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Political Polling Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Director of Survey Research

Chicago, IL ยท On-site

$185K - $219K/yr

About You You've spent a career doing serious political polling at the highest levels, the kind that shapes how candidates talk to voters and how organizations make decisions that actually matter.

Polling Analyst

Washington, DC ยท On-site

$108.39K/yr

The Polling Analyst will support critical internal polling work that helps inform and drive the ... Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or social science field (e.g., statistics, political science ...

Polling Analyst

Chicago, IL ยท On-site

$88.30K - $108.90K/yr

Polling Analyst Location: Chicago, IL or Washington, DC Office : 3 days/week in South Loop office ... Principal About Tavern Research Tavern Research is a political tech startup building tools and ...

The Polling Analyst will support critical internal polling work that helps inform and drive the ... Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or social science field (e.g., statistics, political science ...

The Polling Analyst will support critical internal polling work that helps inform and drive the ... Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or social science field (e.g., statistics, political science ...

Senior Researcher

Chicago, IL ยท On-site

$145K - $185K/yr

About You You've spent years doing serious political polling, the kind that shapes how campaigns talk to voters and how organizations make decisions that matter. You light up at the chance to tear ...

Principal

Chicago, IL ยท On-site +1

$164K - $182K/yr

Experience at a political polling, technology, or consulting firm * Familiarity with project management tools * Background in data, product, or campaign operations * Understanding of basic survey or ...

Data Reporter, Polling and Campaigns

Manhattan, NY ยท Hybrid

$125.30K - $150.40K/yr

You might have a formal political scientist background. You might be a reporter with an aptitude ... polling, election results, and other data, such as demographics * Experience in writing for ...

Data Reporter, Polling and Campaigns

Manhattan, NY ยท Hybrid

$125.30K - $150.40K/yr

You might have a formal political scientist background. You might be a reporter with an aptitude ... polling, election results, and other data, such as demographics * Experience in writing for ...

Data Reporter, Polling and Campaigns

New York, NY ยท Hybrid

$125.30K - $150.40K/yr

You might have a formal political scientist background. You might be a reporter with an aptitude ... polling, election results, and other data, such as demographics * Experience in writing for ...

Keep up on political news impacting Congress and the Executive Branch and remain informed on ... candidates, polling, fundraising, and other race-related data. * Schedule candidate meetings ...

Keep up on political news impacting Congress and the Executive Branch and remain informed on ... candidates, polling, fundraising, and other race-related data. * Schedule candidate meetings ...

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Political Polling information

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How much do political polling jobs pay per hour?

As of May 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for political polling in the United States is $24.47, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $30.29 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Political Polling job?

A Political Polling job involves designing, conducting, and analyzing surveys to gauge public opinion on political candidates, policies, and issues. Professionals in this field collect data through various methods like phone interviews, online surveys, or in-person polling. They interpret the results to identify trends, which help political campaigns, parties, and policymakers make informed decisions. Strong analytical skills and knowledge of statistics are crucial for success in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Political Polling position, and why are they important?

Success in Political Polling requires strong analytical skills, statistical knowledge, and a background in political science, sociology, or a related field. Familiarity with data analysis tools such as SPSS, R, or Python, as well as survey software and methodologies, is essential. Excellent communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving abilities help professionals interpret data and clearly convey findings. These competencies ensure accurate, reliable polling data that inform campaign strategies and public policy decisions.

What are some common challenges faced in political polling roles?

Professionals in political polling often encounter challenges such as ensuring high response rates, maintaining data accuracy, and dealing with rapidly changing public opinions. Tight deadlines during election cycles can make workload management and prioritization crucial skills in this field. Additionally, political pollsters must be adept at crafting unbiased questions and interpreting results amid complex social and political contexts. These factors require a combination of technical expertise and adaptability to produce insightful and trustworthy polling results.
What cities are hiring for Political Polling jobs? Cities with the most Political Polling job openings:
What states have the most Political Polling jobs? States with the most job openings for Political Polling jobs include:
Infographic showing various Political Polling job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, and 14% Temporary. Highlights an 86% In-person, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $50,889 per year, or $24.5 per hour.

Director of Survey Research

Tavern Research

Chicago, IL โ€ข On-site

$185K - $219K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 10 days ago


Job description

Director of Survey Research
Location: Chicago, IL or Washington, DC
Reports to: CEO
Salary: $185,000-$219,000 + bonus + equity
About Tavern Research
Tavern Research is a political tech startup building tools and insights to help our customers win elections and make better, evidence-based decisions. We specialize in scaling expert human work, such as content generation and survey research to support thoughtful, data-driven civic engagement. We're a venture-backed, mission-driven, fast-moving, and mostly technical team focused on supporting campaigns and organizations working to strengthen democratic participation. We are experimental by design and expect every team member to continuously improve how they work using new tools and technology. Everything else is on our website. If you still have questions, let us know when you apply!
About You
You've spent a career doing serious political polling at the highest levels, the kind that shapes how candidates talk to voters and how organizations make decisions that actually matter. You've led teams, advised under pressure, and built a reputation on delivering results when the stakes are real. You believe Democrats can win more if they use data better, and you want to be part of building what that looks like at the frontier of AI and political research. This isn't a role for someone who wants to maintain the status quo. It's for someone who wants to define what comes next.
About the Role
This is a senior leadership position. As Director of Survey Research, you'll own Tavern's public opinion research function end-to-end: setting the methodological standard, leading the team, advising on strategy, and serving as the credible public face of our research work. You'll work closely with the CEO and be the go-to voice when a client needs a deep briefing or a reporter needs a credible source.
We value in-person work and expect employees based in Chicago to work regularly from our South Loop office. We also welcome remote candidates, ideally based in Washington, DC.
If you have strong team members you'd like to bring along, we'd love to talk to them too.
Responsibilities
Research & Quality Leadership
  • Own Tavern's polling, opinion research, and strategic insights functions
  • Design and oversee large-scale survey research, message testing, audience segmentation, and longitudinal tracking studies
  • Establish and enforce methodological standards for rigor, reliability, and statistical validity across the organization
  • Serve as the final quality control layer for all research deliverables, catching what others miss while mentoring researchers and partnering with engineers to build LLM systems that improve research accuracy over time.
  • Develop and champion AI-assisted methodologies for sentiment analysis, behavioral forecasting, and opinion modeling
  • Translate complex datasets into clear, actionable strategic recommendations for leadership and clients

Strategic Advisory
  • Serve as a senior thought partner to the CEO and leadership team on public perception, communications strategy, and stakeholder sentiment
  • Identify emerging trends, narrative shifts, and risks before they surface publicly
  • Advise clients on policy, messaging, and the political landscape in real time
  • Inform Tavern's product roadmap through research-backed insight

Team & Organizational Leadership
  • Build, manage, and mentor a high-performing research team
  • Establish research operations, vendor relationships, and governance processes
  • Drive cross-functional collaboration across product, communications, and client teams
  • Handle in-depth polling briefings with clients and campaigns when needed; you're a key backstop for client-facing depth

External Engagement & Communications
  • Serve as Tavern's primary public voice on polling, methodology, and political opinion research
  • Brief media, engage with campaigns, academic institutions, and think tanks with fluency and credibility
  • Know what a reporter will find interesting and how to deliver it well

Qualifications
  • 10+ years of experience in political polling or public opinion research
  • Deep expertise in survey methodology, statistical inference, sampling, and experimental design
  • Track record in Democratic campaigns and advocacy at a senior level (presidential, Senate, or gubernatorial experience a plus)
  • Demonstrated success managing and developing research teams
  • Excellent communicator with strong media instincts, comfortable briefing everyone from candidates to reporters to boards, and serving as a public-facing voice through press, panels, and published work.
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted research tools, or genuine curiosity about building new methodologies
  • Bonus: You have a trusted team member who's ready to join alongside you.

To be explicit: you don't need a degree to work here. You just need to be exceptional at what we're asking from you.
Benefits
  • Premium health insurance
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Office closed for all federal holidays
  • 401k match
  • Equity

Tavern Research is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
The pay range for this role is:
185,000 - 219,000 USD per year (Chicago, IL)
185,000 - 219,000 USD per year (Remote)