Investigator, Government, Government Administration

This position is actively accepting applications.

American Oversight is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public's right to government records. We use multiple tools, backed by aggressive litigation, to fight attacks on democratic institutions, threats to civil rights and liberties, abuses of power, and erosion of government transparency. We expose and disrupt these attacks - and the officials and networks behind them
-by forcing the government to turn over records officials would rather keep secret.

Since our founding in 2017, American Oversight has worked on issues that touch nearly every aspect of American life. Our team has:

• Secured a court order to preserve the records in the 2025 "Signalgate" scandal, and spurred a related investigation by the DOD inspector general that found Secretary Hegseth had put troops' lives in danger and violated federal recordkeeping laws
• Forced DOGE to implement a records preservation policy to ensure long-term accountability in the wake of its chaotic actions
• Revealed the Trump-sanctioned pressure campaign on the Ukrainian government by forcing the Trump administration to turn over records initially withheld from Congress
• Unmasked sham "audits" of the 2020 election in Wisconsin and Arizona of the 2020 election, which used taxpayer money to undermine state elections
• Exposed the Trump administration's unprecedented uses of personal data to target immigrant communities and remove people from state voter rolls

We are committed to fighting threats to democracy at the federal, state, and local levels, using time-tested and innovative tools to expose misconduct, defend against attacks on marginalized communities, and demand accountability.

For more information, please visit our website:(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..org

About the Role:

Reporting to the Director of Investigations, American Oversight is seeking an Investigator to join our team.

To confront these challenges, American Oversight seeks a highly motivated and tenacious Investigator with an unyielding commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability. The Investigator will use public records and open-source intelligence to pursue rigorous, high-impact investigations into government corruption, abuses of power, and the erosion of democratic norms - helping to expose misconduct, strengthen accountability, and safeguard democratic institutions.

The ideal candidate will bring sharp investigative instincts, sound judgment, and a deep commitment to transparency, accountability, and the core principles of democracy.

What You Will Do:

• Monitor news and track other sources to identify emerging issues where American Oversight's investigations can have the greatest impact, and proactively propose strategic, high-impact ideas that leverage public records and open-source intelligence.
• Craft strategic, litigation-ready public records requests to federal, state, and local agencies aimed at exposing decision-making, funding flows, and political influence.
• Analyze complex government documents and draw upon available information to identify unreported insights and emerging trends. Synthesize findings into compelling narratives, with a focus on accuracy, newsworthiness, and the broader implications for government accountability.
• Support American Oversight's external engagement by contributing to meetings, briefings, and background conversations with journalists, advocates, and allies.
• Communicate proactively with government agencies regarding public records requests, triaging priorities, and working closely with the Legal team to ensure timely and effective pursuit of responsive materials.
• Support document processing and information management, ensuring incoming records are well-organized, searchable, and accessible.
• Draft public-facing content - including blog posts, reports, talking points, and briefing materials - that distills investigative findings into clear, contextualized, and actionable narratives, as needed.
• Contribute to organizational initiatives and special projects as needed, bringing an investigative lens to emerging priorities and cross-functional efforts.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You Will Bring:

• 2+ years of consecutive and full-time work experience conducting government investigations, investigative journalism, or policy research, or a related field involving in-depth investigative research and analyses.
• Interest in American Oversight's mission of government accountability and transparency; commitment to public interest advocacy.
• Strong skills in the following areas:
  • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking:
    Identifies and anticipates problems and surfaces creative solutions to achieve desired outcomes; scans the landscape and connects dots among many disparate data points and situations.
  • Communication:
    Conveys ideas, information, and emotions clearly and effectively - both orally and in writing - adapting language to suit different audiences and contexts. Produces well-organized…