Research & Investigations Assistant

Do you love puppies and kittens — but hate wasteful government spending? Are you curious, detail-oriented, and eager to dig through government records, databases, scientific papers, and obscure corners of the internet to uncover the facts? Then join WCW — the bipartisan taxpayer watchdog leading the fight to expose and close the government’s $20 billion animal experimentation business. 

What We're Looking For: A Research & Investigations Assistant to provide day-to-day support for White Coat Waste’s research and investigations. Working under the direction and supervision of the Research & Investigations Manager, the Assistant will play an important role in processing and managing documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other public-records investigations, conducting online research, reviewing and summarizing government and scientific materials, maintaining investigative databases, and following WCW's established procedures for managing research and records. 

Why You Want This Job: WCW is a nonprofit, bipartisan government watchdog featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. Our single-issue mission is to expose and close the U.S. government’s $20 billion animal testing business. We’ve rescued, redeemed, and spared 29,000 lives, cut more than $99 million in wasteful spending, and abolished at least 114 labs and experiments. Our strategy? Stop the money. Stop the madness! 

WCW is the most effective organization getting animals out of labs. Our impact: 

• Fauci’s beagle tests: Exposed 
• Wuhan lab funding: Uncovered 
• Transgender mice: Revealed 
• Largest federal cat lab: Closed 
• Largest federal dog lab: Shut down 
• Navy’s cat and dog testing: Banned 
• Fauci’s Monkey Island: Exposed 
• Transgender mice: Revealed 
• Pentagon’s testing on pets: Abolished 
• EPA’s animal testing program: Closed 
• VA’s dog, cat, and primate tests: Ended 
• FDA’s largest primate lab: Closed 
• NIH’s human fetal tissue animal tests: Banned 
• COVID “Patient 0” and gain-of-function receipts: Revealed 
• Retirement policies at NIH, VA, DOD, and FDA: Won 
• First state law banning funds for max-pain cat and dog tests: Passed 
• Cat and all animal labs in Russia: Defunded 
• Movement to end foreign lab funding: Launched 
• And more 

No other animal protection group has shut down government primate labs in a decade; federal dog labs in nearly two decades; or government cat labs in at least four decades. WCW isn’t just in the business of stopping animal testing. We’re in the business of making history. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES  

Document Management 

• Follow established standard operating procedures to process documents and other investigative materials, including OCR, segmentation, searching, organizing, and collecting pertinent information and data. 

Research and Investigations 

• Conduct research across government databases, online resources, academic and scientific publications, spending records, and other sources for photographs, videos, compelling details, and other mission-critical information that helps WCW expose wasteful government spending on animal experiments. 
• Draft, submit, and track Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state public records requests to government agencies and public institutions to obtain records and information supporting WCW investigations. 

Database Management 

• Enter, organize, and maintain data obtained through FOIA and other public-records investigations in WCW's databases and tracking systems. 

Analysis & Summarization 

• Review and summarize government and laboratory records, scientific and academic publications, spending data, and other research materials to identify and clearly communicate pertinent information to teammates across the organization. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

A competitive candidate will have the following background, knowledge, skills, and abilities:  

• At least 1 year of professional or internship experience in research and investigations, journalism, issue advocacy, government or public policy, nonprofit organizations, Capitol Hill, and/or political campaigns. 
• Strong research skills and natural curiosity, with the persistence to dig for information, follow leads, and recognize when something warrants a closer look. 
• Exceptional attention to detail and a strong commitment to accuracy, particularly when working with government records, data, and technical materials. 
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage large volumes of documents, research materials, databases, and project records in a consistent and accessible way. Experience with Airtable is a plus. 
• A methodical, process-oriented approach to work, including an appreciation for established methods and standard operating procedures. 
• Strong analytical and summarization skills, with the ability to review complex records and publications, identify what matters, and communicate it clearly and concisely. 
• Resourcefulness, initiative, and sound judgment, with the ability to work independently, solve problems, ask the right questions, and keep projects moving forward. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications. 
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced, remote environment. 
• Strong alignment with WCW’s single-issue mission to end taxpayer-funded animal experiments, along with a demonstrated interest in public policy, government accountability, transparency, animal protection, and/or politics. 
• Applicants must be based in and authorized to work in the United States.  

COMPENSATION 

This is a full-time, work-from-home, salaried position with benefits including health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k), and paid vacation and holidays. The salary range is $45,000 to $55,000, commensurate with experience.  

TO APPLY 

Send resume, cover letter, three references, and salary requirements to careers@whitecoatwaste.org with the subject line: Research & Investigations Assistant.  

Please note: We will only consider applicants who submit all required documents.