About

Equis is a set of organizations (including Equis Research, Equis Institute, and EquisLabs) working to create a better understanding of Latinos, innovate new approaches to reach and engage them, and invest in the leadership and infrastructure for long-term change. 

At Equis we lean into the complexities of Latino voters in the United States, ensuring they get the sophistication of treatment and level of attention that matches their size and the critical role they play in the electorate. We act as a public utility, using a diversity of tools (polling, qualitative insights, digital testing, voter data and analytics, along with best practices from other sectors) to shape the decisions of the political and policy ecosystem. Some of our previous public analysis is available here. 

Equis seeks truth that bends institutions and moves power to Latino people — sin miedo. The ideal candidate for this position would be invested in the same desired outcomes and impact for our research.

Position Summary

Equis is seeking a technically skilled Research Data Associate to help contribute to the development of Equis’s data systems and analytical pipelines by writing and maintaining code in SQL and Python, managing data ingestion and transformation processes, and supporting research and voter targeting projects across the organization. The position will work closely with the Research and Data teams to maintain high-quality datasets, develop reproducible analytical workflows, and generate insights that support campaigns, partners, and researchers seeking to better engage Latino voters.

This role reports to the Deputy Director of Research and operates within a collaborative research and data environment where projects range from voter file analysis and polling research to field experiments and evaluation of different targeting models.

Core Responsibilities

Data Management 

• Write and maintain SQL queries and Python scripts to support research projects.
• Support the ingestion, cleaning, and transformation of datasets including voter files, census data, and polling data.
• Maintain quality control standards across datasets and analytical workflows.
• Document workflows, protocols, and code to ensure reproducibility and knowledge sharing across the organization.
• Support the integration, wrangling, and maintenance of complex datasets from multiple vendors and data sources.

Research and Analysis

• Analyze voter file and demographic datasets to identify patterns and trends related to Latino voter engagement and participation.
• Contribute to research projects, which could include voter file analysis, polling analysis, survey research, and field experiments.
• Assist in replicating and applying methodological best practices and analytical frameworks for ongoing research initiatives.
• Support the design and implementation of projects that help identify and better understand Latino voters and non-voters.
• Build dashboards or visualizations to support research outputs and internal analysis when necessary.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with research, targeting, and partner teams to support data needs across projects.
• Help translate complex datasets and technical findings into clear insights for internal teams and external partners. For example, a memo highlighting tactics to better find Latinos in existing voter files, summary of voting patterns across different election cycles, etc.
• Work with the team to respond to ad hoc data requests and analytical questions from staff and collaborators.
• Participate in team meetings, project planning, and collaborative research initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Commitment to Equis’s mission of strengthening the power and well-being of Latino communities.
• Experience working with political, survey, and/or large-scale demographic datasets.
• Programming experience in Python, particularly using pandas or similar data analysis packages, as well as building ETL pipelines.
• Experience working with relational databases by writing SQL queries, including joins, aggregations, and table transformations.
• Willingness to learn, strong problem-solving skills and ability to work with messy or incomplete datasets.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced electoral environment.
• Strong written documentation and communication skills, including writing about technical topics in plain language.

Nice-to-have Qualifications

• Experience working in the progressive political or civic data ecosystem.
• Experience working in electoral campaigns or with campaign vendors, even if not in a data capacity.
• Experience with Google BigQuery or similar cloud data warehouse platforms.
• Familiarity with version control tools such as Git.
• Experience building or maintaining data pipelines or analytical workflows.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Looker Studio, dashboards, or data reporting platforms.
• Experience with statistical analysis, social science research methods, or causal inference.
• Familiarity with VAN, voter files, precinct-level election results, or campaign outreach data.
• Experience with machine learning, spatial analysis, or natural language processing.
• Experience presenting complex research findings to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with and curiosity about using AI tools for data processing, analysis, etc.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• The ability to communicate with colleagues, partners, and clients via phone, video call, and email
• Occasional overnight travel (usually once or twice a year)

Work Environment

Equis is a national remote office environment with team members located across all U.S. time zones. Candidates should be prepared to either work from home or a location of their choosing that is located within the United States.

This position requires the ability to work core hours Monday through Friday in your local time. This position will require occasional nights and weekend work and some in-person attendance for all-staff or department level events, approximately two per year, which require overnight travel. 

Compensation and Benefits

This position is represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild; terms and conditions of employment are subject to collective bargaining. It is a fully remote (USA only), full-time, exempt role.  Equis offers a competitive, starting salary range of $65,000-$90,000/year. This salary range represents a good faith estimate of what Equis may pay for this position at the time of posting. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as budget availability and commensurate with the selected candidates’ experience. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as budget availability and commensurate with the selected candidates’ experience.

Our generous Benefits Package includes 100% Medical, Dental, Vision at no premium for employees, Company Paid Life Insurance, Health Reimbursement Account with employer contribution, Unlimited PTO, generous paid holidays, 4% Employer Match 401(k), Annual Professional Development Stipend, Work-from-home Stipend, Paid Parental Leave, Short-term disability, Long-term disability, Wellness stipend and Emergency Relief Fund. Equis observes office-wide holiday closures in accordance with the federal government alongside additional summer and winter breaks.

How To Apply

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Please send your resume and cover letter. For your application to receive full consideration, please explain in your cover letter why you are interested in working at Equis and how your background and/or experience demonstrate your commitment to Equis’s core goal of enhancing the well-being and power of the Latino community. In the submission of an application, your consent is provided to share your resume with partnering organizations.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equis is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), sexual orientation, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, predisposing genetic characteristic, domestic violence victim status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. 

Equis is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the recruitment process, please email hr@equislabs.us.