Senior Survey Scientist

Summary

Join Murmuration, a non-profit organization, as a Senior Survey Scientist to lead the strategy, design, fielding, and analysis of high-quality opinion research. You will play a crucial role in understanding public opinion on civic and political issues. This is a hands-on role requiring expertise in survey methodology, statistical analysis, and data interpretation. You will collaborate with various teams and contribute to the organization's Civic Pulse initiative. The position offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. The ideal candidate possesses strong quantitative skills, experience with survey design and analysis, and excellent communication abilities. The position is full-time and remote, based anywhere in the U.S.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience in survey research, public opinion polling, or social science research with a strong quantitative focus
• Proven track record designing, fielding, and analyzing complex surveys, including nationally representative samples
• Deep understanding of sampling methodologies, weighting techniques, and bias mitigation strategies
• Proficiency in Python, R, or a similar tool for statistical analysis and comfortability working with large datasets
• Strong survey-writing skills with an eye for clear, unbiased, and effective question design
• Familiarity with major survey platforms and vendors (e.g., Qualtrics, Survey Monkey, YouGov, etc.)
• Ability to clearly explain technical methods and research tradeoffs to both expert and non-expert audiences
• A collaborative mindset, fueled by curiosity and energized by both big-picture strategy and hands-on data work

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and refine surveys on civic engagement, issue attitudes, voter behavior, and more
• Write and test survey instruments with a focus on clarity, neutrality, and measurement validity
• Analyze survey data using statistical tools such as Python or R
• Develop sampling strategies and quota structures that ensure representativeness and reliability across key groups
• Apply post-stratification and survey weighting techniques, including raking
• Develop insights and recommendations that support internal strategy and partner decision making
• Help maintain and evolve our polling infrastructure, including tracking data and custom modules
• Stay informed on best practices and emerging trends in survey methodology and opinion research
• Collaborate with team members from across research, data science, and other teams to bring findings to life

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Bayesian methods or packages such as Stan, brms, or PyMC
• Background in political science, sociology, behavioral science, or another social science field with a strong quantitative focus
• Experience managing longitudinal or tracking surveys over time
• Familiarity with advanced survey weighting techniques such as multilevel regression and post-stratification (MRP)
• Comfort working with voter files, civic engagement data, or public datasets
• Strong data visualization skills, including tools like ggplot2, matplotlib, seaborn, or Datawrapper
• Familiarity with version control tools like Git and collaborative workflows
• Enthusiasm for mentoring or supporting junior staff
• Experience communicating findings to media, policy stakeholders, or advocacy organizations

Benefits

• Health, vision, and dental insurance with 100% of premiums covered for you and qualifying family members
• Retirement benefits with a 5% employer match
• A flexible unlimited PTO plan
• Generous paid parental leave
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• A company laptop
• A flexible remote work environment
• A home office setup stipend for all new employees
• Monthly reimbursement for remote work expenses
• A yearly professional development fund
• Mental health and wellness benefits through Calm and Better Help
• Yearly in-person staff retreats