Senior Research Specialist / Georgia State Lead (Independent Contractor)

• Develop state-based research, monitoring, and analysis around incidents of political violence in Georgia, including quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Lead BDI’s election protection work in Georgia ahead of and following the November 2026 midterm elections by working closely with partners and national coalitions.
• Maintain and expand state-based partnerships with key stakeholders across sectors (election protection, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, faith-based, government) to provide monitoring and analysis support.
• Engage in state-based coordination tables and coalitions, provide customized briefings, and produce regular SitReps and other monitoring products.

This role helps build early warning infrastructure to monitor and mitigate political violence in the U.S., protecting communities and supporting a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy by providing actionable information to stakeholders.

• 5-7+ years of experience in research, policy, community engagement, or related role, with research experience focused on U.S. political violence landscape.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field (political science, sociology, etc.).
• Must live in Georgia or an adjacent state with significant state-specific knowledge, networks, and experience in Georgia.
• Excellent writing abilities, especially policy-focused memos, and outstanding interpersonal skills for remote collaboration with diverse partners.

Full-time independent contractor position (36 hours/week). Fixed monthly retainer between $6,700 and $7,400 per month (commensurate with experience), total contract value $47,500–$52,000 for 7 months. Fully remote within the U.S., must be based in Georgia or neighboring state. Not eligible for university employee benefits.

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research project at Princeton University that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States, working to build a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy through action-oriented research, cross-sector collaboration, and policy frameworks.