Summary:

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project is looking for a dynamic team-oriented Director of Research to develop and manage a large and growing team of analysts who monitor the radical right in the United States. A core focus of this department is to produce an annual census of hate and extremist groups operating in the U.S. In addition, the Research Department is responsible for:

• collecting extensive data and information on the radical right using multi-source methods,
• conducting in-depth investigations into and analysis of hate and extremism, and
• publishing unique articles and reports that shed light on the most important aspects of the movement.

The Director of Research leads these efforts, helping the team prioritize the right work and importantly, ensuring all team managers and members have what they need to do their job.

The Director of Research reports to the Deputy Director and will work in partnership with department leadership to determine the research and publishing priorities for the department.

To set priorities, the Director of Research also will work closely with the team leads within the Research Department, which include teams covering: white nationalists, neo-Nazis, anti-Muslim groups, anti-immigrant groups, anti-LGBT groups, male supremacists, and antigovernment extremists, among others.

The Director of Research’s main responsibilities are management, operations, and strategy:

Management: Coaching new managers on the team and, in partnership with the Deputy Director, building a strong workplace culture 

Operations: Ensuring that all Research Department team members have the information and tools they need to get their jobs done – and helping remove roadblocks as needed

Strategy: Setting, in partnership with the Director and Deputy Director, the strategic priorities for the Research Department – keeping the team focused on the top priorities and helping the team structure projects for success.

Primary Job Functions:

• Management: Manage a team of approximately 20 analysts covering a wide variety of extremist movements.
• Intelligence collection/Investigations: Guide the Research Department in understanding intelligence collection needs, identifying knowledge gaps, and establishing research questions.
• Analysis/Publications: Work closely with IP’s Deputy Director and editorial arm to plan and conduct research projects for publication. This includes mentoring and directing Research Department staff in partnering with IP writing staff to produce impactful publications for the Hatewatch Blog, Intelligence Report magazine and other reports, which involves highlighting news, trends and developments, communicating analysis and providing background for IP writers and defined media outlets.
• Database and data collection strategy: Oversee two developers tasked with assisting analysts with online data collection and analysis as well as partner with the Deputy Director to determine the future needs for IP’s intelligence database.
• Cross-departmental work: Serve as a key point of contact for the communications department to establish analytically sound talking points for media, respond to correspondence and inquiries from other departments as needed.
• External Facing Role: Present at conferences, conduct workshops, and publish research as needed. 

Supervisory Reports: Up to seven direct reports; plus indirect reports

Total staff: Up to seven direct reports, plus indirect reports, total staff approximately 20

Interacts with: Intelligence Project Department

Qualifications –

Education and Related Work Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree related to work experience highly preferred;
• Management experience required
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in one of the following fields required:
  • monitoring far-right extremism
  • working in investigative journalism
  • conducting opposition research
  • researching related public policy issues
• Demonstrated ability to oversee structured analytic processes and projects;
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal communication skills a must;
• Demonstrated ability to write clearly and concisely a must
• Experience speaking to the press a plus

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Understands the intelligence cycle and the roles of collection, analysis and decision makers;
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to make tough decisions based on competing analytic assessments;
• Computer and information technology literacy, and ability to use common office equipment (printer, copier, etc.) and scanning devices is necessary;
• Commitment to the mission of the SPLC and a strong desire to meld research on far-right extremism with advocacy efforts

 Other Special Considerations:

This job is performed under general office conditions and is not subject to any strenuous physical demands or dangerous conditions.

Disclaimer:

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. These statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.

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