Research Associate

Gravity Research is hiring a  Research Associate to support Gravity Research’s Political and Reputational Vetting Service. 

Gravity Research, born of National Journal, is a premier custom research and insights organization supporting corporate, association, and nonprofit clients. Our mission is to empower organizations to anticipate risk, spot opportunities, and rationalize reputational concerns against a backdrop of evolving public pressures. 

What is Gravity Research's Political and Reputational Vetting Service?

The Political and Reputational Vetting service provides corporate Political Action Committees with custom analysis on candidates and officials to help inform their giving decisions. Using our research and expertise, we also create content tailored to members’ needs, delivering customized profiles, executive briefings, and programming to top tier Washington professionals. We are looking for curious and innovative entry-level researchers and consultants interested in helping corporations smartly navigate their political giving. 

The role: 

Associates on the Political and Reputational Vetting team use a range of qualitative methods to research candidates’ policy positions and potentially controversial behavior, and use our media monitoring tools to track rapidly changing situations. Associates will also work on product development initiatives as the team begins to expand the services we offer to clients.

Your responsibilities will include: 

• Conducting thorough research on candidates’ policy positions and potentially controversial actions, statements, and affiliations

• Writing clear, succinct summaries of large amounts of data

• Drafting deliverables, including PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, and other formats, to communicate findings to clients
  

• Managing research for multiple client accounts and internal initiatives; taking responsibility for the timely delivery of all work

• Collaborating with team members to develop research methodologies 

• Contributing to product development by crafting new and innovative approaches to producing the analytic work, optimizing operations, and perfecting the research product

Qualifications of the ideal candidate:

• An excellent academic record; bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university

• Up to 2 years of post-undergraduate experience in politics, research, consulting, or another relevant professional setting

• Experience in qualitative research required; experience in a detail-oriented role, such as copyediting, preferred

• Strong research skills and an unflagging commitment to objective, thorough work

• Excellent writing skills; ability to distill large amounts of information into concise summaries and analytic conclusions

• Adaptability; able to quickly adjust to evolving timelines and priorities, ready to learn new systems and adapt research and writing to product-specific guidelines

• Outstanding time management and judgment; demonstrated proficiency managing competing project priorities and adhering to timelines

• Proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint 

• Demonstrated interest in public policy and politics and outstanding client-service ethic

• Entrepreneurial spirit; track record of helping to build new initiatives from conception to execution

Employment Type: Full-time

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $48,000-$52,000

Location: This job is based in Washington, DC. Gravity Research operates on a hybrid schedule, with employees required to be in the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

About Us

Across Gravity Research, generally, the firm looks for three “pillar gifts” in you, and everyone else. In all of us, these are more aspirational than actual, but they are central in our intentions –

• Force of Ideas:  At the center of Gravity Research’s work are the ideas within our work. We believe that ideas—the good and not—have consequences. Our ultimate objective is to bring rigor, insight, and intellectual honesty to the goal of separating the bad from the good, and giving voice, argument, and flight to maintaining the latter.

• Spirit of Generosity: Gravity Research seeks in its ranks a spirit of generosity: a natural disposition in each colleague toward service and selfless conduct. Our writing should be cut from the same cloth—critical on the merits, but informed by charity and forbearance in measuring motive and personal character.

• Radical Responsibility:  We give our people a lot of responsibility early on, and our top performers embrace it. We believe in holding ourselves and our colleagues accountable, taking ownership over big things, striving for excellence, and celebrating success.

Gravity Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.