Job description
WHO WE ARE
ActBlue is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating cutting-edge technology that fuels Democratic victories and enables progressive causes to thrive.
Our vision is simple: building change through the power of people. Since our founding, we’ve been building innovative solutions to revolutionize grassroots fundraising – if you’ve donated to a Democratic campaign or a progressive organization online, you’ve probably used our platform! We believe in putting power in the hands of small-dollar donors by helping thousands of groups — from local candidates to national movements — mobilize their communities and create a lasting impact. Every member of our team is deeply committed to advancing our shared mission and core values. Together, we are shaping the future of democracy.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We’re seeking a strategic Associate Director of Research with deep market research expertise to lead an integrated research function supporting Marketing, Product Marketing, and UX Research associates. Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing, you will set the research vision and turn complex data into actionable insights that drive growth, product development, and strategic decision-making.
This is a temporary position with an anticipated duration of 3 to 6 months and the potential for extension or full-time hire.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Develop and execute comprehensive market research strategy including market sizing, industry analysis, trend forecasting, competitive intelligence, brand health tracking, and customer satisfaction research
- Provide strategic oversight, mentorship, and performance management to UX researchers, product marketing researchers, and marketing analytics team members
- Partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Design, Data & Analytics, Marketing) to deliver market intelligence and establish unified research processes that inform product roadmap, feature prioritization, market positioning, and growth initiatives while serving as cross-functional leader facilitating alignment between departments
- Design and conduct primary market research including surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and quantitative studies that validate product concepts, assess market demand, and evaluate product-market fit
- Create executive dashboards and automated reporting systems that translate market research findings into actionable product recommendations, feature prioritization guidance, and business outcomes
- Lead efforts including the data and analytics team to inform competitive intelligence systems tracking market dynamics, competitor product features, positioning strategies, and product performance benchmarks
- Provide strategic oversight to UX research initiatives (usability testing, user journey mapping, persona development) and product marketing research (buyer personas, value proposition testing, messaging optimization) ensuring market context informs product decisions
- Establish KPIs for both market performance and product success, lead cross-channel analytics initiatives, and leverage CRM integration to optimize customer lifecycle understanding and product adoption strategies
- Navigate legal and ethical constraints while maintaining research quality standards across market research, product research, and UX methodologies for diverse target populations and product validation studies
WHAT YOU BRING
- 7+ years market research experience with 2+ years in leadership roles
- Experience with product research methodologies and product development processes
- Experience managing research teams or leading cross-functional research initiatives
- Strong understanding of market research methodologies including quantitative and qualitative approaches
- Proven ability to influence stakeholders and present research insights to leadership
- Experience with vendor management and project scoping
- Bachelor’s degree in Market Research, Marketing, Business, Psychology, or related field
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills
- Experience with market research platforms: Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Confirmit, Decipher, Dynata, Ipsos platforms
- Experience with competitive intelligence tools: SEMrush, SimilarWeb, Crayon, Klue, Kompyte
- Experience with analytics tools: Google Analytics 4 (GA4), SPSS, R, Python, Tableau, Looker, Mixpanel, Amplitude
- Experience with marketing performance tools: Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, HubSpot Marketing Hub, Marketo
- Experience with research communities: Recollective, Discuss.io, FocusVision
- Experience with CRM & customer data: Salesforce, HubSpot for customer journey analysis and segmentation
- Experience with collaboration tools: Miro, Figma, Confluence, Slack, Google Workspace
WORK & BENEFITS SNAPSHOT
This posting is for a full-time, remote, salaried position. Travel may be required on a limited basis to attend all-staff and departmental retreats (1-2 times per year). Additional travel may be required for select positions.
Registered States*:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington D.C.
* While ActBlue is currently registered to support remote work in the states listed above, we possess the ability to register in additional states as needed. If you are located in a state not listed, we may still be able to proceed with your application, but please note that the offer process may take longer to accommodate registration requirements.
Work Schedule: This role requires availability during established, regular business hours (Mon-Fri).
Work Environment: Employees can expect to work with distributed teams across all U.S. time zones. Our roles require extended technology usage, and proficiency with virtual communication tools such as Zoom and Slack. Regular attendance in virtual meetings is inherent to every position.
Salary Range Details:
Salary Range: $113,300 - $142,150 - $171,000
ActBlue is committed to consistent compensation practices across our organization. Final salary offers will take into account factors such as candidate experience, interview performance and current team salary parity.
Benefits:
- Flexible work schedules
- Fully paid and trans-inclusive health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families; plus fully-paid health reimbursement arrangement to use for out of pocket expenses and fully-paid short- and long-term disability
- Fully paid basic and AD&D life insurance and a voluntary supplemental life insurance option
- Dependent and health care flexible spending account options
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits for employees
- 6% match on employee 401K contributions
- Commuter or home-office benefits, including a $1,000 home-office setup allowance for all new full-time remote employees
- Additional perks including quarterly snack deliveries and digital subscriptions to the Boston Globe & New York Times
ActBlue is unable to sponsor work visas at this time.
UNION INFORMATION
Supervisory role not part of the Bargaining Unit. Certain employees who report to this position may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
As part of our hiring process, ActBlue will conduct a background check at the time of offer. This will be completed in compliance with applicable laws and will not be initiated without your consent.
INCLUSION STATEMENT FROM ACTBLUE
ActBlue is committed to equal employment opportunities and fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace. We celebrate unique perspectives, honor the dignity of all individuals, and recognize that diverse backgrounds and identities strengthen our mission.
If you’re passionate about our work and see yourself in this role, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t meet every requirement.We also provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process and employment. To request an accommodation, email [email protected].
*ActBlue will _never_ ask candidates to buy equipment, nor will we email from anything other than an actblue.com or actbluetech.com email address.
