Careers
Date posted: January 11, 2022
Closing date: N/A
Term: Full time
Reports to: Associate Director of Public Engagement
Location: Remote, with occasional US domestic and possibly international travel required
To apply: Send a cover letter and resume to careers@publicagenda.org
About Public Agenda:
Public Agenda is a mission-focused research and public engagement organization. We seek to strengthen
democracy by expanding voice and opportunity for all Americans. We focus on improving democracy
itself and the systems and institutions that determine whether the promise of American democracy will be
realized in the lives of everyday people—systems such as health care, education, and criminal justice. We
discover pathways and tools for change, and we connect what we are learning to individuals and
organizations who can put it to use.
Our work takes the form of research initiatives such as Hidden Common Ground, through which Public Agenda identifies surprising areas of broad agreement among Americans that create the potential for bridging divides in pursuit of a stronger democracy. Public Agenda’s work also takes the form of public engagement efforts such as Cycles of Resilience, an ongoing partnership that supports residents in climate-vulnerable communities as they build shared knowledge and voice to ensure that their interests are taken seriously in policymaking.
About the position:
The Senior Public Engagement Associate is an integral member of the Public Engagement team who works to develop, coordinate, and implement engagement projects across a range of issue areas. The Senior Public Engagement Associate leads a variety of public engagement projects; documents and reports on processes and impacts; represents Public Agenda in leadership settings; and facilitates project development, management, and evaluation. The ideal candidate has deep experience in public engagement and participatory democracy and a commitment to embedding equity in projects and practices. This is a remote position that reports to the Associate Director of Public Engagement.
The job duties below describe the most common tasks performed by the Senior Public Engagement Associate:
- Designs and manages complex public engagement projects on a variety of issues
- Provides stakeholder engagement technical assistance to community and institutional leaders
- Designs and conducts formal virtual and in-person trainings
- Conducts, analyzes, and interprets qualitative data collection to develop themes and develop and refine tools and materials to help communities and institutions bring diverse stakeholders to the table, put diverse ideas on the table, and engage in productive problem-solving
- Writes reports and project memos for varied audiences, including institutional leaders, funders, and the public
- Presents project work and public engagement methodology and practices at conferences and other convenings
- Works with colleagues to develop and pursue funding for new projects, tools, and other opportunities for impact
- Identifies new and emerging trends in public engagement
- Builds and maintains strong relationships with community groups, policymakers, and institutional leaders
- Represents Public Agenda before community groups, policymakers, and institutional leaders
Position Qualifications, Skills and Abilities
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
- Five to seven years of work experience in any of the following fields: public engagement, participatory democracy, public policy, community organizing, community development, civic technology, health equity, or environmental sustainability
- Substantial experience managing projects
- Experience designing, facilitating and leading virtual and in-person workshops
- Experience working with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Experience working with community-based organizations and their leaders
- Growing knowledge and understanding of equity and systemic and institutional racism and a commitment to applying a racial equity lens to work
- Ability to communicate in ways that relate to diverse cultural environments
- Proficient in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and experience with data analysis programs a plus
- Once it is safe to travel, this position requires domestic and possibly international travel (valid driver’s license is highly desirable)
- Foreign language fluency is a plus
- Team player and creative thinker
- Highly organized and detail-oriented
*Public Agenda is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
The annual salary range for this position is $70,000-$85,000.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Our organization is committed to equal employment opportunity and diversity in the workplace. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
Date posted: March 10, 2022
Closing date: N/A
Term: Full time
Reports to: Director of Research
Location: Remote, must be available to travel for quarterly organization-wide meetings and occasional additional conferences and meetings
To apply: Interested candidates should submit (1) a resume or CV, (2) a cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position, and (3) a research-related writing sample (of any length) to careers@publicagenda.org
About Public Agenda
Public Agenda is a mission-focused research and public engagement organization. We seek to strengthen democracy by expanding voice and participation opportunities for all Americans. We focus on improving democracy itself and the systems and institutions that determine whether the promise of American democracy will be realized in the lives of everyday people—systems such as health care, education, and criminal justice. We discover pathways and tools for change, and we connect what we are learning to individuals and organizations who can put it to use.
About the Position
The Senior Research Associate (SRA) will contribute to Public Agenda’s efforts through work on research projects that use qualitative and quantitative methodologies—surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews—to develop deeper understandings of the views of Americans on key issues, their experiences with important institutions, their values, and their aspirations. The SRA may also participate in research that analyzes media coverage and other forms of public discourse. We are particularly interested in candidates whose skills enable them to identify causal relationships in analyses of attitudes and opinions, as well as the impact of policies and practices. Based on the successful candidate’s skills and research interests, the SRA will participate in developing ideas for new research projects consistent with Public Agenda’s mission. In keeping with Public Agenda’s commitment to connecting research to action, the SRA will also contribute to projects that link our research and public engagement capacities and that bring knowledge and knowhow to people who can use it.
Because we are a small team engaged in a broad range of research, we seek a candidate with varied interests and a strong desire to learn about new policy areas and develop new research skills. We are particularly interested in a candidate who can complement our existing strengths by (1) adding to our capacity to conduct research on strengthening our nation’s democracy and civic participation and (2) adding to our methodological toolkit.
The SRA’s most frequent tasks will include:
- Participating in the development of research instruments, including survey questions, focus group guides, and interview questions
- Analyzing quantitative and qualitative data
- Writing formal public-facing research reports and more accessible pieces such as blog posts on research findings
- Presenting findings in settings such as conferences and meetings with funders and partners
- Collaborating with colleagues on research logistics to ensure smooth completion of projects
- Collaborating with Public Agenda’s communications team on the production and dissemination of reports and presentations
- Collaborating with colleagues across the organization to identify and find support for new projects
Qualifications:
- Experience with survey research, including writing original survey questions
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and an ability to communicate research findings to non-researchers
- Experience making progress on several projects at once
- Advanced skills in statistical analysis, including experience with descriptive and inferential statistics, correlational analyses, regressions, and statistical tests
- Experience with or willingness and aptitude to learn focus group facilitation
- Experience working with large volumes of unstructured data to create datasets is a plus
- Experience pulling and cleaning large quantities of data from public databases is a plus
- Collaborative spirit
- Commitment to Public Agenda’s mission
- Comfort working in a non-partisan environment supportive of ideological diversity
- Commitment to a respectful and equitable workplace
Public Agenda’s staff is geographically distributed, and this is a work-from-anywhere position. Staff members must be available to work during standard Eastern Time business hours.
The SRA must be available to travel for quarterly organization-wide meetings and occasional additional conferences and meetings.
The annual salary range for this position is $70,000-$80,000.
Public Agenda is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Our organization is committed to equal employment opportunity and diversity in the workplace. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.