Research Manager – Hidden Tribes
Washington, DC
Full Time
Mid Level
Research Manager – Hidden Tribes
Location: Washington, D.C. preferred (3 days in office); remote considered in exceptional cases
Salary: $91,000-115,000, commensurate with experience
Start Date: September 2025
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 six 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. 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 parties, and life experiences.
The Opportunity: Research Manager
In 2018, More in Common’s landmark study Hidden Tribes helped reframe the national conversation about polarization by introducing the concept of the Exhausted Majority—a broad group of Americans who feel politically homeless and long for common ground. The project received significant national attention—including over one thousand mentions in media ranging from the front page of the New York Times to the Ben Shapiro Show—and has since shaped the work of leaders across sectors.
More in Common is now launching Hidden Tribes 2.0, a major research and communications initiative that will begin in 2025 and culminate in 2026. This reboot will offer a new, deeply human portrait of the American public—one that reflects emerging ideological shifts, challenges cynicism, and points to compelling, unifying principles and visions of the future.
We’re hiring a Research Manager to help drive the execution of this effort, and then seize on its success by helping to drive More in Common’s research agenda in the years ahead. This role is perfect for someone who combines solid research know-how with strong project management instincts. The Research Manager will be essential in turning bold ideas into real-world impact by coordinating fieldwork, drafting research tools, supporting communications, and helping a fast-moving team stay focused and organized.
Key Responsibilities
The Research Manager will report to the Global Director of Research, who oversees the Hidden Tribes Project, and will work primarily with the US team and occasionally with international teams. They will help translate vision into execution and ideas into insights. Responsibilities include:
Project Management & Coordination
You’re someone who thrives at the intersection of research, project management, and communications. You follow politics, and have a good sense of what the general public would find interesting, but you’re unsatisfied by the state of our politics. You think new narratives have the power to change peoples’ perspectives, and will be obsessive about ensuring that the Hidden Tribes Project gets all of the details exactly right, in order to maximize its chances of success.
Required Experience and Skills
Please submit:
Location: Washington, D.C. preferred (3 days in office); remote considered in exceptional cases
Salary: $91,000-115,000, commensurate with experience
Start Date: September 2025
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 six 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. 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 parties, and life experiences.
The Opportunity: Research Manager
In 2018, More in Common’s landmark study Hidden Tribes helped reframe the national conversation about polarization by introducing the concept of the Exhausted Majority—a broad group of Americans who feel politically homeless and long for common ground. The project received significant national attention—including over one thousand mentions in media ranging from the front page of the New York Times to the Ben Shapiro Show—and has since shaped the work of leaders across sectors.
More in Common is now launching Hidden Tribes 2.0, a major research and communications initiative that will begin in 2025 and culminate in 2026. This reboot will offer a new, deeply human portrait of the American public—one that reflects emerging ideological shifts, challenges cynicism, and points to compelling, unifying principles and visions of the future.
We’re hiring a Research Manager to help drive the execution of this effort, and then seize on its success by helping to drive More in Common’s research agenda in the years ahead. This role is perfect for someone who combines solid research know-how with strong project management instincts. The Research Manager will be essential in turning bold ideas into real-world impact by coordinating fieldwork, drafting research tools, supporting communications, and helping a fast-moving team stay focused and organized.
Key Responsibilities
The Research Manager will report to the Global Director of Research, who oversees the Hidden Tribes Project, and will work primarily with the US team and occasionally with international teams. They will help translate vision into execution and ideas into insights. Responsibilities include:
Project Management & Coordination
- High emotional intelligence: you’re able to set clear priorities, align the actions of several people who don’t work for you, and ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the big picture
- Lead project coordination tasks: planning ahead, managing deadlines, tracking tasks, and updating timelines
- Set agendas and prepare materials for key internal and partner meetings
- Maintain and improve internal project documents (e.g., project overview documents, research plans, trackers)
- Anticipate bottlenecks, solve day-to-day problems, and streamline workflows
- Design and draft research (e.g., survey questionnaires, focus group guides)
- Support fieldwork logistics, including recruiting, vendor coordination, and respondent communications
- Conduct quality assurance on research outputs and deliverables
- Assist in moderating or observing qualitative sessions (e.g., focus groups)
- Participate in analysis and synthesis of quantitative data
- Develop first drafts of slides, report chapters, and research briefs for internal and external use
- Strong instincts for what type of research the public will find most interesting
- Collaborate with internal colleagues on research, narrative, writing and strategy efforts
- Provide drafting and editing support for presentations, internal memos, and external communications
- Represent the Hidden Tribes team in internal and external meetings as well as public-facing events, and ensure smooth coordination with partners and vendors
You’re someone who thrives at the intersection of research, project management, and communications. You follow politics, and have a good sense of what the general public would find interesting, but you’re unsatisfied by the state of our politics. You think new narratives have the power to change peoples’ perspectives, and will be obsessive about ensuring that the Hidden Tribes Project gets all of the details exactly right, in order to maximize its chances of success.
Required Experience and Skills
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. political science, public policy, psychology, sociology) or 4+ years of relevant professional experience
- Hands-on familiarity with research processes—especially survey design, qualitative facilitation, and/or basic statistical analysis
- Excellent organizational and project management skills; you love taking general direction and shaping that into concrete and detailed plans
- Skilled in drafting professional, engaging, concise written materials—whether they’re emails, research summaries, or slide decks
- Competent with tools like Excel, Google Suite, and at least one research or visualization platform (e.g. R, Flourish, Canva, SPSS, Qualtrics)
- Comfort working with research design, data collection, and quantitative data analysis
- Experience designing and moderating focus groups
- Strong familiarity with the US political and media landscape—and an instinct for identifying what resonates publicly
- Clear-eyed understanding of polarization dynamics and curiosity about bridging divides
- A practical and proactive orientation: you notice what's needed before you're asked
- Deep alignment with More in Common’s mission to strengthen democracy by helping people understand one another
- Comfort working across ideological perspectives—including an appreciation for, or personal grounding in, conservative worldviews
- A sense of urgency and purpose about this moment in American life
- Willingness to ask tough questions, think critically, and challenge assumptions—with kindness and integrity
- The ability to talk about thorny, third rail issues with constant grace and occasional humor
Please submit:
- A resume
- Brief responses (1–2 paragraphs each) to the following:
- Why are you interested in this role at this stage in your career?
- What’s the most interesting thing More in Common could do research about right now?
- Phase 1: Accepting applications from now through August 15. All applicants will receive a response by the end of August.
- Phase 2: Round 1 Interviews will take place in mid to late August. We anticipate interviewing about 10-20 candidates in this phase.
- Phase 3: We anticipate inviting 5 finalists to this phase. They will be asked to submit a written assessment, and do two or three 1 hour interviews. We anticipate making offers by mid-September.
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