Senior Research Associate

ABOUT US

Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan, private
foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American
democracy while defending against new threats. Since 2014, we have
made grants of more than $275 million in support of those working
to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and
diverse public square, fee and fair elections, effective and
accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In
addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better
solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for
our democracy.

Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend
democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just,
resilient, and trustworthy. We believe experimentation, learning,
and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system,
whether it is our organization or the American political system. As
grantmakers, we focus on listening and being of service to our
grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators, and on ways we
can more deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion as our
values central to the success of our work and mission. To learn
more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Research team, a key strategic partner for program teams
across Democracy Fund, is one of the more public-facing parts of
the organization. Through original data collection, analysis, and
synthesis, we improve the organization’s strategic and tactical
decisions, as well as guide and inspire other funders in the
democracy space. In addition to communicating findings internally,
we partner with outside experts and academics to disseminate that
work publicly, increasing its potential impact.

The Research team is seeking a highly motivated and skilled senior
research associate to support the work of the associate research
director. This new position is a unique opportunity to help launch
a new research and funder-influence effort, which includes original
data collection, analysis, and the creation of high-profile,
public-facing work on the health and well-being of American
democracy. Our team is highly collaborative and passionate about
helping our organization and others working in the democracy space
make sense of the current, tumultuous political environment.

We are looking for someone who loves working in a mission-driven,
entrepreneurial environment and brings a keen attention to detail.
Ideal candidates will have strong analytical and research skills,
project management experience, proven writing ability, and the
ability to manage multiple tasks while collaborating with different
stakeholders across the organization. They will also have a strong
interest and knowledge of American politics, including political
beliefs and behaviors of Americans, political institutions, or
other topics related to the study of our democracy.

This position will report directly to, and work closely with, the
associate research director and advance the team’s purpose by
taking on a variety of research-based, analytical, and
administrative tasks as well as project management.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

RESEARCH

• Design and manage research projects, including those conducted
  in partnership with outside expert, academics, and
  consultants.
• Conduct quantitative data collection and cleaning from a wide
  variety of sources, including but not limited to survey data,
  administrative data, census products, and other scholarly data
  collection efforts.
• Lead analysis and synthesis of developments within American
  democracy – identifying trends within and between different topic
  areas.
• Propose ideas for blog posts, briefs, and reports.
• Author and co-author reports, blog posts, and briefs.
• Manage the development of resources – including but not limited
  to datasets, toplines, cross-tabulations, tables, charts,
  presentations – for internal use and public dissemination.
• Respond to research inquiries from staff and external
  stakeholders.

SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS 

• Project management related to research with internal and
  external partners.
• Liaise with other teams internally and externally.
• Complete other administrative tasks as appropriate.

TEAM MEMBER

• Build strong relationships and work collaboratively across the
  organization.
• Contribute to a team culture that values collaboration,
  positivity, transparency, high performance, and continuous
  learning.
• Work effectively across functions to creatively solve
  problems.
• Actively work to support the success of the entire Democracy
  Fund team through the development of shared goals and
  priorities.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS
REQUIREMENTS 

• Passion for strengthening American democracy.
• Deep commitment to racial equity and justice; ability to bring
  a racial equity lens to research is a must.
• A high level of integrity that embodies and reflects Democracy
  Fund values.
• Advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in fields relevant
  to the study of American politics and democracy required.
• Four to six years of experience conducting research in some
  capacity.
• Strong, self-directed project management skills
• Experience with statistical programs, particularly those skills
  related to organizing and analyzing datasets (e.g., R, STATA).
• Strong analytical skills, including proven experience with
  quantitative and statistical analysis.
• Ability to dive into new topic areas and quickly absorb new
  information.
• Ability to communicate research results clearly and concisely
  in verbal and written forms; previous experience writing and
  presenting for a public audience a plus.
• An outstanding work ethic, strong initiative, dependable, and
  responsible, with a creative and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Ability to adapt quickly, work calmly, and maintain good
  judgment without being stymied by ambiguity.
• Attention to detail, including exacting standards to maintain
  accuracy of all work products.
• Strong proficiency in proactively handling multiple
  assignments, communicating with manager to prioritize tasks, and
  meeting deadlines to deliver high-quality results.
• Ability to work well both independently and as part of a
  team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
  etc.) or equivalent.
• This role is based in Washington, D.C. Democracy Fund follows a
  hybrid-remote and in-the-office model, which enables flexibility
  and meets collaboration needs. New staff are expected to reside in
  the D.C. Metro area, and all employees are expected in the office
  several days a month.

SALARY

Salary range begins at $111,815 per year. 

HOW TO APPLY 

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to
our Jobs page. Applications submitted without a
cover letter or lacking the desired years of experience will not be
considered. We are unable to include internships
as part of the required years of experience needed to qualify for
this role. Take this opportunity to tell us about yourself and why
you’re interested in joining our team. No calls, please.

Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking
voices and expertise from people from across the political
spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include
Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democracy Fund is an
Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all
ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion,
disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity
to apply.