Policy Advocacy - Political Research

We are seeking an experienced public opinion researcher to build and expand Anthropic's in-house polling and research function. This role will be fundamental to understanding how key audiences — from policymakers and third-party groups to the general public — perceive and respond to Anthropic's policy positions, messages, and campaigns. This is a foundational role: you'll establish the research function from the ground up, with high autonomy and limited precedent. The Central Policy team sits at the operational heart of Anthropic's policy function — distinct from government relations and communications, but essential to enabling both. You'll work cross-functionally to ensure our policy and communications strategy is grounded in a rigorous understanding of stakeholder sentiment. The polling insights you generate will directly feed into high-visibility campaigns and will be a key asset in our policy efforts in Washington and beyond.

• Develop a comprehensive strategy for our in-house political research function that aligns with Anthropic's policy goals
• Identify, evaluate, and establish relationships with leading research and polling firms, ensuring coverage across demographics, geographies, and political perspectives
• Conduct detailed, proactive research to test core messages, policy proposals, and campaign themes, and to evaluate Anthropic's brand perception and performance
• Execute rapid-response polling to quickly assess Anthropic's messaging strategy in response to external events, policymaker actions, competitive developments, or emerging opportunities
• Work with external affairs colleagues (federal, state, and international) and policy communications to identify research priorities, interpret findings, and translate insights into actionable strategic recommendations
• Develop and maintain a knowledge management system for polling data, insights, and recommendations that ensures findings are accessible and actionable
• Manage polling vendors at scale, including vendor performance management
• Participate in strategy sessions and provide thought partnership on the design of messages, policy proposals, and campaigns ahead of polling and testing
• Create clear, compelling deliverables that distill polling findings into insights and recommendations
• Identify opportunities to build and scale the polling function over time, including staffing needs, process improvements, and capability expansion
• Track and report on the impact and utility of research, measuring how insights translate into more effective campaigns and strategic decisions

• Experience designing and executing public opinion research, including survey and questionnaire design, sampling approaches, and message testing
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative polling data and translate findings into clear, decision-ready written recommendations
• Experience selecting, briefing, and managing external polling or research vendors
• Strong writing and presentation skills, including distilling complex research for senior, non-technical audiences

• 8+ years of professional experience in political or public opinion research, ideally spanning multiple campaign cycles and policy environments
• Corporate public affairs experience, ideally in a highly scrutinized or regulated industry
• Strategic thinking that spots emergent issues, identifies and tests the right messages, and translates those insights into tactical recommendations
• A track record of building relationships with vendors, external experts, and complex stakeholder ecosystems
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, maintain clear priorities, and deliver on tight timelines
• Comfort operating in ambiguous environments, taking ownership of problems, and proactively driving initiatives with limited precedent
• A resourceful, collaborative working style and genuine commitment to being a strong teammate
• Passion for AI policy and alignment with Anthropic's safety mission and commitment to responsible AI development

Annual Salary: $230,000—$265,000 USD

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience. Required field of study: A field relevant to the role as demonstrated through coursework, training, or professional experience. Minimum years of experience: Years of experience required will correlate with the internal job level requirements for the position.

Location-based hybrid policy: Currently, we expect all staff to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time. However, some roles may require more time in our offices.

Visa sponsorship: We do sponsor visas! However, we aren't able to successfully sponsor visas for every role and every candidate. But if we make you an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to get you a visa, and we retain an immigration lawyer to help with this.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification. Not all strong candidates will meet every single qualification as listed.