Research Intern

Compensation: The salary for this role is $15 per hour

Remote Status: Remote through the end of 2021 at which point this job will be based in Washington, DC

National Journal is a premier research and insights company committed to helping organizations effectively navigate Washington. Best known as one of Washington’s most trusted media brands for nearly 50 years, our expertise is unmatched with teams of specialists dedicated to government affairs, communications, and political research, in addition to exceptional journalism. Our mission is to equip the thousands of government and business leaders in the nation’s capital with the intelligence, insights, and connections they need to save time, increase efficiency, and deliver success.

National Journal is looking for dynamic researchers to join its People Research Team_._ We are Washington’s go-to resource for research on the most influential people in policy and politics, producing content exclusively for senior public policy practitioners and government affairs executives. Our diverse membership includes policy practitioners and senior professionals from the world’s leading companies, nonprofits, and associations. 

The People Research Team focuses on two unique core products, Vignette and PAC Vetting, and interns will have the opportunity to contribute to both services. Vignette serves as an unparalleled repository of knowledge and insight on the people shaping policy discussions and political discourse and serves thousands of professionals across Washington. The PAC Vetting Service provides corporate Political Action Committees with custom research on candidates and officials to help inform giving decisions. The team building these products researches the most influential individuals, from public officials to policy professionals, researchers, advocates, media voices, and beyond. Using our research and expertise, we also create content tailored to members’ needs, delivering customized profiles, executive briefings, and programming to top tier Washington advocates. 

The People Research Team offers 3-month long internships beginning on or around January 1, June 1, and September 1, with the possibility of extension.

This is a rolling application. We review candidates in March for the summer internship, in July for the fall internship, and in November for the winter/spring internship. 

Intern Characteristics:

• You are excited about helping National Journal continue to build its newest offering and contributing to a new product model

• You are a meticulous researcher and apply a high level of analytic rigor to all phases of work

• You know when to shift gears, balancing deep dives into data exploration and distilling the information gathered to produce actionable insights

• You listen and quickly adapt when requirements change, exhibiting a willingness to go above and beyond in service to others

• You are proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint and ready to quickly learn new systems and data tools

• You are highly organized and able to adapt to quickly changing workflows

• You are deeply interested in US policy and politics and while you may be deep on one topic, you are conversant and knowledgeable across a diverse range of subjects

Intern Responsibilities:

• Conducts intensive and thorough research on the people shaping policy and politics at the federal and state level

• Synthesizes and analyzes qualitative data into a professional product, contextualizing and interpreting findings to provide a holistic and nuanced characterization of an individual

• Copy edit completed profiles in line with the team’s specific style guide and upload them via National Journal’s content management system

• Support associates in building PowerPoints; contribute to background research as needed

• Participate in team wide research initiatives to improve syndicated content

Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate:

• Experience conducting qualitative research; a strong academic record

• Meticulous researcher with unflagging commitment to objective, thorough work

• Ability to distill large amounts of information into concise summaries and takeaways

• Excellent time management and judgment

• Interest in public policy and politics, with an appetite for unpacking diverse or niche policy topics

NATIONAL JOURNAL GROUP VALUES: 

Across National Journal Group, generally, the firm looks for two “pillar gifts” in you, and everyone else.  In all of us, these are more aspirational than actual, but they are central in our intentions –

• FORCE OF IDEAS:  At the center of National Journal Group work are the ideas within our writing.  We believe that ideas – to the good and not – have consequence.  Our highest work is bringing rigor, insight, intellectual honesty, to that ultimate purpose of separating the bad from the good, and giving voice to the latter.

• SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY:  National Journal Group seeks in its ranks a spirit of generosity – a natural disposition in each colleague toward service and selfless conduct.  National Journal Group writing should be cut from the same cloth –critical on the merits but informed by charity and forbearance in measuring motive and personal character.

All National Journal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are hired, we will require you to provide proof that you have received a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

National Journal, LLC. and its affiliates ("National Journal") are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.