Director, External Affairs and Public Opinion
About The Position
MI is seeking a Director, External Affairs and Public Opinion to support our government relations, polling, and outreach initiatives. This role sits at the nexus of policy, politics, and persuasion—playing a major role in crafting original political/policy analysis and thought leadership, facilitating public opinion surveys and focus groups, and managing strategic collaborations with lawmakers at all levels of government, think tanks, grassroots organizations, and other institutions. The ideal candidate is a sharp, capable generalist—politically fluent, socially adept, and an outstanding writer—equally comfortable in policy deep-dives, high-profile events, and even on-camera media. This person will help ensure that MI’s scholars, ideas, and research have maximum impact with policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public. Experience in conducting public opinion polling is essential.
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience in public affairs, government relations, political campaigns, or a related policy field—some of which must have been specifically focused on polling/public opinion research.
- Deep familiarity with U.S. politics, public opinion trends, and MI’s issue areas.
- Exceptional writing and presentation skills; proven success explaining complex topics clearly and persuasively.
- Team player. Willing to work in close partnership with MI’s Vice President of External Affairs—providing support on research, writing, and analysis tasks—and also providing mentorship to junior members of MI External Affairs team. Need to also work collaboratively with other members of the MI team: policy scholars, communications, development, content/social media, etc.
- Self-driven and entrepreneurial. Comfortable working independently and without handholding.
- Outgoing, socially skilled, and able to cultivate high-value relationships across the political spectrum.
- Knows the lay of the land on X/Twitter.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with social video production (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, YouTube, etc.) a plus.
Responsibilities
- Help design, field, and analyze opinion research; run focus groups to inform MI’s policy work and public positioning.
- Draft sharp, compelling polling briefs, op-eds, memos, and slide deck presentations for diverse audiences, from elected officials to general readers.
- Organize and deliver briefings for local, state, and federal lawmakers, providing technical policy guidance based on MI scholarship.
- Liaise with think tanks, advocacy organizations, and grassroots groups to build coalitions that advance MI’s priorities.
- Advise MI leadership and scholars on strategic communications and outreach informed by public opinion data.
- Represent MI at conferences, policy forums, lawmaker gatherings, and other high-level events. Become a master networker.
- Be prepared to articulately represent MI in on-camera media appearances, panels, and public presentations.
- Quickly master complex policy issues across MI’s core focus areas and translate them for nonexpert audiences.
Benefits
- four weeks paid vacation
- Flexible Fridays program
- paid paternity/maternity leave
- medical and dental coverage with HSA options
- medical and dependent-care FSA
- mental health benefits
- remote medicine
- a paid company cell phone
- life insurance
- a 401(k) with a company-funded match
- opportunity to collaborate with prominent scholars and policymakers in our space
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
No Education Listed
