The American Immigration Council (the "Council") works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring.
Your Role. . .
Aa an integral member of the transparency team of the legal department, the Research Associate is responsible for performing research and project management functions in support of the Council's mission and goals. This position will collaborate with transparency team staff and other departments to move designated projects from inception to completion, which may involve serving as lead, consultant, reviewer, editor, and/or writer on a given project tied to transparency or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) work.
Essential Job Functions. . .
- Manages day-to-day aspects of multiple projects involving obtaining immigration agency records.
- Conceptualizes, drafts, and files strategic public records requests to federal and state/local entities, in collaboration with internal and external partners.
- Analyzes government documents to identify unreported details, trends, and stories that align with the Council's advocacy and litigation priorities.
- Works with the communications team to write blog posts and reports.
- Serves as an in-house expert on key issue areas and agency records.
- Closely follows news and policy developments to remain informed about areas of focus and to spot opportunities for the Council to make an impact.
- Communicates progress and status of projects to stakeholders and external partners and ensures that projects are completed within allotted timelines.
- Writes clearly and concisely about immigration issues and the importance of open government for the Council's website, communications channels, publications, and other formats.
- Copy edits and cite checks various work products as needed.
- Provides technical assistance to internal and external partners for areas of expertise.
- Maintains team processes and procedures, including best practices for monitoring the life cycle of public records requests.
- Prepares presentations and talking points for internal and external audiences.
- Attends and participates in relevant meetings, hearings, and briefings.
- Assists with planning strategy meetings.
Requirements
- BA/BS required; graduate degree preferred
- 4-5 years of relevant experience required
To perform successfully in this role, incumbent should possess skills identified below:
- Solid quantitative research training or proven experience using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, SAS)
- Background in or demonstrated understanding of immigration issues.
- Experience using research platforms (JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis, Google Scholar, etc.).
- Working knowledge of internet research and social media tools.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint).
- Familiarity with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) preferred but not required.
For consideration , qualified applicants are to submit cover letter, resume and salary requirement. Cover letter should include a summary of how your background, knowledge, skills, and abilities relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position.
NOTE: Applications without cover letters and which do not indicate desired salary may not be considered.
Direct hire only - NO recruiters (mail, email, fax, or phone).
Our Workplace ...
We offer an extremely generous total compensation package (salary and benefits). Benefits include - medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match, monthly transit subsidy, flexible work schedules, 3+ weeks' vacation, 11 Federal holidays, and many more exciting benefit programs.
Your Colleagues ...
- Dedicated, dynamic, collaborative and compassionate.
- A community of individuals passionate about their work.
The American Immigration Council ("Council") is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to treating all applicants and employees without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religious creed, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, military and veterans status, citizenship and immigration status, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This equal employment opportunity commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, advertising, recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, demotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination.
The Council believes that diversity is a strength. The Council is committed to being a safe, respectful, and inclusive space, where a broad range of viewpoints and experiences are encouraged and every member of its staff and board is given the opportunity to thrive.