Research Associate

ABOUT US

Democracy Fund is a foundation working to defend American democracy and challenge it to be more open and just. Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Democracy Fund has made more than $200 million in grants to support free and fair elections, a vibrant and diverse public square, 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. To learn more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. We believe that 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 values central to the success of our work.

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 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, proven writing ability, and the ability to manage multiple tasks. They will also have a strong interest and knowledge of American politics, including political beliefs and behaviors of Americans, political institutions, and other topics related to the study of our democracy.

This position will report directly to and work closely with the associate research director and support the team by taking on a variety of scholarly, analytical, and administrative tasks.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

RESEARCH

• Help design, manage, and administer research projects, including those conducted in partnership with outside experts and academics.
• Assist with 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.
• Conduct analysis and synthesis to identify trends within and between different topic areas.
• Propose ideas for blog posts, briefs, and reports.
• Author and co-author reports, blog posts, and briefs.
• Prepare datasets, toplines, cross-tabulations, tables, charts, presentations, and other data summaries for internal use and public dissemination.
• Respond to research inquiries from staff and external stakeholders.

SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS

• Perform project management and some administrative tasks for work with internal and external partners.
• Liaise with other teams internally and externally.
• Complete other administrative tasks as assigned.

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.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in political science or other fields relevant to the study of American democracy preferred.
• Three to five years of experience conducting research in some capacity.
• 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 DMV, though exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis by the Personnel Committee. All employees, regardless of location, will be expected in the office several days a month.

SALARY

Salary range begins at $76,486.50 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.