The ACLU seeks a full-time Social Science Fellow, Voting Rights for a period of 18 months in the Analytics Department of the ACLU's National office in New York, NY/ Remote*.

ACLU Analytics partners with teams across the organization to enable the ACLU to make smart, evidence-based decisions and bring quantitative insights on our issues to the courtroom and the public. Our team's work ranges from social science research for litigation & advocacy, to analysis & reporting for fundraising and engagement, to building and maintaining our data infrastructure. We strive to ensure the ACLU leads by example in the ethical use of data and technology. This includes maintaining our privacy and security standards, pushing for transparent data practices from government and corporate actors, and helping to steward high standards for algorithmic fairness, accountability, and transparency.

Reporting to the Director, Legal Analytics & Quantitative Research, the Social Science Fellow will use data analysis and quantitative social science techniques to defend voting rights and democracy in the courts and on the ballot. Working in close partnership with ACLU Voting Rights Attorneys, organizers, and affiliates, you will shape research questions, conduct descriptive and causal analyses, review expert reports, and translate quantitative findings into recommendations for litigators, policymakers and judges. Your analyses will push for fair maps, fight voter suppression, and identify areas for expansion of voter access.

Note: this position may be approved for remote work from a different U.S. location

RESPONSIBILITIES

You will be part of the Legal Analytics & Quantitative Research team, and work with team members across Analytics as well as stakeholders in our Legal, Political Advocacy, Digital, and Communications teams. Below is a sampling of projects you can expect to dive into:

Combine Census demographic data, legislative district maps, and election results to create powerful voting rights datasets
Review quantitative expert reports and depositions and provide recommendations to colleagues and co-counsel
Identify, evaluate, acquire, and integrate new Census data products and electoral results
Implement district simulation analyses and statistical methods such as ecological inference to inform litigation and advocacy efforts
Develop quantitative research analyses and literature reviews that support ACLU litigation and advocacy
Support the legal analytics team on other high-priority civil rights cases, including disparate impact claims in criminal justice, housing, or employment
Identify new opportunities for the ACLU's proactive voter protection efforts
Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Substantial training and applied experience in a quantitative social science, such as Economics, Political Science, or equivalent
Fluency in R, Python, or comparable statistical programming language
Experience providing timely feedback on statistical analyses, for example in reviewing expert reports or peer-reviewing journal articles
Experience designing and evaluating causal inference research studies
Ability to clearly translate technical concepts for a non-technical audience
The ideal candidate will have a passion for the ACLU, civil liberties and civil rights, with an emphasis on voting rights and redistricting in particular

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Two+ years of graduate-level work or research in US voting and elections, or equivalent work experience
Experience using ecological inference, simulation analyses, and other social science methods to analyze voting patterns in redistricting
Experience working directly with US Census data products and precinct-level electoral return data
Experience using statistical techniques for causal identification in observational or experimental research, either in an academic or applied legal setting
Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and spatial data, or mapping software for redistricting (e.g. Maptitude for Redistricting)

COMPENSATION

The annual salary for this position is $122,576 (Level F). This salary is reflective of a position based in New York, NY. This salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it's ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we're in the courts or in the office, we believe 'We the People' means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.