Senior Researcher

Location: Chicago, IL or Washington, DC

Reports to: Director of Survey Researcher or Principal

About You
You've spent years doing serious political polling, the kind that shapes how campaigns talk to voters and how organizations make decisions that matter. You light up at the chance to tear apart a crosstab, love obsessing over questionnaire wording, and can sniff out a methodological problem long before it turns into a client problem. You believe Democrats can win more if they use data better, and you're hungry to be part of making that happen. You're not just curious about what AI and new technology can do to the craft of polling; you're genuinely excited to help build what that looks like in practice. If that sounds like the next chapter you've been waiting for, we should talk.

About the Role
You'll be one of Tavern's primary polling voices, running sophisticated studies, owning deliverables, and doing the work that's hard to scale: translating data into sharp, credible guidance on campaigns and policy issues. A big part of this role is editorial: sharpening messaging across a wide range of issues and candidates, pressure-testing findings, and bringing seasoned political judgment to content at every stage of the process. You'll work closely with our leadership, research, and product teams, and while the role is primarily internal-facing, you'll also serve as a trusted backstop for client briefings and press interactions when senior leadership needs backup.

We value in-person work and expect employees based in Chicago to work regularly from our South Loop office. We also welcome remote candidates, ideally based in Washington, DC.

Responsibilities

Research Design & Methodology

• Design and execute polling, ad-testing, message-testing, and audience research studies
• Develop questionnaires and sampling methodologies with strong methodological rigor
• Manage weighting, segmentation, and statistical modeling processes
• Demonstrate fluency in RCTs, MaxDiff, conjoint, and other advanced survey designs
• Apply a quality-first mindset, catching problems in the data before they become problems for clients

Data Analysis & Insights

• Synthesize survey results into clear, actionable strategic recommendations
• Identify demographic, geographic, and behavioral trends that shape campaign strategy
• Write, edit, and refine persuasive political messaging translating survey research into language that moves target audiences
• Conduct cross-tab and subgroup analysis with a practiced eye
• Translate findings into written memos, presentations, and briefings that non-experts can act on

Client & External Communication

• Deliver in-depth polling briefings to clients and campaign leadership when needed
• Engage credibly with press when the moment calls for it, because you understand what reporters are looking for
• Represent Tavern's research work with professionalism and political instinct in external settings

Operational Oversight

• Manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables across multiple simultaneous projects
• Mentor junior researchers and analysts
• Coordinate with survey vendors, data teams, and field operations
• Ensure compliance with research ethics and privacy standards

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in polling, public opinion research, or political consulting
• Strong command of survey methodology and statistical analysis
• Experience with polling software and data tools (R, Python, or similar)
• Proven ability to synthesize complex data into concise strategic guidance
• Experience presenting findings to clients, executives, or campaign leadership
• Background on political campaigns or in advocacy organizations
• Political instinct; you know what will land clients and what won't
• Comfort in external-facing settings: client briefings, press interactions, or conference panels (existing experience or strong willingness to grow into it)
• Familiarity with voter files, turnout models, or audience segmentation
• Love for using new technology to improve systems and outcomes
• Bonus: people management experience

To be explicit: you don't need a degree to work here. You just need to be exceptional at the things we're asking from you.

Benefits

• Premium health insurance
• Unlimited PTO
• Office closed for all federal holidays
• 401k match
• Equity

The pay range for this role is:

145,000 - 185,000 USD per year (Chicago, IL)

145,000 - 185,000 USD per year (Remote)