Fellow, Governance

Fellow, Governance

R Street Institute V7.23

Washington, D.C.

The R Street Institute—a free-market think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with regional offices across the country—seeks a dynamic fellow to bolster our work on election policy. If you are the right fit, you will report to the director of the Governance program. If you want to join a mission-driven organization and work toward pragmatic policy solutions, this may be the opportunity you need

Your typical day at R Street may include conducting research on how rethinking the structure of elections can create better alignment between politicians and their constituents or drafting an op-ed on the need to ensure safe and secure voting sites. It may also include meeting with legislators, election officials, and other stakeholders to improve public trust in elections or presenting your insights on strengthening ballot security on a radio show or at a national conference.

This role will serve within the Governance program, which seeks to define how a limited, effective government can minimize burdens, promote human flourishing, and encourage opportunity for all. With this lens, R Street’s electoral reform work has looked for ways to eliminate needless red tape in elections, ensure all voters can participate in taxpayer-funded elections, realign electoral incentives to promote a healthier political culture, and promote policies that create elections worthy of public trust. All the while, we recognize that keeping states in control of their own elections—an idea at the very heart of our federalist system—will create more public buy-in and allow for greater flexibility and innovation.

Our study of electoral reform may touch on a wide variety of issues and will be informed by the framework we have supported in the past, which includes:

• Supporting primary reform and alternative voting systems, such as ranked-choice voting, to promote healthier political incentives, save taxpayers from costly runoffs, and give voters more options
• Expanding options to vote by mail while encouraging Election Day absentee ballot receipt deadlines and opposing ballot harvesting in order to help bolster trust in elections
• Restoring voting rights for returning citizens
• Protecting free speech and Americans’ ability to participate in electoral politics, financially and otherwise

Other Aspects of Your Role 

• Collaborate with internal and external subject matter experts on research projects
• Adapt policy, engagement, and communication strategy in a quick-changing legislative and regulatory landscape
• Work with government affairs and communications teams to identify and consistently engage with target audiences
• Engage in continuous policy analysis training
• Keep up to date with the latest research
• Remain vigilant against ninja infiltrations

Skills and Qualifications 

• Strong writing skills in a variety of contexts, including short-form (e.g., op-eds or blog posts) and long-form (e.g., research papers)
• Ability to conduct independent research on law, history, and public policy and offer solutions based upon findings
• Experience working on issues directly related to electoral systems, from voter registration to canvassing and auditing, as well as politics and government more broadly
• Impeccable communication skills, with the demonstrated ability to speak to a wide range of audiences both in written and oral media
• No particular educational background is required: A proven track record to achieve results is far more meaningful than credentials
• Passion for free markets and limited, effective government
• A sense of humor and a desire to grow with a multifaceted organization

R Street works to bolster American innovation, increase consumer choice, and protect individual liberty by supporting a smaller, smarter government. We focus on deep scholarship and pragmatic policy solutions that many groups tend to neglect. Our goal is to publish timely, relevant research and analysis that advances a market-oriented society and limited, effective government. To that end, our motto is: “Free Markets. Real Solutions.”

Workplace

We offer a flexible working arrangement. This is a full-time position that can either work the majority of the week in our D.C. office or be fully remote. 

Some travel will be required to meet with lawmakers, participate in conferences and, for those outside of Washington, D.C., to gather with other R Street staff at semi-annual in-person events.

Compensation, Benefits and Perks

R Street strives to provide a compensation package superior to those at other think tanks and nonprofits. In addition to a competitive salary, we provide the following:

• Unlimited paid time off policy, including all federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, and two weeks holiday closure in December
• Alternating Fridays off
• A health insurance option entirely paid by the employer (even for families)
• Dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) contributions with up to a 4 percent match
• HSA employer contribution match
• Quarterly wellness reimbursement
• Mobile equipment/mobile plan reimbursement
• Internet subsidy
• Annual educational and professional development reimbursement
• An option among child care assistance, pet care assistance, or student loan repayment assistance reimbursement

R Street is committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe having a more diverse workforce will strengthen R Street’s ability to innovate, achieve our mission, and support long-term systemic change. As people dedicated to limited, effective government and free markets, we understand that a free society achieves its greatest triumphs by allowing and facilitating a wide variety of approaches to public policy problems. The concept of “broad coalitions,” one of our core operating principles, stems from that insight. People of all races, religions, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, life experiences, and socioeconomic backgrounds perform at the highest levels in every type of work that we do and have shaped the principles to which we subscribe. We believe that searching for talent everywhere is an integral part of living up to our principles.

We currently plan to accept applications for this job until filled. We will contact qualified individuals for telephone interviews and conduct them on a rolling basis. Interviews will be held virtually, via Zoom. 

To apply, you must upload a cover letter and resume in Microsoft Word or PDF. 

The R Street Institute stands for free markets, limited, effective government and pragmatic solutions to difficult problems. We envision:

A free society, where public policy begins with freedom as its initial premise and governments exist primarily as guardians of inherent, inalienable rights.

An inclusive society that provides a place, a voice, and equal opportunity for all.

A just society that holds everyone accountable to the same laws.

Our Values

The following values are the principles that guide how R Street fulfills its mission and operates. Our organization believes in these values and we live them:

Always be better

We want to achieve preeminence in every area where we work. We encourage a bias for action, innovation, creativity, and courage in everything that we do. We measure ourselves by the quality, credibility and impact we achieve as a result.

Different is good.

We believe that great minds think differently and building broad coalitions has made us who we are. Making progress on policy requires that we operate outside of the echo chamber and take non-traditional approaches to policy making. We apply this same principle to the way we operate and how we build our teams: with a focus on diversity and inclusion. We are all unique but belong to the same team.

Serious(ly)

We’re serious about our work, but don’t take ourselves too seriously. We believe in the intellectual rigor, free inquiry and honesty, that is required to achieve our mission, but having fun doing it is equally as important.

One Team

We all work together and work with humility. We strive to cultivate trust and transparency at all levels, between ourselves as individuals and as an organization, with our stakeholders, and in our work. We demonstrate respect and openness in our actions at all times. We are all unique but belong to the same team.

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