Research Associate
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE ROLE
ABOUT MORE IN COMMON
More in Common’s mission is to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and help bring Americans together to tackle our shared challenges. We work with leaders across fields and across the ideological spectrum to support effective problem-solving, strengthen democratic institutions, and better navigate the dynamics of a polarized society. More in Common US works alongside teams in other major democracies. Globally, More in Common is comprised of a team of more than 70 people working in national offices in the US, UK, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Brazil.
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 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 organizations and leaders across sectors—including community groups, government, media, business, philanthropy, corporations and faith communities—on a range of public issues. We partner with leaders and institutions to help them navigate the challenges of polarization, communicate in ways that reach new audiences, and execute strategies that bring Americans together across differences.
In taking on the challenge of uniting a divided America, More in Common is grappling with a daunting problem that has many dimensions. We believe that we have a better chance at success if our team reflects a broad range of disciplines, social and cultural backgrounds, beliefs, political persuasions, and life experiences. For this reason, we strongly encourage people with backgrounds from across the political spectrum (including conservative, libertarian, centrist, liberal, progressive and Independents), those with disabilities as well as candidates from all genders, races, ages, religious, ethnic, socio-economic backgrounds and of all sexual orientations to apply for this role.
For more information on More in Common, please visit our global website and U.S. website.
DAY-TO-DAY AT MORE IN COMMON
More in Common US is collaborative team of under 20 people working across the United States. We primarily work together virtually, but with several in-person opportunities to collaborate together—often in office space in NYC or DC. The pace is fast and the work is varied. Team members regularly wear many hats and move quickly across projects. We stay connected through Slack, weekly all-team and research team meetings, regular project-specific check-ins, and one-on-ones with supervisors. Most day-to-day work is US focused, though some projects involve collaboration with our international teams. We come together as a full team a couple times a year and regularly cross paths at conferences and in-person partner meetings. Our research portfolio spans three types of work: externally facing projects developed in partnership with mission-aligned organizations, internally generated research initiatives, and grant-funded projects we develop and pursue proactively.
THE OPPORTUNITY
More in Common is looking to hire a Research Associate. This is a full-time role. The focus for this role will be supporting More in Common’s research on democracy, polarization, topical political events, and social cohesion.
The role involves
Designing and programming quantitative and qualitative surveys
Designing and facilitating focus groups and interviews
Managing a qualitative online research panel of 300+ Americans
Conducting mixed-method analyses of survey and qualitative data, including longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses
Conducting literature reviews
Social media and social listening analysis
Visualizing data (e.g., in R, PowerPoint, Flourish, Canva, etc.)
Regularly writing up research findings, including in memos and reports
Crafting and conducting presentations of data insights for wider audiences
Developing new project ideas
Drafting concept notes and grant proposals to support new projects
Designing and facilitating webinars and workshops to help practitioners integrate research insights into their program design and delivery
Mentoring research interns
This role reports to one of our Research Managers. The Research Associate will work closely with other research and communications team members on our US team.
This opportunity is flexible in terms of location, with a preference to be based in Washington D.C. (working in-person 3 days/week), and will include some U.S. travel. Remote work also will be considered.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Throughout our journey as an organization, we know one thing for certain: our team is our greatest asset.
We know that sometimes, qualified candidates do not apply for roles based on not meeting all of the criteria; if you are interested in our work and our mission, but unsure if you are the right fit, we encourage you to submit an application. As an organization, we look for great people before we look for specific qualifications and experience.
To reflect this, the minimum qualification required to be considered is to have or soon-to-have a 4-year university degree.
Our work encompasses many substantive areas and uses multiple methodologies, and we do not anticipate a Research Associate will be experienced in all these methodologies or expert in all substantive issue areas. That said, we list below a range of skills that would benefit our organization and contribute most to our work. If you have experience in one or more of these areas, please emphasize and explain this in your application materials.
If the following describes you, we’d love for you to apply.
PERSONAL PASSION AND AMBITION FOR OUR MISSION
We look for people who:
Demonstrate a commitment to understanding the forces driving us apart, finding common ground, and bringing people together to tackle shared challenges.
Possess a deep curiosity about how other people think, a strong sense of respect for people whose views may be very different from your own, and an interest in utilizing the social psychology and political science insights underpinning More in Common’s work.
Are passionate about elevating the voices of the ‘exhausted majority’
Have an ability and desire to work across the ideological spectrum
Hold a strong conviction that you personally can make a difference in making America a less divided nation, with the humility to understand how hard that’s going to be. Big ideas and low ego!
MIXED METHODS RESEARCHER
We look for people who have some combination of the following skills of a mixed methods social science researcher.
Are keenly interested in politics and public issues, but you are not deeply partisan. Instead, you enjoy the challenge of finding common ground among people with differing views and those who are disengaged.
Enjoy getting into the details of data analysis and data presentation, to generate insights from public opinion research and make those insights compelling and engaging for others.
An appetite for and understanding of public opinion research and insights into how public attitudes change
Can sift through both small and large quantitative and qualitative datasets to identify important trends and synthesize the findings.
Comfort with navigating complex data sets (e.g., in Excel and R) and creating polished data visuals (e.g., in R, Flourish, Canva, PowerPoint, etc.)
Experience designing surveys and programming surveys (e.g., via tools like Qualtrics, Google Forms)
Ability to conduct quantitative data analysis (e.g., in Excel, R, Python)
Experience with social media analysis or social listening
Experience conducting message testing research
Can craft compelling and fresh data visuals that resonate with partners
Can build stories and insights from quantitative and qualitative research, creating clear and compelling memos, presentation decks, and reports
Know how to use AI tools to power your research analyses but also understand AI’s limitations.
LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP SKILLS
This role and this moment in the nation’s history call for exceptional leadership and partnership skills. While we don’t look for a fixed list of qualifications, the following will be especially valuable:
A broad range of interests and a record of impact in relevant areas such as democracy, elections, politics, social psychology, advocacy, campaigning, social history, polling, and/or academia
An exceptional ability to execute and achieve rigorous results in the face of strong headwinds
A predisposition for candor in moments when many might be scared to say what they think
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
Have strong interpersonal skills and can represent More in Common well with its partners
Strong attention to detail in communications with stakeholders
Are passionate about helping inform, serve, and grow the nonprofit, nonpartisan democracy, and social cohesion fields
Experience with and a capacity to understand people from different backgrounds, to see the world from others’ perspectives and inspire trust among diverse audiences
JOINING MORE IN COMMON
Each member of our team makes a vital contribution to our work, and we put a strong emphasis on character, culture, and values in hiring. We look for people who:
Are strategic, rigorous, restless, energetic, and creative
Are able to think ahead and get big stuff done
Are committed to a process of ongoing learning and experience of a ‘test and learn’ approach
Act with humility, generosity, and integrity towards others
Are excited to work with heart as well as head
Feel comfortable and excited to dwell on the edge but not on the margins
Want to be part of an effort to turn despair into hope
Here are some additional things we look for:
An agile and entrepreneurial mindset
A drive to make a measurable difference to society and a track record to prove it
Curiosity and creativity
Demonstrable empathy and great listening skills
Strong collaboration and field-building skills
The capacity to embrace complexity and find a way through it, taking others with you along the way
Able to set priorities, meet goals, and evaluate both process and results
Resilience under pressure
A strong familiarity with a diverse range of communities in the US
Belief in the power of a good sense of humor
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary for this role is in the range of $63,000 - $80,00 annual rate, based on skills and experience. More in Common offers excellent benefits, including a generous leave policy, matching 401(k), and medical insurance.
HOW TO APPLY
APPLICATION STEPS
Please submit:
A resume
Brief response to the following questions:
Why are you interested in this position at this moment in your education or career?
What makes you suited to contribute to More in Common’s mission?
What is one recent trend, discourse, phenomenon, or moment in the U.S. that you think is misunderstood or overlooked? Why does it stand out to you?
TIMELINE
We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and accepting them through April 26, 2026. We plan to make final decisions in early to mid June.
Process
Submit Application
First Round Interview
Second Round Interview
Written Test
Final Round Interview