Civic Action Researcher

About the role

Unruled Masses (UM) is a New York‑based 501(c)(3) nonpartisan public education and civic empowerment organization dedicated to researching and exposing abuses of power, educating the public on corruption’s daily impact, empowering people to counter corruption through nonviolent and lawful civic action, and inspiring hope through community. As a Civic Action Researcher, you are a dedicated researcher who believes information is the foundation of action, understands that effective change requires precise strategy, and is technically proficient, detail‑oriented, and passionate about building Action Playbooks that serve as roadmaps for reclaiming our democratic future. You care deeply about democracy, are driven by the belief that public institutions must be accountable to the people, and align with UM’s mission to hold power accountable and reclaim public institutions.

Responsibilities

• Build Action Playbooks: Research and draft step‑by‑step guides to lawful, nonviolent civic actions people can take in response to specific types of corruption, tailored to a person's risk tolerance and circumstances, for inclusion in our Civic Action Program.
• Tactical Implementation: Use your technical skills to build these researched tactics into our digital page builders, ensuring they are accessible and user‑friendly for the public.
• Synthesize Strategy: Analyze historical and contemporary pro‑democracy movements to identify effective, nonviolent mobilization strategies that can be adapted to today's challenges.
• Translate Research into Action: Work with our Corruption Research Program to turn documented abuses of power — drawn from our Abuse Library and Corruption Intelligence File — into Action Pages that give the public clear instructions for peaceful, strategic civic engagement.
• Support Community Training: Help create the materials and strategies used in Community Action Trainings so members of the public can safely and effectively carry out the actions you've helped design.
• Identify Strategic Targets: Research the most effective levers for institutional accountability to maximize the impact of our collective efforts.
• Exceptional volunteers may: Develop high‑level strategic frameworks for national or international civic action campaigns.
• Lead deep‑dive research projects on the effectiveness of specific nonviolent tactics across different political climates.
• Collaborate with our communications team to script and produce educational content, including for the Unruled Voices podcast, based on your research.
• Act as a subject matter expert during community trainings and partner coalition sessions.

Qualifications

• Research Expertise: Proven experience in qualitative research, political science, sociology, or a related field with a focus on civic engagement or social movements.
• Technical Proficiency: Comfortable working with CMS/page‑building tools (e.g., WordPress, Webflow, or similar) to format and publish research findings.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to look beyond individual data points to see the "how" and "why" of mobilization and movement building.
• Clarity of Expression: Strong, plain‑language writing skills, with the ability to simplify complex strategic concepts into clear, motivational instructions — consistent with UM's commitment to accessibility.
• Mission Alignment: A demonstrated, nonpartisan commitment to democracy, human rights, and the belief that organized, peaceful communities can hold power accountable and reclaim public institutions.

Benefits

• Architect the Movement: Help build the Action Playbooks that will guide people toward effective, peaceful civic action.
• Founding Team Status: Work directly with UM leadership to build a nonpartisan, public‑interest research and civic action organization from the ground up.
• Intellectual Growth: Engage with current research and thinking on nonviolent resistance and human rights strategy.