Democracy Forward seeks a highly collaborative and experienced analyst to join its team of litigators and policy professionals to help track and assess emerging K-12 education policy and legal trends at the state and local levels.  The Education Research Analyst will lead Democracy Forward’s research and data collection of state and local attacks on educational equity (including censorship, book bans, anti-diversity curriculum measures, and legal challenges to pro-equity policies, privatization, and community responses).  The role will identify and track these trends, help maintain and develop Democracy Forward’s data systems, work across the organization to develop timely and insightful analysis, and support Democracy Forward’s collaboration with key stakeholders and partners outside the organization to turn data into action. 

The ideal candidate will have a passion for Democracy Forward’s mission and experience in policy, research, data, and analysis, and a specific interest in education law and policy.  The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience researching state and local laws and policies, tracking media, and working in or adjacent to courts and/or federal agencies
• Background in education policy
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience working with colleagues in other organizations
• A demonstrated ability to translate research and data into written and visual forms that effectively communicate to a range of audiences
• A commitment to Democracy Forward’s values of excellence, inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and impact. 

Responsibilities and Qualifications

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to track, visualize, and report on legal and policy trends in educational equity
• Work with policy and research staff to maintain timely, accurate, and robust information about these and other legal and policy trends across a range of progressive issues  
• Collaborate with all teams across the organization to develop useful analyses and synthesis of data and emerging trends
• Stay abreast of current events and the the legal and policy landscape related to educational equity issues in the United States, emerging trends, activities of state actors and various organizations
• Prepare briefings for internal staff as well as external stakeholders 
• Stay abreast of Democracy Forward’s current and prior work 
• Support efforts to collaborate and develop partnerships that enhance and strengthen Democracy Forward’s impact, including those seeking to understand trends in the legal and policy landscape 

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience working in legal environments and/or governmental agencies and/or organizations that work at the intersection of government, law, and policy
• Demonstrated experience with legal, policy, and media databases and tools, including Westlaw, Docket Alarm, PACER, AirTable, Muck Rack, Twitter, and Google News.  Familiarity with statistical research tools like STATA, R, or MATLAB a plus
• Experience managing data projects and research functions 
• Experience working on teams in a collaborative structure
• Demonstrated excellence in organizational and communication skills
• Excellent writing skills and attention to detail 
• Ability to manage multiple, competing deadlines and priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and accountability
• Demonstrated commitment to democracy and social progress 

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. The salary range for this position is $70,000 – 80,000 plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. 

Meet some but not all of our qualifications? Don’t let that deter you from applying. If you believe that you could excel in our organization and believe in our mission, we hope you apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to non-profit or legal work, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we hope to hear from you. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in our work and what you would bring to the role for which you are applying.