Research Associate

Morning Consult • Chicago, IL

6d • 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. Associates gain exposure to diverse client accounts and cross-functional teams while developing expertise in modern, AI-forward market research. This full-time hybrid role may 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, after which they will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The structured two-year program progresses from Research Associate in Year 1 to Senior Research Associate in Year 2, with increased project-management responsibilities. It offers a path toward a Research Manager role and includes cohort onboarding, ongoing Learning & Development programming, and individualized coaching. Associates support high-visibility research projects alongside research, strategy, and operations leaders and work across Research Solutions, Research Operations, Sales, Product & Tooling, and Client Strategy. They learn how research is designed, executed, and delivered, including the use of AI, automation, and advanced tools throughout the project lifecycle.

The role calls for ownership, precision, and a commitment to high-quality work. Morning Consult describes its offices as modern, open-concept, and accessible by public transportation, with catered lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and beverages available in the office.

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, such as a communications, marketing, insights, or client-service internship; project coursework; or professional work related to research.
• Applied research exposure, ideally hands-on work with questionnaires or data that produced a deliverable.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace and associated tools.
• Experience working with and interpreting data sets.
• Comfort using AI tools and understanding where they are useful and where they fall short.
• Record of working well in groups, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Leadership or project ownership in an academic, professional, or extracurricular setting.
• Solid academic record.
• Ability to maintain high standards for quality, communicate concisely, collaborate effectively, take ownership, and respond constructively to feedback.

Nice To Haves

• 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 custom survey frameworks, craft questionnaire logic, and structure data analysis.
• Refine questionnaires, analytical memos, and executive slide decks while maintaining 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 run each stage of a project efficiently.
• Integrate AI tools and automation, such as Claude, ChatGPT, and proprietary models, into workflows to improve research quality, synthesize insights, and increase operational efficiency.
• Learn Morning Consult's products and use them independently.
• Share knowledge with teammates and learn from them.
• Perform other tasks and duties as required or assigned by the company.

Benefits

• Structured cohort onboarding, ongoing Learning & Development programming, and individualized coaching.
• Catered office lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Beverages available in the office.
• Additional variable compensation and an equity grant; details are discussed in the initial recruiter conversation.

What This Job Offers

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