About the Buckley Institute
The mission of the Buckley Institute is to promote intellectual diversity and freedom of speech at Yale University. We aim to foster robust and open debate, provide a home for enlightened conservative thought, and expose students to often-unvoiced views. We believe that genuine intellectual diversity is essential for advancing critical inquiry and seek to challenge ideological complacency wherever it exists.
About the Opening
The Buckley Institute is seeking a Research Lead with a background in political or policy research to conduct in-depth research and monitoring to support the Buckley Institute’s growing efforts to support free speech and intellectual diversity on Yale’s campus, and on America’s college campuses more generally. This is an exciting opportunity to develop research that will influence and shape the national conversation and debate about America’s college campuses. This position will require someone familiar with tools and methods of research, preferably with familiarity with the higher education political landscape, and someone who understands how to turn unique insight into discussion points about the broader higher education system.
The Research Lead will report to the Director of Communications. This role can be based either in-office in New Haven, CT, or virtually from anywhere in the US.
Responsibilities
- Lead research efforts for the Buckley Institute
- Plan and execute in-depth regular organization research projects from start to finish such as our annual faculty political diversity report
- Develop and manage a calendar of research projects, including determining the parameters and timelines to keep the research on track
- Work with communications team on reports and associated communications collateral highlighting research for public consumption
- Fact-check and provide research support for internal and external communications products and publications
- Support student partners with relevant and substantive research
- Oversee data collection and aggregation for research projects and internal growth metrics
- Summarize research and reports on a variety of niche and complicated topics for internal use and public consumption
- Locate document collections, both at Yale and in libraries around the country, that could contain useful information
- Build up social media monitoring capabilities to identify opportunities for rapid response
- Initiate, structure, and complete new research projects
- Work with communications team to package and pitch research findings for publication
- Assist in the development of annual surveys of American higher education
- Analyze and draw out actionable insights from student surveys
- Stay up to date on new research opportunities, strategies, and trends for utilization at the Buckley Institute
- Monitor higher education news developments and propose new research angles
- Identify additional tools or tactics that could advance research capabilities
- Uphold best practices in research to maintain the integrity of the organization’s efforts
- Other duties as needed
Qualifications
- 2+ years of professional experience in political or policy research at a political research firm, public policy organization, non-profit, political campaign, or similar organization
- Strong experience with a variety of research tools, including open records and Freedom of Information Act requests, state and federal campaign finance databases, federal and state grant funding databases, LexisNexis, and similar databases
- Experience with on-site document research
- Ability to undertake limited travel for research purposes
- Ability to travel 3 to 4 times per year for major organization events
- Excellent organization and attention to detail
- Good communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, meet deadlines, multi-task, and follow through
- Strong work ethic, positive attitude, and sound judgement
- Responsible, honest, and dependable
- Enthusiastic philosophical alignment with and passion for the principles of the Buckley Institute
- A bachelor’s degree
Compensation
The projected salary range for this role is $60,000 to $80,000 in addition to competitive benefits including a matching SIMPLE IRA plan, PTO, and health and dental insurance. Salary is contingent upon the specific skills and experience of the selected candidate. This is a chance to join our team at an exciting time for our growing organization.
To Apply
To apply, qualified individuals should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:
- Cover letter describing your interest in the position, your interest in intellectual diversity and enlightened conservative thought on campus, and salary requirements
- Resume
Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/
Questions can be directed to Bailey Drouant, Outreach Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search: [email protected]
There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.
While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.
Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.
