Research & Intelligence Manager

Research & Intelligence Manager

North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation (NCFREE) | Raleigh, NC

Employment:
Full-time, in-person (Raleigh)

Compensation:
Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus full benefits

Final date to receive applications:
December 1, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Since 1983, NCFREE has been North Carolina's most trusted nonpartisan source of political intelligence for the business community. We don't lobby. We don't advocate. For more than four decades, we've done something rarer and more valuable: we tell business leaders what is actually happening in North Carolina politics, with the data to back it up.

Our work shapes how CEOs, chambers of commerce, and statewide partners understand elections, demographics, legislative behavior, and the political environment driving the state's economy. When the business community needs a clear-eyed read on Raleigh, they turn to us.

After a recent push by some of North Carolina's most influential business leaders, NCFREE is in an exciting period of rejuvenation. We are expanding our flagship research products, growing our statewide events, and building the next generation of political intelligence for the business community. This role is a cornerstone of that effort.

The Research & Intelligence Manager is the analytical engine behind NCFREE's flagship products. Working directly with the Executive Director, you'll own the research that CEOs, donors, lawmakers, and chambers across North Carolina rely on to make decisions.

This is an early-career role with unusual upside. You'll have real ownership over visible, high-stakes work, not a junior seat on someone else's team. By the end of your first year, you should be running most of NCFREE's flagship research outputs with confidence and delivering insights that reach the most consequential business and political audiences in the state.

A note on structure: NCFREE is managed in partnership with The Results Company (TRC). The successful candidate will be employed by TRC and assigned to NCFREE, with the full backing of TRC's infrastructure, including administrative support, communications, graphic design, and intern coordination. You'll also have opportunities to contribute to other TRC projects.

• Coordinate execution of NCFREE's flagship research products, including lawmaker District Profiles (relaunching in 2026), Legislative Business Ratings (L ), and the Campaign Finance Dashboard.
• Analyze voter behavior, election results, demographic trends, and legislative data to surface insights for business audiences.
• Drive execution of NCFREE's annual research calendar and grant-driven research projects.

• Draft executive-grade research briefs, reports, and political intelligence summaries.
• Build NCFREE-branded charts, maps, tables, and visualizations that make complex data immediately useful.
• Prepare research materials for CEOs, donors, chambers, and stakeholder audiences.

• Develop briefing packets, talking points, and slide decks for NCFREE's signature events: the Leadership Luncheon, L  Breakfast, regional Executive Fireside Chats, and chamber presentations.
• Use data to help cultivate targeted audiences and support event execution.

• Work closely with the Executive Director, NCFREE contractors, interns, TRC support services, and communications partners.
• Maintain organized research files, documentation, and reproducible workflows.
• Limited travel required, primarily within North Carolina, plus one or two trips out of state per year.

• Two or more years of experience in political data, analytics, research, or a closely related field.
• Coursework or hands-on experience with election data, survey data, or legislative analysis.
• Strong writer and communicator, able to translate complex analysis into clear, accessible prose.
• Excellent proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, and other data management tools.
• Comfort using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) to accelerate research and analysis.
• Mission-driven, with genuine curiosity about North Carolina's economy, politics, and business community.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Background in legislative research, political campaigns, data journalism, think tanks, policy research, or academic political science.
• Experience with data visualization tools (Tableau, Data wrapper, Flourish).
• Familiarity with North Carolina State Board of…