Research Associate

Morning Consult • Chicago, IL

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Morning Consult is hiring entry-level Research Associates for its Research Accelerator program, a cohort-based development program and the foundation of the Research Solutions career ladder. This full-time hybrid role can be based in the Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; or New York, NY office. The Summer 2027 cohort starts in July 2027, and applications are requested by December 31, 2026; later applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The structured two-year program begins with foundational research work in Year 1 as a Research Associate and progresses to Senior Research Associate responsibilities, including greater project management, in Year 2. It offers a path toward a Research Manager role and includes cohort onboarding, ongoing learning and development, and individualized coaching. Associates work with research, strategy, operations, commercial, product, and client strategy teams on high-visibility projects, gaining exposure to how modern, AI-forward market research is designed, executed, and delivered.

The role supports market research projects and client deliverables, including survey design, questionnaire logic, data analysis, quality assurance, and preparation of analytical memos and executive slide decks. Associates use internal and external tools, including AI and automation tools, to support research quality and project efficiency. The annual base salary is $66,000; the role is also eligible for variable compensation and an equity grant.

Requirements

• 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 through an internship, project coursework, or professional work related to communications, marketing, insights, client service, or research.
• Applied research exposure; ideally, hands-on experience with questionnaires or data that produced a deliverable.
• Fluency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and associated tools.
• Experience working with and interpreting data sets.
• Comfort using AI tools and understanding their strengths and limitations.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a structured internship or cohort program.
• Light coding experience, such as R.
• Advanced spreadsheet software skills.
• Familiarity with data structures.

Responsibilities

• Support foundational market research projects while learning research methodology and best-practice execution.
• Partner with Research Managers and Research Directors to design survey frameworks, develop questionnaire logic, and structure data analysis.
• Refine questionnaires, analytical memos, and executive slide decks, maintaining standards for data accuracy, formatting, and narrative quality.
• Support quality assurance with the Research Operations team to produce accurate client deliverables.
• Build working relationships across Commercial and Strategy teams.
• Learn and use internal and external tools to complete each stage of a project efficiently.
• Integrate AI tools and automation into workflows to enhance research quality, synthesize insights, and improve operational efficiency.
• Learn Morning Consult’s products and navigate them independently.
• Share knowledge with teammates and learn from them.
• Perform other tasks and duties as required or assigned.

Benefits

• Catered office lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Beverages available in the office.
• Eligible for variable compensation and an equity grant.
• Cohort onboarding, ongoing learning and development programming, and individualized coaching.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level