Assistant Audience Editor

Organization Overview  

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. It studies politics and policy; news habits and media; the internet and technology; religion; race and ethnicity; international affairs; social, demographic and economic trends; science; research methodology and data science; and immigration and migration. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. The Center’s work is carried out by a staff of 180.   

Position summary 

This is a term-limited, grant-funded position expected to extend 15 months. 

The Assistant Audience Editor will help connect Pew Research Center’s work with the public by supporting content creation, community engagement, and the day-to-day execution of our audience strategy. This junior role will focus on producing and adapting research content to text, graphics and short-form video for a variety of digital platforms and ensuring that the Center’s findings reach and resonate with broad and diverse audiences. The position will also play a key role in moderating conversations, fostering respectful engagement, and spotting opportunities to bring the Center’s research into discussions of current events. This position reports to the associate director, digital outreach. 

The ideal candidate is an adaptable, curious, and detail-oriented collaborator with strong communication and task management skills, driven by a passion for providing nonpartisan information to the public. 

Primary responsibilities 

Content creation and posting (75%):  

Collaborate with researchers, designers, producers, communications strategists and video editors to create text posts, infographics, and video to communicate the Center’s day-to-day findings to a general audience on social media.  

Craft social messaging that makes complex research findings engaging and understandable while adhering to institutional voice and brand values of accuracy, humility and rigor. 

Manage social media content calendar, promoting new content as it is published and resharing news-relevant research findings as appropriate. 

Support major campaigns with first-pass drafts, campaign prep, and monitoring audience engagement.  

Community engagement and moderation (20%):  

Monitor social media channels for audience comments, questions, and discussions. Respond to community inquiries or escalate questions to the appropriate team when necessary. 

Moderate community conversations to ensure they remain respectful and aligned with Pew Research Center’s standards. 

Track social media conversations to spot emerging trends and public sentiment related to Pew Research Center’s work and key research topics, and use these insights to guide future content creation. 

Administrative Support (5%): 

Help with meeting prep (gathering examples, organizing assets).  

Maintain shared content folders and archives.  

Capture notes during project check-ins as needed. 

Education/Training/Experience Requirements 

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, media studies, public relations, political science, sociology, or a related field — or equivalent work experience. 

One to two years digital media experience including managing branded social media accounts, ideally at a think tank, research or news organization. 

Knowledge, Skill, and Workplace 

Content creation & communication 

Interest in current events and Pew Research Center’s wide-ranging research topics. 

Strong news judgment and writing skills; able to translate complex findings into clear, engaging content. 

Experience crafting platform-appropriate messaging for social media (e.g., X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube Shorts). 

Basic multimedia production abilities, such as shooting/editing short-form video or using design tools (Canva, Adobe Express, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.). 

Audience engagement & moderation 

Understanding of online community dynamics and best practices for fostering respectful, productive discussion. 

Ability to respond thoughtfully to questions and feedback in a professional, nonpartisan tone. 

Digital skills 

Familiarity with social media scheduling and monitoring tools (e.g., Hootsuite). 

Awareness of digital and social trends, especially in short-form video and audience engagement. 

Basic understanding of analytics tools (e.g., native platform insights, Parse.ly, Hootsuite) and how to apply them to content strategy. 

Enthusiasm for experimenting with new and emerging platforms to share data and research. 

Awareness of how AI tools are shaping content creation and audience engagement, with openness to using them responsibly to support (not replace) human-powered workflows. 

Professional qualities 

Strong organizational and task management skills; able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. 

Attention to detail and accuracy when working across varied research topics. 

Ability to meet deadlines with professionalism and diplomacy. 

Collaborative mindset; comfortable working with editorial, design and research teams. 

Curiosity and adaptability — eager to learn new platforms, tools and formats. 

Commitment to neutrality and clear communication. 

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt  

Typical starting salary - $61,000

Location 

Pew Research Center staff are required to be present in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Staff may work virtually from remote locations on other days in a typical work week. 

Application Procedure  

Click on the Apply button, and complete required fields. Both cover letter and resume are required.  

When requested, please upload a copy of your resume/cv, as well as a copy of your cover letter in the section labeled Resume/Cover Letter. If the documents have successfully uploaded, you should see two attached files beneath the “Drop files here” box. Please make sure you have uploaded a resume AND a cover letter before moving on to the next page 

Total Rewards 

In addition to competitive pay, Pew Research Center’s employees enjoy a robust total rewards package that includes: 

Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision benefits.

Generous paid annual leave plan, including a winter break between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

Employer-paid disability, life insurance and paid family leave plans

Up to a 12% employer 401(k) contribution, with vesting at the end of the first year.

A 37.5-hour workweek.

Health savings or flexible spending account options with employer funding component.

Flexibility to telework a portion of each week, with an additional four telework “flex weeks” each year for most staff.