Senior Researcher, Community Safety – Violence Prevention

American Institutes for Research

Senior Researcher at American Institutes for Research leading complex research on community safety and violence prevention strategies. Engaging with various stakeholders to implement effective solutions.

Posted 6/18/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $126,000 - $154,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage large, complex research and evaluation projects focused on community safety, violence prevention, and related systems-change efforts.
Anticipate project risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure timely, high quality deliverables.
Ensure compliance with ethical standards, IRB requirements, and data governance policies.
Lead and contribute to proposals and capture efforts for federal, state, local, foundation, and other client opportunities related to community safety.
Develop competitive proposal strategies, including conceptual design, methodological plans, staffing, and budgets.
Identify new business opportunities and cultivate partnerships that advance the organization’s mission.
Serve as a senior methodological leader, advising teams on rigorous quantitative and/or qualitative approaches.
Lead the review, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of data using appropriate practices and techniques.
Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and strong documentation across all analytic workflows.
Translate complex research findings—both orally and in writing—into actionable insights tailored to policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
Manage client and stakeholder relationships with professionalism and awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
Cultivate external relationships with researchers, practitioners, community partners, and other leaders working across the community safety and prevention landscape.
Manage and mentor staff to build technical capacity in community safety, prevention science, research design, and client service.
Provide thought partnership and coaching to mid level researchers on research design, analysis, and dissemination.
Model inclusive leadership practices and foster a collaborative team environment.

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD in criminology, sociology, psychology, public health, public policy, social work, anthropology, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
Deep knowledge of community safety, violence prevention and intervention, prevention science, and/or implementation science.
Ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines.
Experience in a contract research, evaluation, policy, or applied research organization.
Experience with broad data collection methodologies (including but not limited to structured interviews, observations, survey research) and analysis activities (including but not limited to experience with quantitative and/or qualitative analytic software packages such as STATA, R, Excel, NVivo, and Access).
Proven ability to serve as a Project Director (PD) or equivalent role, including managing budgets, timelines, staff, and client relationships.
Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with broad community- and systems-based clients, and cross-sector stakeholders.
Experience with business pursuit (e.g., grant and proposal writing).

Benefits

Comp & perks

AIR’s Total Rewards Program, designed to reward staff competitively and motivate them to achieve the mission.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

research designdata analysisquantitative analysisqualitative analysisdata visualizationbudget managementproject managementproposal writingdata collection methodologiesprevention science

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationcollaborationmentoringrelationship managementstrategic thinkingproblem-solvingcoachingadaptabilityprofessionalism

Certifications

PhDMaster's degree