Research Associate

Title: Research Associate 

Reports to: Research Director 

Direct Report: None

Hours: Full-time, non-exempt (eligible for overtime)

Location: Fully remote within the contiguous United States; ability to work in-office in Washington, DC; New York, NY; or San Francisco, CA

Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, GIFFORDS is a nonprofit organization whose team is on a mission to save lives from gun violence. GIFFORDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

GIFFORDS is seeking a motivated Research Associate for an entry level position on our team. The Research Associate will be a key part of a research team that works to understand the toll of gun violence in America and uses research to inform policy solutions to address this epidemic. The Research Associate will work closely with the Research Director and the Research Manager to ensure that GIFFORDS is using accurate, up-to-date, and compelling information in our legislative advocacy, communications, and other work. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in learning more about research methods and translation, public policy, public health, and issue advocacy. 

We will consider fully remote candidates who are based within the contiguous US. Candidates who are within commuting distance of our offices either in Washington, DC; San Francisco, California; or New York, New York will be able to work a hybrid remote/office model. All staff members are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exemptions as required by federal and state law. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Due to the high volume of applicants, no phone calls or emails, please.

Duties responsibilities:

• Monitor and systematically track emerging research on gun violence and collaborate with other research team staff to analyze new research findings. 
• Identify key findings from research related to gun violence, public health, criminology, and other social sciences fields and translate findings for a range of GIFFORDS audiences.
• Use research findings to understand and describe how gun violence and gun violence prevention policies impact diverse communities.
• Help to keep GIFFORDS web pages and other evergreen content up-to-date with the latest research and statistics. 
• Support the organization’s legal, policy, advocacy, and communications teams by compiling research and data to support particular initiatives and providing fact-checking for public-facing materials.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of internal datasets by compiling and synthesizing data from federal and state data sources (e.g. CDC’s Fatal Injury Reports, FBI background check data, ATF trace reports). 
• Provide support to original research team projects and reports which may include assisting with data compilation, collection, and analysis; drafting sections of reports; and providing input on the dissemination of research findings. 
• Respond to requests from external researchers for GIFFORDS data and information. 
• Providing research and occasional administrative support to senior research staff

Essential skills experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences (e.g., sociology, criminology, public health) and/or 1-2 years part- or full-time social science research, organizing, or advocacy work or internship experience
• Experience conducting basic web research and reviews of academic research using Google Scholar, PubMed, etc. 
• Comfort reading, analyzing, and summarizing academic research articles
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Superb organizational skills and attention to detail
• Exceptional writing and editing skills
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to multiple workflows
• Ability to take on tasks independently
• Strong interpersonal skills, sense of humor, and ability to work well on a team
• Willingness to provide support to other members of the research team, including by taking on assignments that might be considered outside the job description
• Commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism 
• Commitment to conducting research through an equity lens and considering factors of identity, privilege, and inclusion in analysis and translation of research

Valued non-essential knowledge, skills, experience

• Experience with qualitative or quantitative research
• Experience working as a research assistant or associate or conducting independent study research, particularly on social science research projects 
• Experience accessing, cleaning, merging, and conducting basic statistics on social science datasets
• Experience working with government-generated data sources, such as U.S. Census data or FBI crime data

The salary range for this position is $48,000 - $52,000 annually with the exact salary depending on experience. This position is eligible for overtime for all hours worked over 40 in a work week. Competitive benefits include employer-funded health, dental, and vision insurance; health, transit, and parking flexible spending accounts; 401k plan with 4% employer match; reimbursement for cell phone and monthly wifi stipend, 25 days of paid time off (PTO) annually plus paid week closure at the end of the calendar year; and ten paid federal holidays.

Applying the interview process

Submit your resume and a brief cover letter (400 words maximum) that outlines three specific ways that you would be a good fit for this position. Our interview process for this position consists of a phone interview, a video team interview, a final interview, and reference checks.

GIFFORDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary : $48,000 - $52,000