Senior Manager, Immigration

More in Common; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave policy

Matching 401(k)

Medical benefits

Personal learning budget

Job summary

A nonprofit organization in Washington, DC is seeking a Senior Manager, Immigration to lead their immigration initiatives. This role involves strategic leadership, research execution, and partner engagement. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in related fields and strong communication skills. The organization provides a salary range of $105,000 to $115,000 with excellent benefits, including generous leave policies and a 401(k) match.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in roles involving research and strategy.
• Project management skills in high-pressure contexts.
• Familiarity with immigration policy and public discourse.
• Strong research literacy, including public opinion data.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee strategy for immigration work aligning priorities.
• Lead design and execution of public opinion research.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and engagement specialist.
• Develop written outputs for public engagement.

Skills

Public opinion research

Policy analysis

Strong communication

Partner engagement

Tools

Excel

SPSS

Python

Job description

Senior Manager, Immigration

More in Common is hiring a Senior Manager, Immigration to lead and grow our immigration portfolio at a pivotal moment. This role is based in the Washington, DC area and is a hybrid mix of in-office and work-from-home.

About More in Common

More in Common’s mission is to build a more united and inclusive America that is resilient to the profound threats posed by our country’s polarization. We work with leaders across fields and across the ideological spectrum to strengthen American democracy, solve problems, and better navigate the dynamics of a polarized society. More in Common US works alongside teams in seven other major democracies. Globally, More in Common is comprised of a team of almost 70 people working in national offices in the US, Brazil, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the UK.

Our work is built on More in Common’s unique audience and opinion research, grounded in social psychology. We promote a better understanding of Americans’ perspectives, providing fresh insights about not just what Americans think, but why. We find Americans’ views are more complex and varied than is often assumed, and while the most divisive voices are often the loudest, they rarely represent most Americans. Our work cuts through the ‘perception gaps’ — the false impressions that Americans hold about each other — to highlight common ground, identify the areas of genuine difference, and reveal ways Americans can come together to tackle our shared challenges.

Deploying our people‑centered insights, we engage with hundreds of civil society organizations, cultural institutions, philanthropy, political actors, the media, unions, faith groups, and corporations across the country. We work across issue areas, including in social cohesion, bridge‑building, immigration, democracy, climate, and faith.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership

  Oversee the strategy for More in Common’s immigration work, balancing medium‑term research priorities with near‑term opportunities for impact. Work closely with co‑founder Tim Dixon, who leads our immigration work globally. Serve as the organizational lead on immigration, ensuring alignment across research, partnerships, communications, and public engagement.

  Identify where More in Common can add distinctive value in a crowded field—reframing debates, filling gaps, and offering trusted sense‑making. Monitor policy developments, public discourse, and on‑the‑ground dynamics to identify moments where research can turn down the temperature, expand the conversation, or illuminate more constructive paths forward. Partner with senior leadership on portfolio planning, resourcing, and grant‑funded work.

• Research & Sensemaking

  Lead the design and execution of high‑quality public opinion research, working with internal teams and external vendors. Translate findings into clear, values‑based frameworks and narratives that explain not just what people think about immigration, but why.

  Exercise strong judgment about which questions, frames, and insights will resonate most with the public and key decision‑makers. Lead rapid‑response research and analysis during moments of heightened attention or policy change, synthesizing insights quickly without sacrificing rigor. Produce plain‑language guidance and strategic advice tailored to different audiences.

• Partner Engagement & Field‑Building

  Serve as a trusted advisor to funders, civil society organizations, policymakers, and advocates working on immigration and refugee issues.

  Design and deliver briefings, workshops, and tailored strategy sessions that help partners apply insights to programs, policy design, and communications. Build, deepen, and diversify a strong network of advisors and collaborators, proactively identifying new allies and networks where More in Common’s insights can add value. Work both at a national level and in localized contexts (e.g., working with a city administration or place‑based network).

• Public Engagement

  Lead the development of written outputs, including reports, briefing memos, slide decks, and talking points, in collaboration with research and communications colleagues.

  Represent More in Common in external meetings, convenings, webinars, conferences, and select media engagements, including developing relationships with specialist reporters. Support a range of public‑facing work, ensuring insights are accessible, timely, and impactful.

Qualifications & Experience

We look for people who are a great fit for More in Common rather than specific qualifications and experience. However, the following will be an asset for this role:

• 5+ years experience in roles that combine research, analysis, strategy, and external engagement—such as public opinion research, policy analysis, consulting, advocacy, think tanks, journalism, philanthropy, or related fields.
• Demonstrated project and portfolio leadership, including setting direction for projects, managing workstreams and vendors, and taking responsibility for outcomes in uncertain or high‑pressure contexts.
• Substantive familiarity with immigration policy and public discourse, or a closely related issue area, with the ability to develop credibility and sound judgment in a complex, fast‑moving environment.
• Strong research literacy, including experience working with public opinion data (quantitative and qualitative), commissioning or managing research, and translating findings into clear, actionable insights. Comfort navigating complex data sets; experience with analytical tools (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R, Python) is a plus but not required.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting insights to diverse audiences such as funders, civil society leaders, policymakers, journalists, and cross‑ideological stakeholders.
• Experience working across ideological or partisan lines, including building trust with partners who hold different political views or operate in politically sensitive environments.
• Strong execution skills, with a track record of delivering high‑quality work on tight timelines, including during moments of heightened public or political attention.

Values & Perspective

• Believe people have more in common than what divides them, and are motivated to understand what’s driving division and how we can make progress together on shared challenges.
• Embrace a ‘people‑centered’ lens, bringing deep curiosity about how others see the world, genuine respect for perspectives different from their own, and an interest in elevating voices that are often overlooked.
• Bring big ambition with humility, believing this work matters and can make a difference, while putting the mission ahead of ego and being generous with colleagues and partners.
• Care about rigor and relevance, striving to produce insights that are not only accurate, but accessible, timely, and impactful for partners, leaders, and the public.
• Work comfortably across ideological and cultural lines, engaging disagreement with curiosity and good faith rather than judgment or certainty.
• Act with integrity, generosity, and courage, willing to ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and approach complex, sensitive issues with kindness and curiosity.
• Bring optimism, creativity, and a sense of humor to the work, grounded in a belief that urgency and hope can coexist — and that even in hard moments, a good laugh helps teams do their best work.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary for the role is $105,000-$115,000. More in Common offers excellent benefits, including generous leave policy, matching 401(k), medical, and a personal learning and growth budget.

Application Process

• A resume
• Brief response to the following questions:
  
  • Why are you interested in this role at this stage in your career?
  • Describe a time you helped shift thinking on a polarized issue.
• Second Round Interview
• Final Round Interview