Research Manager

The Research Manager conducts rigorous, high-quality research to support PowerSwitch Action's campaigns, programs, and long-term planning. They produce a range of internal and public-facing research products, from strategic corporate research and landscape and industry analyses to policy analyses, public reports, and briefs, and present findings to the PowerSwitch network and other stakeholders. Working closely with cross-departmental teams, the Research Manager is a key participant in strategy development processes and identifies emerging research needs. The role may supervise staff, interns, or contractors.

About PowerSwitch Action

PowerSwitch Action (formerly the Partnership for Working Families) is a national network of 21 grassroots organizations pioneering innovative policy and organizing approaches in cities, counties, and states around the US. Our long-term agenda, developed in close collaboration with our affiliates, is to forge multiracial feminist democracy and economies — starting in our cities and sparking national transformation.

Our affiliates weave strategic alliances and alignments amongst labor, neighborhood, housing, racial justice, faith, ethnic-based, and environmental groups. We organize communities, advocate for policy change, and shift power from corporations to the people whose labor has been exploited and voices excluded.

As authoritarians assault our communities and attempt to seize even more power, we’ve focused our work on halting the drive towards autocracy. Together with our affiliates and partners, we are working to:

• Significantly increase the number of people prepared to defy the autocrats and build a civic participation renaissance.
• Pull cogs from the authoritarian machine: challenging the corporations powering it, insisting our elected and civic leaders refuse to cooperate, and making the stakes clear to those who are tuned out or conflicted.
• Counter doom and division with hopeful alternatives that meet people’s needs.

We are not trying to walk back to an old system that failed far too many of us (and created conditions that were ripe for the authoritarians). We are building people power to lay a new road: one leading to a world where our communities are powerful, in control of our lives, and cherished by our institutions and each other.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research production and dissemination

• Execute a research portfolio that reflects organizational priorities.
• Develop and maintain project plans and timelines, ensuring milestones and deadlines are met.
• Develop internal and public-facing research deliverables informed by appropriate methods, including but not limited to strategic corporate research, landscape analyses, industry analyses, policy analyses, and public records examination.
• Present findings to PowerSwitch Action staff, the network, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Conduct exploratory research for organizational growth.

1. Collaboration with campaigns and the network

• Work collaboratively with staff, affiliates, and partners to scope research projects and use research to develop campaign strategy and tactics.
• Participate actively in strategy and campaign meetings, listening for emerging research needs, tracking priorities in real time, and synthesizing what was decided.
• Work alongside the campaign team to assist affiliates with research projects, as needed
• Support the development and execution of research trainings for affiliates.

Qualifications

Must-Have Qualifications

• Outstanding campaign researcher: 3+ years of professional research experience, with demonstrated skills across two or more of the following: strategic corporate research, power mapping, public records and legal research, policy analysis, campaign/opposition research, data scraping, data analysis, visualization and mapping, and data management. Demonstrated experience using research to develop or refine campaign strategy.
• Strong communicator: Strong writing, speaking, and presentation skills; ability to present complicated research effectively to different audiences.
• Project management experience: Effectively drives projects, sets and tracks deadlines, balances competing priorities, manages communication among stakeholders, and flags when input or support is needed.
• Agile problem solver: Quickly grasps the subtleties of complex issues and identifies patterns in challenges. Comes up with insightful, pragmatic, equitable, and sustainable ways to tackle common challenges and produce positive change. Has a successful track record of taking a concept from idea to implementation.

Preferred but not required

• Experience with campaigns or research focused on corporate accountability, labor, democracy, economic justice, progressive revenue, money in politics, housing, or climate.
• Experience designing or delivering research trainings or coaching.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, non-exempt position and reports to the Research Director. We offer a competitive starting salary between $74,000-$93,000 (based on experience) and generous benefits, including:

• 401(k) with 5% employer contribution.
• 100% of health, dental, and vision premiums for employees and their family members (spouse/domestic partner and children).
• Life insurance for employees.
• Flexible Spending Account: Employees may contribute up to $5,000 a year for childcare expenses and up to $2,500 a year for medical expenses (no employer contribution).
• 12 days of vacation, increasing with tenure up to 20 days.
• 12 days of sick leave per year.
• 6 week sabbatical for full time employees after five years of employment.

We aim to offer competitive salaries and benefits and are committed to equity, trust, and transparency in compensation. Basing compensation on someone’s willingness and ability to negotiate or on their prior salary leads to wide inequities and bias in how people are paid, particularly for groups experiencing historical oppression. Therefore, we do not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our offer-making process is based on the range provided. We determine the best possible salary offer based on relevant experience and the extent to which candidates demonstrate the competencies for the role during the entire hiring process. All staff receive a $2,000 flat raise on their work anniversary that is not tied to performance.

Location

The position will ideally be located in a city in which one of PowerSwitch Action’s 21 affiliates is located, but we will consider exceptional candidates who are located in other cities and major media markets. The Research Manager will travel at least six times per year for affiliate visits, conferences, and staff retreats.

To Apply

Please email a letter of interest, resume, and responses to the Application Questions listed below to jobs@powerswitchaction.org with “Research Manager” in the subject line. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to provide a work sample (no more than 10 pages, with confidential information redacted) that demonstrates their ability to write clearly and produce research to inform campaigns; second round candidates will be asked to participate in an exercise. Candidates should be prepared to provide a list of 3-4 professional references including at least one supervisor. Note: Please refrain from using AI in your application materials. We want to be able to assess your non-AI-assisted research and writing skills.

PowerSwitch Action is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people of all backgrounds. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, skills, and experiences, and to creating a welcoming environment for all employees. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender/gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. Our hiring and employment decisions are based solely on a person’s merit and qualifications.

Application Questions

• How would you like for us to refer to you (i.e. pronouns, preferred name)?
• Why are you interested in working with PowerSwitch Action to help build people power and people’s institutions to realize our collective freedom and liberation? Please include any relevant experience that you may have that makes you excited about this opportunity.
• Briefly describe your experience working as part of a team on research projects, including how you divide work, give and receive feedback on drafts, and navigate differences in analysis or approach with colleagues.
• What are the most significant research projects or products you have participated in, and what was your role in shaping them?
• Where are you currently located?
• How did you hear about this role?
• We understand that many strong candidates for this role may have existing work commitments through the fall, and are open to a delayed start date. Approximately when would you prefer to start? (ex: ASAP, November, January).

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, non-exempt position and reports to the Research Director. We offer a competitive starting salary between $74,000-$93,000 (based on experience) and generous benefits, including:

• 401(k) with 5% employer contribution.
• 100% of health, dental, and vision premiums for employees and their family members (spouse/domestic partner and children).
• Life insurance for employees.
• Flexible Spending Account: Employees may contribute up to $5,000 a year for childcare expenses and up to $2,500 a year for medical expenses (no employer contribution).
• 12 days of vacation, increasing with tenure up to 20 days.
• 12 days of sick leave per year.
• 6 week sabbatical for full time employees after five years of employment.

We aim to offer competitive salaries and benefits and are committed to equity, trust, and transparency in compensation. Basing compensation on someone’s willingness and ability to negotiate or on their prior salary leads to wide inequities and bias in how people are paid, particularly for groups experiencing historical oppression. Therefore, we do not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our offer-making process is based on the range provided. We determine the best possible salary offer based on relevant experience and the extent to which candidates demonstrate the competencies for the role during the entire hiring process. All staff receive a $2,000 flat raise on their work anniversary that is not tied to performance.

Location

The position will ideally be located in a city in which one of PowerSwitch Action’s 21 affiliates is located, but we will consider exceptional candidates who are located in other cities and major media markets. The Research Manager will travel at least six times per year for affiliate visits, conferences, and staff retreats.