Research Assistant/Senior Researcher

APPLICATIONS FOR THE RESEARCH ASSISTANT / SENIOR RESEARCHER POSITION ARE NOW CLOSED.

To Post: May 31, 2023

To Close: July 2, 2023

Research Assistant / Senior Researcher, Revolving Door Project

The Revolving Door Project scrutinizes the people (current and potential) who run the executive branch of the federal government. Our goal is to ensure political appointees serve the broad public interest, rather than corporations’ narrow political agenda or their own personal advancement. 

The Revolving Door Project has an immediate opening for a Research Assistant or Senior Researcher. This is a full-time, remote position with initial funding for 12 months. 

Job Description: A Research Assistant / Senior Researcher for the Revolving Door Project (RDP) is responsible for a variety of important duties. The position involves:

  • Juggling both long and short term research assignments for public, coalitional and internal use; 
  • Writing and co-writing everything from blogs and op-eds to long-form magazine articles and reports;
  • Representing RDP effectively within coalitions;
  • Occasional editing, proofreading, website, social media, and operations support; 
  • Other intermittent work as needed to support fundraising and communications needs. 

Qualifications

  • Successful candidates will possess an interest in topics such as racial and economic justice, media accountability, climate policy, financial regulation, American politics, and administrative law. 
  • Candidates should have some or all of the following: an interest in research; strong knowledge of the political and media landscape; experience at a media outlet, nonprofit, union, or similar environment with a track record of successful work; the ability to learn new software and skills quickly; a demonstrated willingness to get into the weeds on research questions; and a track record translating complex ideas into easy-to-understand formats. 
  • A successful candidate will also have excellent attention to detail, ability to handle multiple projects and manage workflow effectively, good written and verbal communication skills, ability to work both independently and with a team, a sense of humor, and a shared commitment to RDP’s mission and values.

Additionally, individuals hired at the Senior Researcher level should possess considerable relevant professional experience. This may include: experience designing, conducting, and coordinating other team members’ work on research projects, including bulleted political research documents; interfacing with outside stakeholders, e.g. policymakers and/or community-based advocacy organizations; editing public-facing written work; translating economic concepts into easy-to-understand formats; and working against corruption in politics. Those hired at this level should possess competence to undertake research or writing assignments with little to no supervision. Previous experience working in a research-oriented, nonprofit or media setting is also preferred.

Salary & Benefits: RDP offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including generous paid time off, retirement contributions, medical, vision, dental, and disability insurance, and professional development funds. The salary for this position is based on skills and experience and starts at $57,860 for the Research Assistant title and $65,360 for the Senior Researcher title, with yearly cost-of-living increases. RDP is a unionized workplace and is represented by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (Local 70), AFL-CIO. This position is bargaining unit eligible and reports to Revolving Door Project’s executive director.

Closing Date of Position: July 2, 2023 (at 11:59 PM, Eastern time). 

To Apply: Send the following, in a single PDF file, to jobs[at]therevolvingdoorproject.org with the subject line “Research Assistant / Senior Researcher, Revolving Door Project”:

1. a cover letter;

2. a résumé; and

3. a writing sample on a relevant policy-related topic of anywhere from 500 to 1,000 words, or a description of a project you have completed independently or at another organization.

Applications that do not include all of the requested materials and that do not follow the formatting guidance will not be considered. 

Please do not submit additional information apart from the items listed above. If you have any questions, please email info[at]therevolvingdoorproject.org. Absolutely no calls.


The Revolving Door Project (RDP), scrutinizes executive branch appointees to ensure they use their office to serve the broad public interest, rather than to entrench corporate power or seek personal advancement.

Many of the deep rules that govern our rigged economy are written within the executive branch and outside the purview of most of civil society. From the semi-independent bureaus of the Treasury Department (the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the IRS) to the Federal Reserve, OMB, FTC, and beyond, executive branch personnel play a significant role in determining the fundamental rules that govern our economy.

The Revolving Door Project educates civil society in order to counteract the advantage that Wall Street and corporate America have in this rule writing process. We do this by alerting and educating the media and activists when hardworking people are being taken advantage of and clarifying by whom. If we want the executive branch to write rules that structure the economy away from rent extraction and in the direction of greater economic equality, we need to ensure the right people hold key executive branch positions like the Treasury Secretary and SEC Commissioner. 

The executive branch needs to empower dedicated civil servants rather than self-interested people rotating between relatively short stints in government and longer stints in the very industries they’re supposed to regulate. And all members of the executive branch must be pushed to aggressively implement all existing authorities that empower them to fight against corporate misbehavior on behalf of working people.


Revolving Door Project  is fiscally sponsored by Goodnation Philanthropy Advisors, an equal opportunity employer that considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any legally protected status. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.