease their likelihood of further justice involvement.

The core components of Manhattan Justice’s work are a short-term alternative sentencing program for people charged with misdemeanors and unindicted felonies and a long-term and intensive alternative sentencing program for people charged with felonies. The latter initiative is a partnership with the Manhattan Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court, for which Manhattan Justice provides assessment, treatment planning, case managing, and compliance monitoring services. The Felony ATI Court, which is led by Administrative Judge Ellen Biben, seeks to forge a new response for individuals charged with felonies by linking them to community-based social services. The Court is the first of its kind, providing an innovative model for other jurisdictions seeking to develop and implement meaningful post-conviction sentencing options for individuals facing felony charges.

Along with the core alternative sentencing programs, Manhattan Justice includes three smaller initiatives: a jail diversion team that provides assessment and treatment planning services for people held in pretrial detention to accelerate case dispositions; restorative justice programming that brings together responsible parties (defendants) and those who have been harmed (complaining witnesses) to advance healing and accountability; and specialized case management services to address housing needs.

Reporting to the Director of Manhattan Programs, the Manhattan Justice Opportunities Project Director is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the project, supervising and supporting staff; implementing the program model with fidelity and efficiency; and collaborating with a broad range of criminal justice, city government, and service provider stakeholders. The Project Director is also responsible for coordinating consistent protocols and practices across the project, supporting the hiring and training of a large and diverse staff, and setting and maintaining a positive team culture. Lastly, the Project Director is responsible for managing the project’s budget, overseeing monthly and quarterly reporting on the program’s services and outcomes; writing grant proposals and coordinating with funders; and setting the vision for the program’s long-term strategic development and improvement. This is a full-time in person position.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to

Day-to-Day Operations and Policy and Protocol Implementation

• Ensure all programs, including the misdemeanor and felony alternative sentencing, restorative justice, housing case management, and jail diversion initiatives, are meeting or exceeding program goals;
• Oversee the quality-of-service delivery, ensuring that program staff are providing the highest quality services to participants and program models and evidence-based practices are implemented with fidelity;
• Coordinate meetings with staff and partnering agencies to review program protocols and policies and identify opportunities to refine and improve workflows and internal policies;
• Run regular full-team and leadership team meetings;
• Draft and implement new policies to improve service delivery and coordination with partners, when necessary; and
• Work with other Manhattan-based projects, including partners agencies and sister-sites, to ensure seamless cross-site collaborations;

Personnel Management, Hiring, and Team-building

• Directly supervise senior staff at project site;
• Set and maintain high standards for supervision, support, and staff performance;
• Draft, review, and approve job descriptions and coordinate all hiring processes and recruitment;
• Devise and implement strategies for maintaining and improving department cohesiveness and interdepartmental communication;
• Coordinate regular training and team-building opportunities for the team as a whole; and
• Foster a work culture conducive to innovation, operational excellence, collaboration, and respect.

Coordination with Partners

• Work closely with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court administrators to ensure program operations run smoothly and are seamlessly integrated into Criminal Court and Supreme Court; and
• Develop and maintain relationships with community-based service providers to ensure that the project can connect participants to a wide array of services.

Budget Oversight, Strategic Planning, and Fundraising

• Manage the day-to-day budget by establishing quarterly and yearly budget goals.
• Lead the strategic planning and implementation for all project programing and services;
• Develop and articulate a long-term strategic vision for the project;
• Build and maintain relationships with a wide array of stakeholders, including criminal justice system actors, social service providers, funders and government officials;
• Facilitate conversations with senior staff to identify, sustain, and explore new funding sources, and to develop and coordinate new initiatives;
• Coordinate with the Center’s Development team to identify funding opportunities, draft concept papers and grant proposals; and
• Develop, review, and approve all public-facing materials, including social media.

Data Management and Reporting:

• Coordinate project research, planning, and reporting activities with the Center’s Data Analytics and Applied Research (DAAR) team;
• Oversee quality assurance and program performance initiatives with DAAR team assistance;
• Develop procedures and protocols to track and meet grant deliverables;
• Assist the Center’s Development team in grant management, including monthly and quarterly reporting to funders;
• Assist other Center administrative and leadership responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree and 4-5 years of experience or a Bachelor's degree and 6-7 years of experience in a related field, as well as at least 2-3 years of experience managing a team and supervising staff. Relevant experience (lived or professional) may be substituted in lieu of an advanced degree. A minimum of five (5) years of experience is required in any combination of fields such as criminal justice, pretrial services, court administration, Alternatives to Detention or Alternatives to Incarceration programs, diversion or bail reform. Additionally, a minimum of five (5) years in progressive management including supervising/directing programs, services and staff is required.

Additional qualifications include:

• Experience leading a large and diverse organization/program and/or team in a high-pressure/fast paced work environment;
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally competent manner;
• Extensive supervision experiences a plus, preferably supervising multiple people of different disciplines simultaneously;
• Must show a demonstrated interest and ability to integrate equitable practices in court and community spaces;
• Ability to articulate a commitment to racial equity and how they integrate practices into their work and supervision of staff that build equity and inclusion;
• Strong relationship builder and communicator with experience managing differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives;
• Strong knowledge of evidence-based practices related to implementation and evaluation of diversion programs
• Knowledge of the alternative to incarnation landscape, key stakeholders and current issues and trends;
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to present to large groups;
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills required;
• Excellent written skills required.

Position Type:

Full time, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM through 5:00 PM with some weeknights as needed.

Position Location:

New York, NY.

Compensation:

The compensation range for this position is $108,000 - $139,100 and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basicdental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.