Associate Director, Technology and Democracy Research Hub, Rutgers Democracy Lab

Responsibilities

• Contributes substantively to research projects with expertise in one or more areas: computational social science methods; qualitative and field-based approaches; or policy analysis related to social media and democracy.
• Develops data pipelines and models for collecting and analyzing data from social media platforms and users.
• Fields surveys and experimental studies to analyze the effects of technologies on political behaviors.
• Conducts field research including interviews to understand how social media impacts society.
• Assists Director with the research project management from start to finish including developing project plans, publishing academic and policy reports, supervising and mentoring Graduate Assistants and student interns, managing outside research consultants and vendors, and ensuring the integrity of data and compliance with IRBs.
• Promotes the Hub’s research products through policy and academic publications, email newsletters, social media, and other venues to build the profile of the Hub.
• Develops partnerships across Rutgers academic units, other universities, think tanks, industry, and civic organizations.
• Represents the Hub at conferences, policy forums, and academic events at the state and national levels.
• Takes initiative in developing new lines of research, refining ongoing projects, and securing external partnerships.
• Collaborates with the Director to organize public events and workshops showcasing Hub research and advancing public dialogue.
• Supports grant writing and development of external funding opportunities.
• Participates in cross-team and Institute-wide projects at the RDL and Eagleton Institute of Politics.

Skillset

• Bachelor’s degree and five years of social science research experience on social media and/or democracy, with increasing responsibility or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience that demonstrates expertise in project management, research methods, and issues relevant to technology and democracy.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute substantively to research projects in at least one of the following areas: Computational social science methods (e.g., data pipelines, statistical modeling, large-scale text analysis); Qualitative and field-based approaches (e.g., interviews, ethnography, participant observation); Policy analysis on issues related to social media, AI, democracy, misinformation, or polarization.
• Experience managing research projects from design through publication, including supervising students or research assistants and working with outside consultants or vendors.
• Familiarity with IRB processes and standards for data integrity and human subjects research.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills.
  Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work across disciplines and with diverse partners.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communications skills.
  Ability to independently manage multiple tasks and short deadlines in high-stress situations.
• Comfort working for an organization that is political yet non-partisan and straddles the worlds of politics and academia.
• Thorough grounding in U.S. and New Jersey politics and government whether through coursework, professional experience, or personal involvement.