Research Associate

About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company. This full-time hybrid role is available in our Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; and New York, NY offices. The Summer 2027 Research Associate cohort will start in July 2027. Applications are requested by December 31, 2026.

The Role

Morning Consult is hiring proactive and resourceful team players for the Research Accelerator program as Research Associates, an entry-level position. This role provides broad exposure across diverse client accounts and cross-functional teams, building expertise in modern, AI-forward market research. This is a full-time hybrid role based in Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, or New York, NY. The structured two-year program progresses from Research Associate (Year 1) to Senior Research Associate (Year 2), with a clear path toward a Research Manager role. The program includes structured cohort onboarding, continuous Learning & Development programming, and individualized coaching.

The Program

Research Accelerator is a cohort-based development program for future high-impact researchers. Research Associates support high-visibility research projects with research, strategy, and operations leaders. The program offers immersive onboarding, ongoing training, individualized coaching, and clear growth paths. It sits at the intersection of Research Solutions, Research Operations, Sales, Product & Tooling, and Client Strategy. You will learn how modern, AI-forward research is designed, executed, and delivered, including the application of AI, automation, and advanced tooling across the project lifecycle.

What You'll Work On

• Supporting foundational market research projects, mastering research methodology and best practice execution.
• Partnering with Research Managers and Research Directors to design custom survey frameworks, craft questionnaire logic, and structure data analysis.
• Refining questionnaires, analytical memos, and executive slide decks, maintaining rigorous standards for data accuracy, formatting, and narrative quality.
• Supporting quality assurance with the Research Operations team for accurate client deliverables.
• Building working relationships across Commercial and Strategy teams.
• Learning and using internal and external tools to run project stages efficiently.
• Integrating AI tooling and automation (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, proprietary models) into workflows to enhance research quality, synthesize insights, and drive operational efficiency.
• Learning Morning Consult's products and navigating them independently.
• Sharing learnings with teammates and learning from them.
• Performing other tasks and duties as may be required or assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Business, Statistics, Data Analytics, Market Research, Public Policy, or Data Science, or equivalent experience.
• At least one relevant experience: a communications, marketing, insights, or client-service internship, project coursework, or professional work related to research. A structured internship or cohort program is a plus.
• Applied research exposure, ideally hands-on work with questionnaires or data that produced a deliverable.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace suite and associated tools.
• Experience working with and interpreting data sets.
• Comfort using AI tools.
• A record of working well in groups, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Leadership or project ownership in an academic, professional, or extracurricular setting.
• A solid academic record.

Bonus

• Light coding experience (such as R).
• Advanced spreadsheet software skills.
• Familiarity with data structures.

This Program Is a Great Fit for You If…

• You are excited to join a cohort-based development program and grow your expertise.
• You thrive in an environment focused on mastering market research fundamentals, modern AI tools, and internal systems.
• You bring genuine enthusiasm for Morning Consult, clear company background research, and a strong vision for your professional growth.
• You look beyond surface details to understand the "why" and determine actionable next steps.
• You step outside your comfort zone, take control of your development, and make proactive decisions.
• You remain open to feedback, embrace learning moments, and translate feedback into action.
• You maintain high standards for quality, communicate concisely, and collaborate effectively within a team.

Compensation

The annual base salary for this position is $66,000. This role is eligible for additional variable compensation and an equity grant.