Digital Democracy Research Coordinator (m/f/d) At Democracy Reporting International

BACKGROUND

Form of Employment: Full-time
Starting Date: As soon as possible
Duration: One year, with the possibility of extension
Location: Berlin
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies, and the development of democratic institutions worldwide.
DRI is currently recruiting a full-time Digital Democracy Research Coordinator for its Headquarters in Berlin. In collaboration with, and under the overall supervision of the Director of Programmes, you will shape DRI’s work on online political discourse, with a focus on monitoring and analysing such discourse, while also contributing to policy debates on regulation, and providing training on these issues. In this role, you will collaborate and coordinate with the Executive Director, the Director of Programmes and the Digital Democracy Team as well as different teams in DRI HQ in Berlin and DRI Country Offices and beyond. You will design and implement projects to gain insight and analyse the use of tech and digital tools for propaganda and disinformation during elections, referendums, transition processes, following conflicts and other salient political events.
You can read more on our approach in our Strategic Direction.

YOUR TASKS

• Act as the technical focal point for DRI’s online monitoring work and, together with the Digital Democracy team, provide colleagues at HQ and country offices with advice and technical support for implementing social media monitoring activities and analysis;
• Keep track of tech and policy developments in the field and define what is relevant for democratic discourse and what DRI can do to respond;
• Pro-actively design, develop and implement activities to monitor and analyse political online discourse and, especially during electoral processes. Use and further develop DRI´s Digital Democracy Toolkit;
• Track and identify potential project opportunities; possible project countries, themes and funding schemes. Contribute to fundraising efforts by writing project proposals and concept notes and identifying and pitching project ideas to donors;
• Identify existing research and methodologies for collecting social media and other public data and adapt these methods to DRI’s areas of work;
• Further develop DRI’s social media monitoring methodologies and policies in this field;
• Analyse findings, provide contextual analysis, draft, edit and finalise reports for publication in line with project timelines;
• Design and facilitate events and trainings on social media and policy-making in areas such as elections, referendums, privacy, surveillance, artificial intelligence;
• Draft, write and contribute to reports, publications, trainings and events in this field;
• Travel regularly, especially to countries where DRI has offices, to Brussels or elsewhere for trainings, conferences and meetings;
• Design dissemination strategies for DRI’s findings and analysis;
• Coordinate with colleagues, country offices, researchers, academics, or other external experts involved in social media components of projects, displaying awareness of and ensuring adherence to project implementation requirements, donor deliverables and deadlines;
• Establish and maintain partnerships with social media researchers, academics, technology platforms, or other non-profit groups working on civic tech initiatives.
• Participate in events and conferences on DRI’s behalf;
• Other relevant duties, as required.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required:

• Degree-level qualification in public policy, political science, statistics or related fields;
• Four or more years of relevant experience in social media research, democracy and election monitoring;
• Understanding of issues surrounding online disinformation, polarisation, online hate speech democratic debate and/or related topics;
• Experience and knowledge of political communication and data analysis;
• Experience and knowledge of methodologies of social media monitoring/listening, including online analytical tools and approaches, including but not limited to Crowdtangle;
• Experience in data gathering and quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis as well as structuring investigations;
• Complex analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Knowledge and proficiency in programming languages, such as Python and other statistical software. Experience in collecting data via APIs as well as experience with marketing research platforms such as Talkwalker, Buzzsumo and others.
• Ability to work as part of a diverse team;
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Preferred:

• Data visualisation and mapping skills, including experience with tools such as Tableau, Gephi, Maltego;
• Knowledge of additional languages will be considered an asset (especially those of DRI countries of operation).

WHAT WE OFFER

DRI offers you a job with flexible working hours, 30 days of annual leave, a contribution to public transport (company ticket with BVG), travel health insurance, vocational training for every employee, and the opportunity to work in a diverse team in the heart of Berlin, where everybody is on first name terms with each other.