Reports To: Senior Director of Communications and Research
Position Location: Remote
Position Type: Part-time (20 hours/week), non-exempt. This 50% schedule equates to 20 hours of work time (including 2.5 hours of paid lunch/break time) each week.
Start Date: Immediately
Duration: This position is seasonal and runs from June through August with the possibility of extension.
Compensation: $17/hour. This position is not eligible for benefits.
Positions: We are looking for 3 Research Assistants.
New American Leaders ****(NAL) and New American Leaders Action Fund (NALAF) are working in tandem to build an inclusive democracy by preparing New Americans (first and second generation immigrants and refugees) to run for office, win their campaigns, and lead in elected office. We are the only organizations preparing New Americans to enter the political process and govern with accountability and authenticity. As a result, more New Americans will run for office, engage their communities, turn out new voters, and ultimately serve as values-aligned leaders in office who can advance just and equitable policies.
Position Description
NAL/AF is seeking Research Assistant (part-time) to assist in tracking representation of and policy impact by New Americans. We are seeking an upper-class undergraduate student or a graduate student pursuing a degree in a relevant field (e.g., Political Science, Sociology, Public Policy), with an interest in or familiarity with immigrant political incorporation.
Goals
Currently, New American Leaders is the only organization dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and publishing original research related to immigrants in elected office or in politics. This is an exciting opportunity to spearhead a national effort to create databases, resources, and reports that emphasize immigrant involvement in, and contributions to, the legislative and electoral processes.
Responsibilities
Data Collection and Analysis:
Find, collect, and organize data from a variety of sources to support various research projects
Assist in the analysis of data alongside NAL/AF staff and partners
Learn and apply basic data analysis skills using tools such as Excel and assist in coding and analyzing datasets.
Drafting and Fact-Checking:
Contribute to the drafting of reports, fact sheets, and blog posts based on research findings.
Support fact-checking processes to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Communication and Marketing:
Collaborate with the Communications Team to contribute content for social media and communications materials.
Assist with the creation of promotional plans and toolkits for a wide array of audiences.
Draft talking points and summaries for non-technical audiences.
Sample Projects
Identifying New Americans in elected office and reporting descriptive data on representation by race and ethnicity, gender, and national origin in a new database
Gathering and evaluating data related to NAL’s trainees
Qualifications and Skills
Demonstrated interest in immigrant rights, immigration policy and democracy reform.
Passionate about improving minority representation in all tiers of U.S. political leadership.
Upper-class undergraduate student pursuing a degree in a relevant field (e.g., Political Science, Sociology, Public Policy).
Strong writing and communication skills.
Strong interest in research methodologies and a willingness to learn.
Knowledge of the different levels of government.
Proficient knowledge of Google Drive, Microsoft Word, and Excel.
Interpersonal skills, including the ability to make calls to a wide variety of people, from donors to local representatives.
Self-starter who happily takes initiative on individual projects, but also works well in cooperative decision-making settings.
Strong organizational/multi-tasking skills, detail oriented, and an ability to meet deadlines.
Preferred but Not Required
Familiarity with NGP VAN, Airtable, and EveryAction.
Prior experience working on a political campaign or in the office of an elected official.
Time Commitment
A minimum of 20 hours per week is required. Scheduling is flexible based on applicant's availability. The Research Assistant will be expected to work independently to set timeline