Democracy Researcher
Location: Virtual, DC strongly preferred.
Experience: Minimum 3 years relevant experience
Term: Full-time employee

Summary:

Documented is looking for a researcher to support our ongoing and expanded investigations into current efforts to undermine American democracy. This researcher will collaborate with colleagues, journalists, and allies to expose unethical, illegal, and negligent behavior among political actors, corporations, and/or front groups. This role would ideally suit somebody with a passion for protecting and strengthening our democracy, including the right to vote and democratic representation. You would be joining a team committed to investigating and exposing the actors that seek to undermine government by the people.

About Documented:

Documented is an investigative watchdog and journalism project committed to holding the powerful interests that undermine our democracy accountable. Started in 2017, Documented has conducted groundbreaking and award-winning investigations into politicians, industry trade associations, political networks, and their front groups. Our work has influenced congressional hearings, national media coverage, and corporate behavior. In 2021, Documented’s work exposing the groups behind the events of January 6th, documenting the right-wing opposition to HR1, and revealing the coordinated efforts to spread voter suppression legislation, had a significant national impact. For more on our work, see our About Us page.

Role & Responsibilities

The position will take on a variety of roles to assist the Documented investigative team as we expand our democracy project in 2022. The exact job responsibilities are fluid day to day, and require creative thinking and both collaborative and independent work. The job necessitates someone who is adaptable to a fast-changing environment, doggedly interested in these issues, able to identify (typically overlooked) connections between individuals, organizations, and politicians, and who will bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the job.

Day to day responsibilities may include:

• Developing content for publication across platforms, including social media, internal memos, the Documented website, and our newsletter.
• Reviewing, organizing, and analyzing large volumes of material and data to identify and summarize key research findings.
• Collaborating with colleagues and allies while also working independently.
• Balancing multiple projects and responsibilities at once.
• Other duties as assigned.

Ideal candidates should have:

• A passion for protecting democracy.
• Understanding of, and interest in following, national politics and current events.
• Some familiarity with or interest in investigative research methods as well as resourcefulness and creativity with research.
• Interest in parsing through and analyzing complex data or technical language to identify compelling, untold stories.
• Strong writing skills. Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in research, writing and editing.
• Desire to collaborate with allies and teammates in a fast-changing environment.
• In a safe-to-travel environment, willingness to travel for events or other research needs.
• Ability to articulate and communicate a clear process for completing assignments, with timelines, and then sticking to deadlines
• A willingness to dive in, make mistakes, learn quickly, and have some fun. Our team will be here to support you.

Please note the qualifications listed in our job descriptions are only guidelines. We encourage candidates who meet some, not necessarily all, of the requirements listed to apply. We value transferable skills, including unpaid and volunteer experience. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Documented is committed to creating an inclusive community and strongly encourages those who identify as women, gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, people of color, and persons with disabilities to apply.

If interested, please apply here. Please direct questions to jobs@documented.net.

The compensation for this position is $55,000 - $65,000, commensurate with experience. We are a family-friendly organization. We offer a generous and competitive benefits package, including health insurance, which includes vision and dental care. We also provide life insurance and disability coverage, as well as parental leave, sick and vacation time.

We will begin reviewing applications on Monday, November 22nd.