The Research Analyst at Vocal will develop search queries, analyze social media content, and present data insights. The role requires synthesizing quantitative data with qualitative insights for client needs.
Vocal is seeking a researcher who is equal parts analyst and interpreter — someone who can build the queries, run the analysis, and then tell the story behind the numbers. You'll work across social media platforms to surface insights that shape how our clients communicate.
Responsibilities
- Build and refine keyword-based search queries to scrape large volumes of social media posts, captions, comments, and transcripts relevant to specific issue areas
- Work closely with our data team to provide clear instructions on the type of analysis that works best for a given client or problem: sentiment scoring, topic modeling, analyzing engagement metrics, etc.
- Use AI tools to tag, classify, and code content at scale, categorizing posts by theme, tone, stance, or other relevant dimensions that would be impractical to label manually
- Translate findings into visualizations and written deliverables that make data-driven insights accessible to non-technical audiences
- Blend quantitative outputs with qualitative interpretation to develop findings that are both rigorous and narratively compelling
- Synthesize qualitative findings into clear, compelling deliverables such as memos, briefs, and presentations that translate online discourse into actionable insights for non-technical audiences
Qualifications
- 1-2 years of professional experience working with large text-based datasets, including social media posts, comments, captions, or transcripts, for exploratory analysis
- Experience with quantitative text analysis methods such as sentiment analysis, frequency analysis, or topic modeling
- Strong SQL skills, including the ability to write queries to filter, join, and transform datasets for analysis
- Clear communication skills, with the ability to translate quantitative findings into written narratives accessible to non-technical audiences
- Deep familiarity with social media platforms and online communities, you spend time in these spaces and understand how content spreads, how subcultures communicate, and how algorithms shape what gets seen
- Strong research instincts, the ability to identify the right places to look, ask the right questions, and know when you've found something meaningful
- Interest in working for progressive causes including experience with political campaign(s) or public interest groups
Benefits
- This position includes full-time employment through November 2026
- Health insurance covered at 90% for full time employees; Dental and Vision available
- Flexible PTO and sick leave
- 401(k) plan & company contribution
Vocal Media is committed to developing leaders, policies, and a team culture that embraces diversity and enhances equity. We believe that differences in backgrounds, experiences, and identities lead to healthier organizations and stronger teams. We recognize that our success requires commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the highest quality services to our clients and creators. Vocal is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity, or disability, or any other legally protected basis. Vocal is committed to providing accommodations to individuals with disabilities in the hiring process and on the job, as required by applicable law. Vocal will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.
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