Research Director

About PowerSwitch Action

PowerSwitch Action is a national network organizing to realize and build multi-racial feminist democracies in our cities, towns, and regions. Together with our 20 affiliates and one regional project we are driving an agenda to bring the billions of dollars in local public investments under the oversight of the communities most impacted, to expand decision making and power to more of the residents in our regions, to support the building and growth of member- based organizations, and to fight, when necessary, corporate actors who use their power to extract and cause harm to our communities.

PowerSwitch Action’s network currently includes 21 grassroots organizations pioneering innovative policy and organizing approaches in cities, counties, and states around the US. Our affiliates weave strategic alliances and alignments amongst labor, neighborhood, housing, racial justice, faith, ethnic-based, and environmental groups to organize communities, advocate for policy change, and shift power from corporations to the people whose labor has been exploited and voices excluded.

Our Opportunity for Impact

Leaders of our network and national staff recently completed our long term agenda on our path to collective liberation and towards a multiracial, feminist democracy that is powered by abundance, freedom and self-determination, radical inclusion, and meaningful work that is valued. Our long term agenda is guided by four interwoven core strategies:

• Build Authentic Inclusive Democracy, by creating a body of campaigns and programs that develop ways in which to open government to resident voices.
• A People’s Economy, for many not the few. The racial wealth gap, the gender gap, the rampant racism, and human exploitation are in the design of the machine. We need a new apparatus that is accountable to people, to the many.
• Grow Civic Organizations: Labor, Tenants, Borrowers, Ethnic. An organized citizenry is best able to take on questionable or corrupt practices. We need to dramatically increase the numbers of people organized in order to effectively contest capital, stave off authoritarianism, and bring out the democracies that we envision.
• Rein in Corporate Power. If our ultimate goal is to develop the capacity of people to govern and manage democracy and the economy then they must experience their power to bring corporations to heel. We can prove to the American people that it’s possible to reclaim public goods from corporate capture, reject extreme exploitation of workers, and beat back corporate overreach — all while fighting for our collective liberation.

For more information on PowerSwitch Action please visit our website.

The Position

This is a new position that will coordinate and drive the national organization’s research work. While our team has significant experience conducting and using research in our work, we have not previously had a dedicated department. The successful candidate will be a seasoned, aligned researcher and manager who is excited to work with our Director Team, affiliates, and broader staff to shape a vision for and build out a new department within our organization. This position will report to the Chief of Staff.

Candidate Profile

 The ideal candidate will have the following professional competencies:

Departmental Strategic Planning

• Direct strategic planning for the Research Department including but not limited to creating a three-year vision, plan, and budget for the department which will deepen and expand the research capacity of the organization;
• Shape an annual strategic plan for PowerSwitch Action’s research department in collaboration with members of the Directors’ Team and departmental staff that includes both an external vision (campaign benchmarks) and internal considerations (staffing);
• Assess and manage the coordination of the network of research consultants that PowerSwitch Action currently contracts;
• Work collaboratively and closely with the campaign and communications departments to support campaign strategy and PowerSwitch Action’s organizational positioning as a thought leader in corporate campaigning.

Research to Support Campaigns, Programs, and Long-Term Planning

• Oversee and drive a strategic research agenda that reflects organizational priorities, in collaboration with organizational leadership;
• Develop and supervise the implementation of internal and public-facing research deliverables informed by appropriate methods, including but not limited to: landscape analyses, industry analyses, policy analyses, corporate research, public reports and briefs;
• Work collaboratively with staff across the network to use research to develop campaign strategy and tactics;
• Serve as a thought partner to PowerSwitch Action’s Leadership Team by providing timely analyses of national development and trends germane to the core issue areas of the network;
• Develop and maintain organizational protocols and standards for research products, including collaborating with our Legal Director to ensure legal compliance.

Supervision and Mentorship

• Collaborate with staff across the network, and hire and supervise consultants to conduct research;
• As the department grows in funding, recruit, supervise, and evaluate a diverse and geographically distributed research staff.

Public Leadership

• Represent the department and the organization at briefings, conferences and convenings with external partners and allies;
• Serve as an organizational leader, helping to maintain and deepen PowerSwitch Action’s culture of commitment, community, and rigor;
• Work with the communications, program, and campaign teams to create dissemination plans for external-facing research products.

Qualifications

• Exceptional Researcher and Skill-builder: Demonstrated experience and skills in a variety (but not all) of research methodologies and areas (i.e., corporate research, financial analysis, public records and legal research, policy analysis, campaign/opposition research, field research, data scraping and data analysis, visualization, and data management). Demonstrated experience using research to support the development or refinement of campaign strategy. Demonstrated ability to train and coach others in developing strong research skills.
• Excellent Communicator: Superb writing, research, speaking, and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate complicated research to multiple audiences effectively, including news media, grassroots organizers, and elected officials.
• Department Builder: Demonstrated ability to collaboratively create a department vision and strategy and then create & implement a plan to achieve the desired outcomes. Ability to create and document systems, practices, and standards from scratch and that can be used (and modified) for years to come.
• Strong Manager: Demonstrated experience leading multiracial teams to accomplish results, ability to cultivate staff development through direct feedback and strong inclusive and equitable management practices.
• Mission Alignment: Committed to our vision outlined in our long term agenda, including building a path to collective liberation and towards a multiracial, feminist democracy that is powered by abundance, and self-determination, radical inclusion, and meaningful work that is valued.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position and reports to the Chief of Staff. We offer a competitive starting salary between $91,000-114,000 (based on experience) and generous benefits, including:

• 401(k) with 5% employer contribution.
• 100% of health, dental, and vision premiums for employees and their family members (spouse/domestic partner and children).
• Life insurance for employees.
• Flexible Spending Account: Employees may contribute up to $5,000 a year for childcare expenses and up to $2,500 a year for medical expenses (no employer contribution).
• 12 days of vacation increasing with tenure up to 20 days.
• 12 days of sick leave per year.
• 6 week sabbatical for full time employees after five years of employment.

Location

The position will ideally be located in a city in which one of PowerSwitch Action’s 21 affiliates is located, but we will consider exceptional candidates who are located in other cities and major media markets.

The Research Director is expected to travel 1-2 times per month for in-person visits to affiliate offices, team planning meetings, staff retreats etc.

Please note that PowerSwitch Action requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious accommodation is needed.

To Apply

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. To express interest in this role please submit your cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile or email Amber Gomes, Managing Associate, directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

PowerSwitch Action is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from gender oppressed (women, transgender, and gender non-binary) people, people of color including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and broader queer communities. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender/gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.