The Editorial Research Associate is an early-career analyst who curates, researches, and helps produce National Journal’s daily political and policy newsletter—synthesizing news, data, and insights to deliver timely, high-quality analysis that empowers government affairs professionals to understand and navigate the forces shaping Washington and state politics.

About National Journal’s Editorial Team

National Journal is a premier research and insights company committed to helping organizations effectively navigate Washington. Best known as one of Washington’s most trusted media brands for nearly 50 years, our expertise is unmatched, with teams of specialists dedicated to government affairs, communications, and political research, as well as exceptional journalism. 

National Journal Daily is an insider's source for understanding what’s happening in US politics and policy and why it matters to organizations.  Published each evening, The Daily helps Washington influencers cut through the noise by providing context and analysis for plugged-in professionals and the stakeholders they serve.

About the Role

Are you the type of person who looks for the story beneath the story in the political arena? Do your friends remark that you always seem to have a fact, stat, or insight that makes sense of what’s happening in Washington or the states? Do you thrive on deadlines, enjoy connecting dots across the policy landscape, and get energy from making complex developments clear and interesting for others?

If so, we’d love to meet you. We’re looking for an Editorial Research Associate to help shape and deliver a daily newsletter that gives government affairs professionals the insights, context, and smart takeaways they need to understand the political and policy environment.

What You’ll Do

• Curate the day’s political and policy news from across national and state sources, identifying the most relevant and thought-provoking developments for our inside-the-Beltway audience of government affairs professionals, Capitol Hill staffers, and political consultants.

• Search for new academic studies, think tank papers, charts, and congressional testimony that illuminate politics and policy and help our readers make sense of it.

• Coordinate recurring newsletter content, ensuring daily, weekly, and monthly features are delivered on time and at a high standard of quality.

• Contribute original content, including short-form features that distill insight, reveal trends, or surface under-the-radar stories shaping the policy landscape.

• Collaborate with internal content creators across teams to align coverage, manage deadlines, and maintain editorial consistency.

• Manage production workflows in coordination with editors, designers, and other contributors to ensure smooth daily publication.

• Leverage AI tools to assist in data collection, research, summarization, and content production, using good editorial judgment and fact-checking rigor.

Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate:

• A strong interest in politics and policy, and an instinct for what’s meaningful or surprising to decision-makers in business, advocacy, and government.

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills — you can juggle multiple deadlines without losing sight of quality or detail.

• Demonstrated writing and editing ability, ideally through journalism coursework, campus publications, or early professional experience.

• Comfort working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment where precision and timeliness matter.

• Facility with AI tools (e.g., for research, drafting, and data visualization) and a curiosity for how they can enhance editorial work.

• A problem-solver’s mindset — you can anticipate challenges, adapt quickly, and keep things moving.

• A keen editorial eye for what makes content compelling, useful, and shareable.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.

• Background in journalism, communications, political science, public policy, or related fields preferred.

• Experience with HubSpot or similar content management platforms a plus, as is experience with Python or similar web-scraping tools.

Ideal Candidate Profile

This is an excellent role for someone early in their career who loves political storytelling, wants to learn the rhythms of professional content production, and thrives at the intersection of journalism, policy, and audience engagement. You’ll join a fast-paced editorial environment where curiosity, precision, and creativity are valued — and where your work helps professionals across industries understand and navigate the forces shaping policy and politics today.

Start Date: Available immediately

Employment Type: Full-time

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $55,000-$60,000

Location: This job is based in Washington, DC. National Journal operates on a hybrid schedule, with employees required to be in the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

About Us

Across National Journal Group, generally, the firm looks for two “pillar gifts” in you, and everyone else.  In all of us, these are more aspirational than actual, but they are central in our intentions –

• Force of Ideas:  At the center of National Journal Group work are the ideas within our writing.  We believe that ideas – to the good and not – have consequences.  Our highest work is bringing rigor, insight, intellectual honesty, to that ultimate purpose of separating the bad from the good, and giving voice to the latter.

• Spirit of Generosity:  National Journal Group seeks in its ranks a spirit of generosity – a natural disposition in each colleague toward service and selfless conduct.  National Journal Group writing should be cut from the same cloth –critical on the merits but informed by charity and forbearance in measuring motive and personal character.

National Journal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.