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Opposition Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Mothering Justice

Public Affairs Specialsit

Detroit, MI · On-site

$60K/yr

... opposition research to anticipate floor debate arguments and build counter-narrative frameworks before they are needed, coordinates organizational sign-on processes and endorsement campaigns with ...

City of Merced, CA

Deputy City Attorney

Merced, CA · On-site

$97K - $118K/yr

Incumbents are expected to perform professional legal work and research with guidance and ... Provides briefings and oral arguments; anticipates and prepares for legal reasoning of opposition ...

City of Merced

Deputy City Attorney

Merced, CA

$97K - $118K/yr

Incumbents are expected to perform professional legal work and research with guidance and ... Provides briefings and oral arguments; anticipates and prepares for legal reasoning of opposition ...

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How much do opposition research jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for opposition research in the United States is $35.45, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.63 and $44.23 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Are Opposition Research Jobs?

Opposition research jobs involve collecting information and creating reports about a political opponent. Your duties include looking through public records, fact-checking an opponent’s statements, and defining their political platform and issues. You then report your findings to members of your employer’s election campaign staff. Some researchers add information to a central database operated by a political party. You may use such a database to find previous information about the opponent. As an opposition researcher, you can work for a particular political candidate or different candidates associated with a political party. Some campaigns hire private firms to handle research responsibilities.

What is opposition research?

Opposition research is the practice of collecting and analyzing information about political opponents or competitors, typically to find facts that could be used to discredit or challenge them during a campaign. This can include public records, past statements, voting history, business dealings, and personal background. The goal is to uncover information that could influence public perception or campaign strategy. Opposition research is common in politics but is also used in business and legal contexts.

What is the difference between Opposition Research vs Political Campaign Research?

AspectOpposition ResearchPolitical Campaign Research
PurposeTo gather information on opponents to influence elections or policy decisionsTo understand voter behavior, preferences, and demographics for campaign strategy
CredentialsResearch skills, political knowledge, investigative techniquesPolling, data analysis, voter outreach experience
Work EnvironmentPolitical campaigns, consulting firms, government officesCampaign offices, polling firms, political consulting

While both roles involve research within the political industry, Opposition Research focuses on uncovering information about opponents to gain strategic advantages, whereas Political Campaign Research aims to understand voters and tailor campaign messages. Both require strong research skills and are integral to political strategy but serve different objectives.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Opposition Researcher, and why are they important?

To excel as an Opposition Researcher, you need strong analytical skills, investigative abilities, and a background in political science, journalism, or a related field. Familiarity with databases, public records, LexisNexis, and advanced internet search techniques is often required. Outstanding attention to detail, discretion, and effective written communication are crucial soft skills for this role. These competencies are vital for producing accurate, actionable intelligence that informs campaign strategies and decision-making.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in opposition research, and how can they be addressed?

Opposition research professionals often deal with tight deadlines, rapidly changing priorities, and the need to verify large volumes of information under pressure. Maintaining accuracy and objectivity while handling sensitive or controversial material can be challenging. Building strong organizational skills, developing meticulous research habits, and collaborating closely with campaign teams help ensure findings are credible, timely, and actionable. Leveraging technology and establishing a reliable network of sources also contribute to greater efficiency and reliability in this fast-paced field.
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Opposition Research jobs near you
Infographic showing various Opposition Research job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 88% Full Time, and 11% Part Time. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $73,741 per year, or $35.5 per hour.

Public Affairs Specialsit

Mothering Justice

Detroit, MI • On-site

$60K/yr

Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

The Public Affairs Specialist is the legislative intelligence engine of Mothering Justice's public affairs function, responsible for owning the organizational legislative tracker in real time, developing and working whip counts for priority legislation, building and maintaining comprehensive legislator profiles across voting records, donor bases, caucus alignments, and committee positioning, reviewing introduced bill language and draft legislation for statutory construction problems, and executing rapid response when floor votes move without warning or hostile amendments drop during markup. This role sits at the intersection of legislative intelligence, policy analysis, and partner coordination, and it is built for a practitioner who already knows how to run a whip operation, read a bill in its introduced form and identify a statutory construction gap before the organization goes on record, distinguish a leadership ask from a member discretion vote, and execute across all of those functions simultaneously during an active session calendar without losing precision.

Day to day, this role drafts public comments during federal and state agency rulemaking periods at a level of substantive depth that earns entry into the formal record, prepares witnesses and written testimony for committee hearings including coaching on committee room protocol and member questioning dynamics, develops member-facing materials including one-pagers formatted for legislative office leave-behinds and talking points written for the Director's use in member meetings, conducts opposition research to anticipate floor debate arguments and build counter-narrative frameworks before they are needed, coordinates organizational sign-on processes and endorsement campaigns with attention to political timing and bill cycle positioning, and serves as the real-time intelligence interface between the public affairs team and the communications team when legislative developments require a public response.

Candidates must have a minimum of three years of direct experience working inside state or federal legislative processes, including bill tracking, vote-count development, legislator research, and independent engagement with elected officials and legislative staff as a principal representative of an organization. Preferred candidates will bring established relationships with Michigan legislative staff, caucus directors, and committee offices, fluency in Michigan legislative culture including floor calendar control dynamics, germaneness determinations, and sine die implications for carryover legislation, prior exposure to bill drafting processes through collaboration with legislative counsel offices or model legislation development, and working knowledge of MARA registration requirements and c3 and c4 lobbying compliance distinctions. Candidates whose experience is primarily administrative or communications-facing without direct legislative engagement will not meet the requirements of this role.

Starting salary is $60,000 annually. This position is based in Lansing, Michigan and requires the candidate to live in Lansing or within 20 miles of the city. Mothering Justice is a Detroit-based political advocacy organization advancing the Mamas Agenda, a policy platform developed by and for mothers of color that centers universal childcare, paid family and medical leave, Black maternal health, and basic needs security. This role exists to advance the Mamas Agenda, and candidates should be prepared to commit to that mission. Mothering Justice is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and does not discriminate in employment based on race, socioeconomic status, national origin, color, disability, religion, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

To view the full job description please click here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IJX0UVQWt_x4xftz2W9RowHF4lEt2x0rsyUFw9Xeos0/edit?usp=sharing

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