Director of Research

We’re looking for a Director of Research!

Worth Rises seeks a well-rounded Director of Research (exempt) to lead the organization’s public education and research work. This individual should be a strategist, thought leader, seasoned researcher, excellent writer, who is comfortable with data and able to digest complex content for a general audience. The Director of Research will report to the Chief Narrative Officer and will work closely with the Chief Narrative Officer and Director of Marketing & Communications to develop and implement our research strategy and support our campaigns.

Worth Rises is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches. Partnering with directly impacted people, we work to expose the commercialization of the criminal legal system and advocate and organize to protect the economic resources extracted from affected communities and strip the industry of its power. Through our work, we strive to pave a road toward a safe and just world free of police and prisons. 

Key Results (Year One)

• Draft and publish a report, with compelling supporting multimedia content, about the impact of free calls in January 2025.
• Support the rollout of our new trade book about the prison industry in February 2025 with the development of related sector fact sheets.
• Conduct original qualitative and quantitative research and publish at least 12 articles on our blog, with at least 6 that are cross-posted by media outlets.

Major Responsibilities

• Build and lead the organization’s research portfolio in support of organizations priorities and goals.
• Co-develop and execute the organization’s narrative strategy with the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, Chief Narrative Officer, and Director of Marketing & Communications.
• Conduct intensive research, collect quantitative and qualitative data, perform innovative analyses, and translate findings into accessible content.
• Write and publish issue briefs, reports, articles, op-eds, blog posts, fact sheets, and other research content to support our campaigns and shape the public the narrative around the prison industry.
• Manage the organization’s existing suite of research products, including our Corporate Database and Phone Rate Map, conducting routine maintenance and updates and fielding related investor, media, and other questions.
• Present research to media and at public events, and train other staff on recently published research to do the same.

Critical Factors for Success

A strong candidate would be a strategic-minded and motivated self-starter who consistently delivers high-quality work, is an excellent project manager, highly organized, is a proactive and innovative problem-solver, appreciates direct feedback, and has the following:

• At least five years of professional experience conducting research that includes collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data and writing for public education and advocacy.
• Superior writing and editing skills and demonstrated ability to defend and explain complex issues to a wide variety of audiences.
• Comfort with interpreting statistical studies and building financial and other data models.
• Understanding of the prison industry and corporate finance and a strong, demonstrated interest in learning more.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office Suite, namely Word, PowerPoint, and Excel (e.g., formulas, formatting, etc.).
• Genuine commitment to our organizational values: act with integrity, focus on impact, deliver excellence, get it done, and operate with intellectual curiosity (visit worthrises.org/jointhefight).

Compensation and Benefits

Worth Rises offers a generous compensation package, including full medical, vision, and dental coverage, 20 days vacation time, ten days personal/sick leave, and three days bereavement leave. Employees also receive a generous 401k contribution match, $75 monthly technology stipend, and dedicated budget line for professional development. We operate in a remote-first environment. The annual salary for the Director of Research is $135,000.

Worth Rises is an equal opportunity employer, and strongly encourages formerly incarcerated individuals, directly impacted individuals, people of color, members of the disabled community, gender-variant and non-binary individuals, and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community to apply.