Senior Researcher, Religion

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew Research does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew Research Center’s work is carried out by a staff of 130.

Pew Research Center is seeking a Senior Researcher or Research Associate for our Religion & Public Life Project.  We will consider applicants with various levels of experience.  Applicants can review the Research Associate posting here.

Department Overview

The Senior Researcher is a position within the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, which seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Religion & Public Life Project conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. It also provides a neutral venue for discussions of timely issues through roundtables and briefings.

Position Summary

The Senior Researcher serves as a Religion Project in-house expert responsible for developing research designs, creating questionnaires, performing statistical analysis and drafting reports.  The Senior Researcher also represents the Pew Research Center by presenting the Center’s research to the press, government officials and other Religion Project target audiences on issues related to religion and American politics, society and culture.  In addition, the Senior Researcher helps supervise the work of the Religion Project’s survey research staff.

This position requires management skills and experience in setting ambitious yet realistic objectives and determining the best use of resources and staff time to meet those objectives.  Further, it requires sound editorial judgment in the interpretation and description of research findings, as the organization’s reputation for impartiality and straightforward explanation is grounded in a consistent editorial style and institutional voice.  The position reports to the Director of Religion Research and Associate Director of Religion Research and works closely with other researchers on staff.

Primary Responsibilities

Research design and data analysis (60%)

• Develop research designs that are appropriate to project goals
• Develop survey questionnaires
• Manage the work of the Religion Project’s survey staff on specific projects
• Conduct advanced analyses of survey datasets
• Stay abreast of the field

Writing and Communication (30%)

• Write in-depth data analyses for research reports
• Respond to external requests for information
• Present research findings to Religion Project’s target audiences

Project Planning and Management (10%)

• Allocate resources and staff time to best meet project deadlines
• Map out project timeline and manage deadlines for deliverables
• Update Director and Associate Director on progress
• Train new staff as necessary

Education/Training/Experience

• A Ph.D. in Political Science, Sociology or related field is strongly preferred
• Experience leading research projects, including supervising researchers and working collaboratively with colleagues, is highly desirable
• Proven ability to undertake rigorous data analysis is crucial, including using SPSS, Excel and other software
• Training or experience in studying religion from a social scientific framework
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Attention to detail, including exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality in all work products
• Strong quantitative skills, including an ability to use various statistical programs to organize and analyze large amounts of data
• Familiarity with issues in religion and American politics and society
• Editorial judgment and proven ability to communicate research results clearly and concisely in Pew Research Center’s editorial style and institutional voice
• Demonstrated skills in project development and management
• Ability to balance numerous projects simultaneously
• Ability to take a leadership role in managing the work of colleagues and ability to train and develop new staff and coworkers when needed

Application Procedure

Applicant should send a résumé, cover letter (indicating where you learned of the opening) with salary expectations to careers@pewresearch.org.  Responses can also be mailed to:

Human Resources Department
Pew Research Center
1615 L Street, NW Suite 700
Washington, DC  20036

We are an equal opportunity employer.