Research Fellow

Position Summary

FairVote, headquartered in Takoma Park near the metro, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our mission is electoral reform that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a more representative democracy. Since 1992, FairVote has been the national leader in developing and distributing the educational tools and analysis necessary to increase public appreciation of the value of ranked choice voting (RCV). We value nonpartisanship and wish to attract candidates who can work across the political and ideological spectrum to advance FairVote reforms.

FairVote is experiencing a surge of interest in its mission, with new resources that position us for major growth and impact. We are doubling down on our effort to encourage adoption of RCV in national elections, while supporting movements and campaigns in states and cities. With new senior leadership and attention to building a strong and healthy organization with real potential to transform American democracy through RCV and the Fair Representation Act, we are looking for a Research Fellow to join our team as we grow in the coming year.

Position Summary

The Research Fellow will conduct research and data analysis for the Law and Policy team and cross-functional teams in support of FairVote’s advocacy mission. This role will respond to data requests from colleagues; conduct original research, manage and prioritize FairVote’s existing applied research projects. The Fellow’s data analysis informs campaigns on priority issues across FairVote with direction and support from their team.

The Research Fellow reports to the Senior Research Analyst. This position is full-time regular, exempt, benefits eligible, and expected to conduct the majority of the work from our Takoma Park, MD office (with the option for remote work during COVID-19 period).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

● Conduct careful and objective research into questions about American elections and electoral reform proposals.
● Write FairVote blog posts, guest posts to other sites, fact sheets and research reports about research findings and electoral reform.
● Provide data and analysis to support colleagues’ strategic outreach to national, state and local organizations and leaders.
● Participate in ongoing discussions on data collection, study design, methodology, and data analysis.
● Analyze data through the use of statistical tools, interpret the results, and provide written summaries of findings.
● Work efficiently in a collaborative environment, sharing analysis techniques and common practices with other staff.
● Provide insight into funding proposals and reports
● Assist with other projects as assigned