Qualitative Research Lead

Civic Nation seeks a Qualitative Research Lead to support When We All Vote in developing and executing a process for analysis of the initiative's effort to listen to and amplify the voices of young people in America. This project includes the design of a comprehensive coding protocol that balances human expertise with technological efficiency to produce regular reports on the issues most important to youth today. 

This is a short-term, part-time, temporary position concluding December 2026.

ABOUT THE DATA & TECHNOLOGY TEAM

The Data & Technology team consists of data scientists, analysts, engineers, web developers, and product managers who develop, manage, and execute the short-and long-term technical needs and roadmap for all parts of the organization’s internal operations and external initiatives, programs, and campaigns. In addition, the team provides robust data analysis, builds and maintains a host of tools and infrastructure, and services Civic Nation’s internal needs.

ABOUT CIVIC NATION

Civic Nation is an impact hub for the ideas, leaders, and initiatives that strengthen civic culture, civic power, and civic participation. We shift culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Five initiatives are a part of the Civic Nation family: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Change Collective, It’s On Us, We The Action, and When We All Vote.

YOUR IMPACT

• Develop and document a comprehensive qualitative coding schema and protocol for a large volume of open-ended responses (~100,000).
• Design and implement a technology-augmented workflow to categorize and analyze sentiment for use in downstream systems, ensuring the system can process new data and deliver sentiment insights within a week.
• Train and manage the work of additional staff members as they support executing the coding protocol, ensuring high inter-rater reliability and consistency.
• Generate frequent "topline" reports, draft executive talking points, and provide ongoing sentiment analysis over the duration of the survey in the field.
• Act as the final ethical check on all generated outputs, ensuring that external-facing materials are grounded in data and free from hallucinations or bias. 
• Support and/or advise with other qualitative research projects across Civic Nation as needed.
• Other reasonable and related duties as assigned. 

YOUR EXPERIENCE

• 1+ years of experience in the non-profit and/or political environments, including internships.
• Experience in thematic analysis, or formal qualitative coding, across multiple subject areas and contexts; at least 3 distinct projects.
• Ability to distill large quantities of information into high-level talking points for leadership and external audiences

YOUR COMPETENCIES

• Familiarity with research on the preferences and behaviors of Gen Z.
• A healthy skepticism of AI and a commitment to verifying automated labor through human oversight.
• Awareness of the capabilities offered by AI to potentially support qualitative analysis.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with an eye for detail.
• Proficiency in Google Suite. 
• Ability to listen, comprehend, and connect with a diverse group of individuals at all levels and in all corners of the organizational structure. 
• Strong teamwork, critical thinking, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortability in independent project work and frequent fluctuations in workload.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $35-$45 / hour, commensurate with experience. This is a temporary position and will not exceed 25 hours per week.

PROCESS TIMELINE

Candidates can expect the following hiring process and timeline (please note that this timeline may be subject to change):  

• March 23, 2026: First Round Interviews/Introductory Call
  • Candidates should expect to submit a work sample and references if they are selected for interviews
• April 6, 2026: Reference Checks and Final Interviews 
• No later than the week of April 20th: Hiring Decision announced

All candidates will be notified via email of the status of their application on or before the completion of the search.

TO APPLY

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume here. The cover letter, addressed to Emily Hilty, should be concise, compelling, and include why you would like to work for Civic Nation. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 3rd, 2026.

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Driven by our values, Civic Nation aims to recruit candidates representative of the communities and populations we serve. Towards that goal, we know that a diverse workforce allows us to see issues facing our democracy in more nuanced ways, creating the thought leadership needed to fulfill our mission and reach our goals. Civic Nation is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.

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