Research Assistant
Civic Nation
Civic Nation seeks a Research Assistant who will support all of Civic Nation’s democracy initiatives: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, We The Action, and When We All Vote. The Assistant, reporting to the Associate Director of Digital Strategy, will play a critical role in providing accurate elections information to voters, fact checking, and more. This position will also provide media and social monitoring of news development and research support. Overall, this is an exciting position for individuals with an interest in research, elections, and are detail- oriented team players. This role will work 20 hours per week for 12 weeks.
ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS
The Communications Team is focused on telling the story of Civic Nation’s work. Through creative messaging, digital activations, media relations, and more, the Communications Team amplifies the work of all Civic Nation initiatives and campaigns.
ABOUT CIVIC NATION
Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders and influencers to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Six initiatives and campaigns are a part of the Civic Nation family: When We All Vote, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, It’s On Us, We The Action, the Change Collective, and SAVE On Student Debt.
YOUR IMPACT
- Update the 50-state election deadline and law tracker daily, keeping track of state and local election dates and law updates.
- Develop issue one-pagers, memos, reports, explainers and other documents breaking down critical issues for Civic Nation’s democracy initiatives.
- News and social media monitoring to help communications staff respond to actionable items within their relevant newscycles.
- Track legislative, legal, and administrative developments regarding Civic Nation’s democracy initiatives.
- Fact check documents and other materials for accuracy in collaboration with the research contractor.
- Other reasonable and relevant duties as assigned.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- A recent graduate or currently enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level.
- 2+ years of research experience, including academic experience and internships.
- 2+ years of experience in nonprofit and/or political environments, including internships.
- Demonstrated experience balancing multiple projects on tight deadlines.
- Demonstrated experience translating large amounts of information into accessible explainers and memos.
- Proficiency in Google Suite, including Google Sheets, Google Calendar, and Google Docs, and Asana.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Academic research experience.
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- A self-starter, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and driven to take the initiative and complete tasks on deadline.
- Able to work as a member of a collaborative team.
- Availability for 20 hours per week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET.
YOUR COMPETENCIES
- A strong commitment to democratic engagement and involvement with civic engagement activities.
- Meticulous attention to detail.
- Ability to manage large amounts of information and spreadsheets.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong teamwork, critical thinking, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality.
- A strong ability to listen, understand, connect, earn the trust of, and collaborate with employees at all levels of the organization.
- Comfort in a rapidly changing environment and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities at any given time.
- Strong organizational and time management skills, with an ability to manage. multiple projects at once.
- Personal and professional commitment to promoting and investing in cross-cultural skills and awareness related to individuals from broad backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.
SALARY
The Washington, DC-based salary range for this position is $17.95/hour. This role will work 20 hours per week for 12 weeks.
PROCESS TIMELINE
Candidates can expect the following hiring process and timeline (please note that this timeline may be subject to change):
- September 8–10: First-Round Interviews
- September 12: Writing Assignment
- September 15–19: Final Interviews
- September 24: Hiring Decision announced
All candidates will be notified via email of the status of their application on or before the completion of the search.
TO APPLY
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume below. The cover letter, addressed to Emily Kong, should be concise, compelling, and include why you would like to work for Civic Nation. Applications will be accepted until September 5, 2025.
At Civic Nation, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly aligned with the fundamental belief that people are inherently capable but often lack opportunity. We know that a diverse workforce allows us to see problems in more nuanced ways, creating the thought leadership needed to fulfill our mission and reach our goals. Civic Nation is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.