Salary: $68,000 to $78,000 and commensurate with experience.
Policy Research Specialist | League of Wisconsin Municipalities Madison, Wisconsin
Position Summary
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities was founded in 1898 and is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that advocates for the interests of our over 600 member cities and villages, large and small, urban and rural, throughout the state. League staff are among the top in their respective fields and find great personal fulfillment in serving Wisconsin’s municipal governments.
The League is seeking a detail-oriented research professional who will primarily support the organization’s government affairs work. The Policy Research Specialist will assist in developing credible, timely research that informs legislative priorities, supports lobbying positions, and provides data-driven insights to policymakers, member municipalities, and stakeholders. This is a new position at the League, and the hired professional will be joining on the ground-level of the implementation of this new initiative while assisting in developing our research portfolio.
The Policy Research Specialist will gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative information, design and administer surveys, interpret datasets, and produce written materials that clearly communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences. This position reports to the Government Affairs Director. The League is a hybrid work environment with opportunities for remote work.
Key Responsibilities
• Work collaboratively to identify, recommend, and conduct the research necessary to promote legislative priorities and League initiatives
• Identify, compile, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, case studies, and best-practices to inform policy work
• Design, administer, and evaluate surveys of municipal officials on relevant topics
• Analyze and summarize datasets using analytical tools and methodologies
• Prepare written reports, legislative and member communications, and supporting materials
• Collaborate with partner, nonprofit, and educational organizations on research related to local government
Qualifications Required
• Bachelor’s degree in math, statics, economics, data analysis, public administration, public policy, political science, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Suite (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and other data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Stata, R, or similar platforms)
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise, and presentable formats
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including the capacity to condense research results for communication to a non-technical audience
• Desire to work in a team environment with strong communication skills
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills
Beneficial Experience
• Master’s degree in math, statics, economics, data analysis, public administration, public policy, political science, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• Experience conducting applied research and analyzing quantitative and/or qualitative data
• Demonstrated experience creating and conducting surveys
• Experience supporting public policy, advocacy, or government affairs work
• Familiarity with municipal or state government issues
• Experience working with large or complex datasets
Key Competencies
• Collaborative mindset and responsiveness to team needs
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
• Sound judgment in evaluating sources and data credibility
• Intellectual curiosity and attention to detail