Research Associate

Democratic National Committee; Washington (Washington County); On-site; USD 49,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental insurance

Generous PTO

Vision plans

401(k) with match

FSA benefits

Job summary

The Democratic National Committee is seeking a Research Associate to support messaging and strategy through rigorous analysis of public records, campaign finance data, articles and legislation. You will read and summarize sources, develop concise reports for rapid response and communications staff, and monitor news to extract key points.

Candidates should have strong research and writing skills and a bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Qualifications

• Strong research and writing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Read, analyze and format news clips, voting histories, campaign finance data and public records.
• Develop succinct research documents for rapid response and communications staff.
• Monitor and extract key points from local and national news.
• Explain complex issues in concise narratives.
• Perform other duties to support the department and DNC mission.

Skills

Written & verbal communication

Attention to detail

Quick learner

Self-motivated

Creative thinking

News cycle awareness

MS Word & Excel

Political research

Nexis proficiency

Campaign finance databases

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Nexis

Campaign finance databases

Primary sources databases

Job description

Position Summary:

Research is the messaging and strategy backbone of campaigns. We scour public records, campaign finance reports, articles, interviews, social media, books, legislation, and more to gain a deep understanding of the topics and candidates we research. We also closely follow the news and current events as we look for opportunities to effectively deploy our findings through rapid response products.

The Research Department’s work has a direct impact on upcoming elections through our collaborations with other departments throughout the DNC as well as with campaigns and state parties. We look for applicants who have great political instincts and knowledge of politicians, political parties, outside groups, and the legislative process. The ideal Research Associate candidate should possess a basic understanding of the dynamic political climate and major policy issues in the U.S., as well as strong research and writing skills.

If you’re interested in helping us relentlessly dig for the truth - come join us!

Responsibilities:

• Quickly read, analyze and format news clips, legislative voting histories, campaign finance data, corporate filings, public government records, legal records and related items;
• Develop succinct research documents for rapid response and communications staff that can be used to generate public-facing content;
• Monitor and extract key points from local and national news;
• Simplify very complex issues into factual and concise narratives; and,
• Other duties as assigned to support the department and the DNC’s mission

Skills and Qualifications:

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills;
• Strong attention to detail and strong organizational skills;
• Ability to take direction, ask questions and quickly learn new tasks and databases;
• Self-motivated with the ability to meet strict deadlines;
• Creative thinking and desire to explore new avenues;
• Ability to keep up with the 24-hour news cycle;
• High proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel;
• Political training or background to understand and explain the significance of events and findings;
• Specific knowledge of Nexis, campaign finance databases, federal and state-level vote analysis, statistical data gathering, and primary source materials a plus; and,
• Bachelor’s degree is preferred and political research, campaign, or government experience is a plus.

Salary

The starting salary for the Research Associate position is $54,100, on an annualized basis, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position, which means you will be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a given workweek. This position is in the bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local-500.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The DNC is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis. The DNC will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.

Benefits

• The DNC offers a generous benefit package, including:
• Generous paid time off, including federal holidays and open leave
• Health and dental insurance for employee and dependents; 90% paid by the DNC, 10% paid by employee
• Supplementary vision plans available to employees for purchase
• Up to a 5% employer match DNC 401(k) plan
• Pre-tax flexible spending account benefits available to employees and dependents