Polling Director (R)

Are you looking to take your years of political experience and start a rewarding and lucrative career in the political vendor world? Are you interested in or intrigued by polling, data, strategy? Cygnal is hiring for a Polling Director to learn the craft from our President, interface with Cygnal’s clients, and grow into becoming a pollster the next cycle. You would be an integral part of the team and learn a ton that will set you up for a long and successful career at the firm. 

 This is an exciting time to be joining Cygnal. FiveThirtyEight just named us the most accurate private polling firm in the country for 2022, Campaigns & Election just awarded us "Republican Firm of the Year", and Inc. 500 listed us as the fasting growing research firm in 2021. 
To fit in at Cygnal, you’ll need to display the company values: 

• Move Now – We default to action and are kindly responsive. 

• Wow Everyone – We create value, set clear expectations, and do the right thing. 

• Never Settle – We are curious, always learning, and growing.

• Work Smart – We are simplifiers – efficient, effective, and scrappy. 

• Obliterate Obstacles – We take ownership of outcomes and learn from failing fast. 

 As the Polling Director, you will operate side-by-side with the President of the firm, meaning you’ll be working on the biggest U.S. Senate, gubernatorial, congressional, legislative caucus, and even international campaigns. Add that to being involved in the most important public policy debates going on in state capitols and in the halls of Congress. The goal of the role is to prepare you to be a Cygnal pollster in the 2026 cycle and beyond.  

  Primary Responsibilities: 

• Work hand-in-hand on all polls and projects for the President’s clients 

• Manage the script and analysis process in conjunction with other Cygnalers to ensure deliverables are error-free before going to the President for review and delivery to the client

• Serve as a liaison for project and strategy communication between the President, team members, and clients 

• Determine priorities of the President’s projects and work with the Accounts and Sampling teams to set timelines for fielding starts, scripts, and deliverables 

• Understand clients’ campaigns, teams, and dynamics to be able to comprehensively present analysis deck to clients when the President is unavailable to do so 

• Develop new ideas, processes, systems, and metrics to help develop and manage project work

• Other additional and/or alternative duties as assigned from time-to-time 

 Required Skills: 

• 8 years of experience in a campaign management role and/or committee 

• Strong project management and problem-solving skills

• Serious attention to details and deadlines is a must with a balance of accuracy and efficiency 

• Ability to learn and adapt rapidly, taking feedback in stride 

• Creative thinking; able to come up with unique ideas to break through the clutter 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to concisely explain complex ideas

• Mental toughness to balance multiple projects on short timelines 

• Flexibility to work weekends and/or unconventional hours as needed 

• Strong presentation skills

• Reside in or is willing to relocate to Washington, DC 

 Compensation: 

• Base salary of $102k - $127k 

• Individual variable compensation plan that would add another $18k - $25k in 2023 and much more in 2024

• Health, dental, and vision insurance 

• Unlimited vacation policy 

• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance and term life insurance 

• 401k plan with company match  

• Relocation bonus