Policy and Research Staff Technologist

Position Summary: The Policy and Research Staff Technologist is a member of our Public Interest Technology team of ethical technologists defending encryption, outwitting censors and trackers, and leading the way toward a better digital future. This position is primarily responsible for collaborating as an issue area expert internally with EFF’s cross-functional programmatic teams and externally with targeted communities and peer organizations; analyzing digital rights trends and writing public-facing materials that amplify EFF positions; and using deep technical expertise to ensure that EFF’s work makes technically sound, impactful contributions to the fight for digital rights.

Essential Functions

• Writes and edits at least 6-12 high-quality, accurate, compelling blog posts, articles, research papers, and other materials annually, following EFF standards for review and topical issues.
• Identifies strategic opportunities for EFF to impact public conversations and advance our mission and, in collaboration with other EFF staff, develops creative technical and advocacy responses to those opportunities.
• Follows and responds to newsworthy developments as an issue area expert, including building expertise across disciplines and as new issues arise.
• Conducts technical research and develops policy positions on the latest digital rights issues.
• Publicly represents EFF in the media, to policy makers, to peer advocacy organizations, at conferences, and through other outlets.
• Serves as a technical resource for EFF's programmatic teams and engages in at least 2 internal issue area working groups ensuring that our positions, writing, legal filings, and policies are grounded in an accurate technical understanding.
• Investigates and explains complex technical topics to diverse audiences with kindness and clarity.
• Proactively engages with other EFF teams (Legal, Activism, Legislative, Design, Development), peer organizations, and targeted communities to enhance our collaborations on domestic and international digital rights initiatives.

Qualities We’re Seeking (i.e. Competencies)

• Willingness to productively work and collaborate remotely
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Ability to see things from other people’s perspective
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with diverse audiences
• Ability to demonstrate care and respect toward coworkers, outside partners, members of the public, donors, and others with whom this role interacts
• Ability to work to positively and collaboratively resolve conflicts and overcome challenges
• Ability to be available and responsive to colleagues, outside partners and others over email, phone, and online chat, with the ability to respond and reliably to time-sensitive requests for assistance and opportunities during agreed work hours
• Ability to contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences including race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socio-economic circumstance
• Ability to learn and build expertise on EFF policy, legal, and technology positions

Required skills and experience

• Experience working on technology with a focus on user rights.
• Excellent writing skills, including writing and editing collaboratively and writing about public policy issues for a general audience.
• Technical expertise relevant to EFF’s issue areas, including but not limited to competition, surveillance, freedom of expression, security, consumer privacy, etc.

Nice to have

• The ability to read and analyze legislation at the state, federal, and international level to provide a technical foundation for advocacy and legal efforts.
• Deep understanding of digital rights issues and surveillance technologies used internationally.

Compensation:

Bay Area Salary Range

$135,000 to $143,300 Depending on experience

Salary Range Outside of the Bay Area

$108,457 to $135,249 Depending on location and experience

Salaries outside of the Bay Area are regionalized using the General Schedule Locality Adjustment.

Classification: Exempt, Union, Full-time (40 hrs/wk)

Expected hours of work: Typically Monday-Friday

Reports to: Associate Director of Technology Policy and Research

Supervisory responsibilities: None

Travel: There will also be opportunities to attend relevant professional conferences remotely or in person. Additionally, EFF hosts two one-week all-staff gatherings at our San Francisco offices each year in the spring and fall, and all staff are expected to attend and are compensated for travel expenses.

Location: This position may be based at our offices in San Francisco or anywhere in CA, DC, GA, MA, MD, NV, NJ, NY, OR and WA. This position will need to keep Pacific time zone hours regardless of location.

Commitment to Diversity

As an advocacy organization, EFF is committed to being part of a diverse community. Diversity of life experiences makes a big difference in how we identify and litigate legal issues, design privacy-enhancing software, and organize our activism. To that end, we deliberately seek applicants with different perspectives, identities, and experiences to build an inclusive workplace to better inform our advocacy and defense of freedom in our digital world. EFF is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people of all races, genders, ages, abilities, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.