Civic Action Researcher

Civic Action Researcher

Unruled Masses (UM) is a New York-based 501(c)(3), nonpartisan, public education and civic empowerment organization. Our mission is to research and expose abuses of power by public and private entities, educate the public on how corruption affects daily life, empower people to counter corruption through nonviolent and lawful civic action, and inspire hope through community.

We believe democracy is non-negotiable — we will never yield to authoritarian interests or abuses of power that violate democratic principles and harm our communities. And we believe hope lives in those who fight for a better tomorrow: when abusers use "divide and conquer" tactics, hopelessness is the intended outcome. UM exists to counter that by showing people that when they work together to reclaim their power and agency, they can defeat efforts to abuse and exploit them.

Who You Are: You are a dedicated researcher who believes that information is the foundation of action. You understand that while the desire for change is widely shared, the strategy for change must be precise. You don't need to be a lifelong activist; you need to be a skilled investigator and strategist who can translate our corruption research and nonviolent civic action theory into clear, actionable steps for ordinary people.

You care deeply about democracy and are driven by the belief that public institutions must be accountable always — and only — to the people. You are technically proficient, detail-oriented, and passionate about building the Action Playbooks that will serve as the roadmap for reclaiming our democratic future.

What You'll Do as a Civic Action Researcher:

• Build Action Playbooks: Research and draft step-by-step guides to lawful, nonviolent civic actions people can take in response to specific types of corruption, tailored to a person's risk tolerance and circumstances, for inclusion in our Civic Action Program.
• Tactical Implementation: Use your technical skills to build these researched tactics into our digital page builders, ensuring they are accessible and user-friendly for the public.
• Synthesize Strategy: Analyze historical and contemporary pro-democracy movements to identify effective, nonviolent mobilization strategies that can be adapted to today's challenges.
• Translate Research into Action: Work with our Corruption Research Program to turn documented abuses of power — drawn from our Abuse Library and Corruption Intelligence File — into Action Pages that give the public clear instructions for peaceful, strategic civic engagement.
• Support Community Training: Help create the materials and strategies used in Community Action Trainings so members of the public can safely and effectively carry out the actions you've helped design.
• Identify Strategic Targets: Research the most effective levers for institutional accountability to maximize the impact of our collective efforts.

Exceptional volunteers may:

• Develop high-level strategic frameworks for national or international civic action campaigns.
• Lead deep-dive research projects on the effectiveness of specific nonviolent tactics across different political climates.
• Collaborate with our communications team to script and produce educational content, including for the Unruled Voices podcast, based on your research.
• Act as a subject matter expert during community trainings and partner coalition sessions.

Research Areas of Interest: We are looking for researchers who can contribute to our core pillars: Nonviolent Tactics & Strategy; Civic Action Mobilization; Human Rights Defense; Institutional Accountability; and Community Organizing Frameworks.

Ideal Qualifications

• Research Expertise: Proven experience in qualitative research, political science, sociology, or a related field with a focus on civic engagement or social movements.
• Technical Proficiency: Comfortable working with CMS/page-building tools (e.g., WordPress, Webflow, or similar) to format and publish research findings.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to look beyond individual data points to see the "how" and "why" of mobilization and movement building.
• Clarity of Expression: Strong, plain-language writing skills, with the ability to simplify complex strategic concepts into clear, motivational instructions — consistent with UM's commitment to accessibility.
• Mission Alignment: A demonstrated, nonpartisan commitment to democracy, human rights, and the belief that organized, peaceful communities can hold power accountable and reclaim public institutions.

Compensation & Commitment: This is an unpaid volunteer role. We are flexible on time but ask for at least 3–5 hours a week to help build and maintain our Action Playbooks. As we grow our 501(c)(3) funding, paid leadership positions or staff roles may be offered to volunteers who demonstrate exceptional dedication and impact.

Benefits of Volunteering with Unruled Masses

• Architect the Movement: Help build the Action Playbooks that will guide people toward effective, peaceful civic action.
• Founding Team Status: Work directly with UM leadership to build a nonpartisan, public-interest research and civic action organization from the ground up.
• Intellectual Growth: Engage with current research and thinking on nonviolent resistance and human rights strategy.
• Transformative Impact: Play a direct role in moving people from isolation and hopelessness into organized, hopeful, and effective collective action.