Job Description

Jobs to Move America

Strategic Researcher or Senior Strategic Researcher

Based in California
(remote)

Location: Must be California based though work assignment is remote
Position: Strategic Researcher or Senior Strategic Researcher
Department: Western States Program
Position Type: Full-time exempt
Reports to: Western States Program Assistant Director
Salary Range: $65,000 – $80,000 depending on experience
Deadline to apply: Until Filled

Who we are ─ About Jobs to Move America:
JMA is a national strategic policy and action center that supports reinvesting public dollars to create good jobs and a fair and prosperous society. We are committed to reclaiming our government as a force for good, expanding access to clean jobs for all working people, and transforming our economy through coalition building and policy development that centers environmental sustainability, racial and gender justice.

JMA is partnered with the United Auto Workers (UAW), UNITE-HERE Local 11 in Arizona, the UAW Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy (UAW-CMGE), and the longstanding Arizona community-based institution Worker Power to build this program. JMA is building similar work in 9 states overall, where it helps build regional coalitions of community, faith, environmental, and civil rights organizations. We have offices in California, New York, and Illinois, Alabama, and Mississippi. We have additional staff in Nebraska, New Jersey, Colorado, and Washington D.C. We are quickly expanding. To learn more, visit our website: .

About the position:
The Researcher plays a key role in conducting and coordinating research to support programmatic work to advance racial, gender and economic equity in strategic, publicly funded sectors including infrastructure, transit, and manufacturing in California and across the country. The Researcher also supports community benefits agreement campaigns that encourage global manufacturing firms to commit to practices that create family-sustaining U.S. jobs and to generate economic opportunities for low-income communities of color, women, and other groups that have historically faced systemic barriers to accessing family-sustaining jobs.

What You’ll Do ─ Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Within 6 months

• Conduct research to support current efforts to win comprehensive campaigns for community benefits agreements using a variety of sources, including publicly available databases, public agency filings, CEQA/NEPA and other land use and permitting requirements and other online resources;
• Conduct corporate research and develop profiles of strategic sectors and companies to better understand the role of business and industry in upholding systems of oppression, ongoing pollution and impacts on fence line communities;
• Create systems and practices for tracking, deploying and utilizing research across the current and future western states campaigns and JMA staff;
• File, track, interpret and analyze public records requests such as legal filings, regulatory records, real estate documents, securities and exchange commission required filings, CEQA/NEPA, land use, specific use and political campaign filings;
• Develop reports, fact sheets, white papers and other campaign materials and research products for various audiences including elected officials, workers, staff at public agencies, partners and community members
• Help cultivate relationships with public agency staff, attend regular board and committee meetings, review meeting materials, and monitor agency procurements and contract compliance;
• Comply with all organizational policies and procedures, including timely attention to administrative responsibilities
• Contribute to JMA’s organizational development, for example assisting with fundraising, providing peer evaluations, and participating in JMA staff committees (not to exceed 15% of time)

After 1 year

• Develop campaign and policy recommendations based on research and analysis of public records, quantitative and qualitative research and surveys and any other relevant research;
• Ability to tailor information to different audiences and frame data to meet the needs and objectives of campaigns;
• Discipline in balancing curiosity and exploration with producing relevant, usable data/information while maintaining sharp focus on core research questions and thesis;
• Maintain self-awareness of when you’ve hit the limits of your expertise and demonstrate initiative and openness to tapping experts as needed

About you ─ Required Qualifications:

• Can articulate the impacts that racialized, gendered, and economic inequities have on the working and living conditions of historically marginalized and disinvested communities in the US; can demonstrate familiarity with designing work plans and work products that incorporate these considerations;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including comfort with factual and persuasive writing
• Experience using government websites and general resources to write profiles of companies, agencies, programs and policies
• Demonstrate persistence in questioning data to achieve 100% accuracy and full confidence in information being provided, including gathering verifiable data and evidence to support findings and recommendations
• Consistency in following up to ensure any questions on the data are answered - interrogate doubts and investigate anomalies on expected findings
• Ability to take a collaborative approach in ensuring research meets the needs of a campaign (will consult with communications, legal, organizing, policy and other teams to gather input and must be flexible to making changes)
• Demonstrate understanding of context and circumstances and practices creativity and curiosity in identifying research
• Ability to build and sustain authentic and productive working relationships with colleagues across race and other group identities, including JMA employees as well as external partners
• Demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and social skills in work and interpersonal interactions
• Ability to participate in a culture of feedback with a commitment to continually strengthening practice of courageous and non-violent communication including:
  • communicating clearly and directly with colleagues,
  • being proactive to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings, especially across differences,
  • consistently strengthening ability and practice in giving and receiving both positive and constructive feedback to support each other’s learning and personal growth
• Maintain flexibility: be ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and adapt quickly to change
• Must be highly organized, able to multitask, and manage competing priorities
• Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude
• Demonstrate ability to work independently and carry out assignments to completion
• Familiarity with Google Suite
• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant campaign and research experience can be considered in lieu of a four-year degree

Other Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
• Must be able to communicate clearly on telephone with reasonable accommodations

What Else You Should Know ─ Compensation/Benefits:

• Salary Range $65,000 – $80,000 (The salary range for this position is dependent on experience)
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for the employee and dependents
• Generous paid time off including 12 personal days, 12 federal holidays, and 2 floating holidays each year. JMA has a paid, two-week winter break at the end of each year. Employees can accrue up to 20 vacation days and 20 sick days. After 5 years of work, all staff are eligible to apply for 3 months of sabbatical leave.
• 401(k) plan with 5% employer contribution after 6 months of employment
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Utility/Internet monthly stipend for those working from home
• Work from home office set up provided if needed
• Training and professional development opportunities are available upon completion of the probationary period
• A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices
• Qualifying Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer
• JMA is a unionized workplace. This position is a member of the bargaining unit.

How to Apply:
Complete this application form and upload a cover letter, résumé, and three work references. Only applications submitted via this process and/or meet the minimum requirements will be considered. No phone calls, please. Candidates who advance in the process will be asked to complete a pre-employment exercise.

JMA Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement
We are an EEO/affirmative action employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or disability. We work to ensure fair treatment of applicants and employees and actively enforce zero-tolerance policies against discrimination and sexual harassment. Those who identify as persons of color, women, veterans, or formerly incarcerated persons, and/or have had experience working with one or more of those groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

JMA Diversity and Inclusion Statement
JMA believes that diverse, engaged, and motivated employees are essential to achieving our goals of economic, racial, and social justice. JMA believes that each employee's voice is valuable and that when all employees contribute ideas to the organization’s operation, it enhances the success of the organization overall.

In order to assist us in achieving our goals as a diverse and inclusive workforce, we ask optional self-identification questions in the job application.

WHEN APPLYING: Be sure to indicate that you saw this information at .

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