The U. S. Sentencing Commission is seeking a Research Associate. The Research Associate (RA) assists the research staff in the preparation and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data for monitoring the application of the federal sentencing guidelines and for other related Commission or criminal justice research.

Duties

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DATA The Office of Research and Data (ORD) is the largest unit in the Commission. ORD staff collect data from sentencing documents which are submitted electronically by federal courts around the country. ORD staff provide statistical analyses to the Commissioners about the nature and extent of federal crime, the people who commit those crimes, and how the federal sentencing guidelines are applied in criminal cases. ORD's analyses are a key part of the Commission's decision-making process about changes to the guidelines. ORD analyses are also used in various publicly available publications such as the Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics, quarterly sentencing data reports, Quick Facts, and various reports to Congress. ABOUT THE POSITION The Research Associate (RA) assists the research staff in the preparation and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data for monitoring the application of the federal sentencing guidelines and for other related Commission or criminal justice research. The RA may also assist on the work of Commission policy teams or congressional report projects by generating tables and graphics, assisting with designing coding instruments, and writing SAS programs for both data quality control and data analysis of data produced by the team. DUTIES The incumbent will work with research staff to: Review existing data for errors and perform edits and data cleaning of research data files. Assist in the production of sentencing statistics. Compile, organize, and document research-related data files and assist in the preparation of data file documentation, statistical tables, and graphic displays and presentations. Collect additional data from court documents as needed for research projects. Analyze qualitative and quantitative data and contribute to reports and publications based on that data. Assist in the preparation of reports assessing the sentencing impact of judicial and/or congressional sentencing modifications to the guideline structure and process. Assist in the preparation of databases, writing and executing computer program code and working with large data files. Research, review, and analyze social science research literature. Perform support or administrative tasks as needed.

Requirements

Qualifications

MANDATORY QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Applicants must have a master's degree from an accredited university or college in criminology, sociology, or a related empirical social science, and a minimum of one year of specialized experience in quantitative research as either an intern or a paid employee. Satisfactory completion of course work in statistics and research methodology as well as experience programming with statistical software packages (i.e., SAS, SPSS, or STATA) is also required. Applicants must have demonstrated work experience related to the mandatory requirements listed below and must address the qualification requirements in an attached cover letter or separate narrative statement. Experience in collecting, entering, documenting, or editing original data. Experience with manipulating, and analyzing quantitative data such as subsetting datafiles, creating collapsed or dummy variables, and matching or merging datafiles. Experience with quantitative analyses techniques, such as descriptive and inferential statistics. Proficiency using Microsoft Word, or comparable word processing software, specifically editing text as well as creating and/or inserting tables, charts, and other objects into text. Experience using EXCEL or a comparable spreadsheet software program, specifically creating or editing tables and charts and using formulas. Experience using PowerPoint to make presentations which include data graphics. Experience with any statistical software packages (i.e., SAS, SPSS, or STATA), specifically including any experience writing syntax code. Ability to work well in a team setting. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Preference will be given to applicants with one or more of the following areas of experience: Experience performing data analysis using criminal justice related data. Advanced SAS programming experience (e.g., working with macros and/or using SAS datafiles to auto-fill tables in Excel or Word). BENEFITS The Commission participates in the following federal benefits: The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program, federal retirement, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and the federal leave program. In addition, the Commission participates in the Judiciary's Flexible Spending Program for dependent care, health care, and commuter reimbursement, and the government-wide Long Term Care Insurance Program, unemployment, and workers' compensation benefits. The Commission is conveniently located next to Union Station on Capitol Hill, and is easily accessible by public transportation, including the Metro, and the MARC and VRE commuter trains. In addition to the federal benefits package, the Commission's location in the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building offers various amenities such as a health unit, credit union, day care center, cafeteria, and free on-site fitness center. The Commission offers a monthly transit subsidy to employees who use mass transit to commute to and from work, subject to the availability of funds. The Commission offers alternative work schedules (AWS), which are fixed work schedules that enable full-time employees to complete the basic 80-hour biweekly work requirement in 9 workdays. The Commission offers regular telework (not full-time) to employees in positions deemed eligible by the staff director and who meet the requirements of an approved telework arrangement in which an employee performs official duties at home or at an approved telework site. The Commission also offers training opportunities to employees through LinkedIn Learning, and the Judiciary's Online University, which offers academic credit and professional credit programs through web-based learning. These training tools assist Commission employees with taking online courses in a flexible way, by offering training courses in the areas of: staff training and development; credit toward undergraduate degree programs; continuing education and non-credit certificate programs; executive education; contract training; credit credentials courses for continuing professional education and credit for individuals who hold credentials and achieve certifications associated with several globally-recognized sponsored organizations.

Education

Applicants must have a master's degree from an accredited university or college in criminology, sociology, or a related empirical social science.

Contacts

• Address United States Sentencing Commission One Columbus Circle NE Suite 2-500 Washington, DC 20002 US
• Name: Corinne Smith
• Phone: 202-502-4500
• Email: [email protected]