The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) is seeking a dynamic individual to fill the position of Research Assistant. The Research Assistant will be responsible for assisting the Political and Organizing Team with vetting candidates for local office and tracking and reporting on candidates running for priority statewide offices.
About the Democratic Party of Illinois
The Democratic Party of Illinois is dedicated to electing Democrats at all levels across Illinois while building the most active, inclusive, and diverse party possible.
What Will You Do?
The Research Assistant will play an essential role in supporting the Party’s local candidate recruitment program and will track and report on opposition candidates running in priority statewide contests. The Research Assistant will report to the Regional Political Director.
Responsibilities Include:
- Researching and preparing vetting reports on prospective candidates for local office;
- Obtaining candidate filing and election data through outreach to election authorities, including the preparation and submission of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests;
- Assisting the Data Department with organizing election data;
- Building opposition research profiles on priority local candidates;
- Searching for, cataloging, and sharing details of events/tracking opportunities;
- Confirming event details, candidate attendance, and preparing technology for event tracking;
- Coordinating with field organizers across the team to ensure accurate tracking of events and campaign activity;
- Filming or audio recording public candidate events;
- Uploading footage, transcribing footage, and preparing debrief memos on tracked events;
- Researching and filming other politically relevant events.
Who Are You?
The ideal candidate will be analytical, highly organized, and possess a background in Democratic campaigning. They will be meticulous in their work, consistent, and willing to work in a hectic, ever-changing environment.
Qualifications:
- At least 1 year of experience in a political campaign or office;
- Demonstrated ability to create, update, and maintain processes;
- Demonstrated experience with NGP, Microsoft Excel, and Google Sheets, and ability to use these technologies to construct reports and updates;
- Ability to effectively collaborate and work well with internal staff and external stakeholders at all levels;
- Demonstrated ability to be flexible and able to adapt quickly to meet project needs;
- Ability to work independently for long periods, maintaining focus and time management with minimal supervision;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle for travel within Illinois.
Job Details
This is a full-time position based in Chicago. The salary for this role is $55,000-$60,000 a year and is commensurate with experience. DPI also offers a generous benefits package with the opportunity for growth.
How To Apply:
Interested candidates should send an introductory email and their resume to [email protected].
Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Preference given to applicants who apply by May 23rd, 2025.
The Democratic Party of Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. The Democratic Party of Illinois strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees or applicants because of actual or perceived race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender (including gender-related identity, gender nonconformity, and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age (40 and over), physical or mental disability (including unlawful discrimination against an individual because of the individual’s association with a person with a disability), citizenship status, work authorization status, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, order of protection status, marital status, arrest record (including an arrest not leading to a conviction, a juvenile record, or criminal history information ordered expunged, sealed, or impounded), conviction record (unless there is a substantial relationship between the previous criminal offenses and the position or the employment would involve an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of specific individuals or the general public), status as a victim or perceived victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence, credit history or credit report, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. The Democratic Party of Illinois complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), and all applicable state and local law. Consistent with those requirements, The Illinois Democratic Party of Illinois will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If you believe you need accommodation during the hiring process, please contact us. The Democratic Party of Illinois will also, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodations for an applicant or employee’s religious beliefs or practices.
