Ballotpedia:Research assistants (July 2012)

The Lucy Burns Institute (LBI) seeks several Research Assistants for a short term project to compile information about laws concerning municipal initiative & referendum (I&R) in American cities.

These Research Assistants will have primary responsibility for sifting through previously compiled research, doing original research online, or reaching out to knowledgeable organizations or individuals by email or phone as required.

As a member of the city I&R research team, you will report directly to Colin O’Keefe, the project’s lead researcher.

The project will last from 3-6 months. The position is a remote/virtual position. To do this job, you must be able to commit at least 20 hours a week to the project for its duration.

Responsibilities

• Finding sources of information on city-wide I&R laws
• From those sources, pulling out the specific information LBI wants
• Adding that information to a spreadsheet
• Working with other research team members to identify and implement better research on sources and additional items to collect information about

Attributes

The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:

• Excellent researcher
• Entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and a self-starter mentality
• Superb written and oral communication skills
• Highly detail-oriented
• Ability to execute under tight deadlines
• Ability to multi-task, organize numerous moving parts of a project, and meet deadlines
• Extremely conscientious and hardworking
• The ability to work an assigned schedule of hours during the week
• You must be extremely proficient with and responsive to online forms of communication, such as Skype, email, webinars and Google Docs, or know that you have the ability to very quickly pick up such forms of communication

Other job requirements

In order to be considered for this job, you will need to have currently, or be able to acquire quickly, the following:

• Regular access to a reliable computer with a reliable high-speed internet connection
• Regular access to a reliable phone (cell or landline)
• Ability to use skype. Skype can be downloaded free from skype.com. You will need a computer with a microphone, or a skype headset with a microphone attachment that works with your computer. These can be purchased at many locations.

Salary

The starting salary is $12/hour. The top payscale for this position is $15/hour. There may be a bonus for on-time overall completion of the project.

Application process

Qualified and interested candidates should submit the following application materials:

• Résumé
• An email to Colin O’Keefe indicating:
  • why you are interested in the position
  • how many hours – minimum and maximum – you are available to work each week,
  • which hours/days, if any, during the week you would not be available,
  • the date you can start and
  • whether you would be available at least 20 hours a week for at least 4 months from the time that you can start.

Materials should be emailed to Colin O’Keefe at colin.okeefe@lburnsinstitute.org.

New employees

If you are hired for this position, you will need to go through a new employee orientation process, which involves filling out, signing and returning about a dozen required documents. This takes from 2-3 hours of your time, and you will be compensated for that time. These forms will be emailed to you and must be successfully completed and returned by the date indicated by your supervisor in order for LBI to begin generating your paycheck.

Your hours are reported through an online reporting system. You will be trained in its use.

LBI employees receive a paycheck every two weeks. Most employees take advantage of direct deposit for receipt of their paycheck.

The Lucy Burns Institute

The Lucy Burns Institute “brings the branches of government down to eye level” through its websites, Ballotpedia and Judgepedia.

Founded in 2006, the Lucy Burns Institute is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.