Principal

Principal Location: Chicago, IL (or remote for extremely well qualified candidates) Office: 3 days/week in South Loop office Reports to: CEO Starting Salary: $164,000- $182,000 and equity About Tavern Research Tavern Research is a political tech startup building tools and insights to help our customers win elections and make better, evidence-based decisions. We specialize in scaling expert human work, such as content generation and survey research to support thoughtful, data-driven civic engagement. We're a venture-backed, mission-driven, fast-moving, and mostly technical team focused on supporting campaigns and organizations working to strengthen democratic participation. We are experimental by design and expect every team member to continuously improve how they work using new tools and technology. Everything else is on our website . If you still have questions, let us know when you apply! About You You have extremely strong project management skills and instincts You excel at managing customer delivery from initial project ideation through successful completion, ensuring seamless execution while maintaining strong customer relationships throughout the entire lifecycle. You are an excellent communicator. This is essential both in terms of being able to clearly communicate out, but to actively and thoughtfully listen to the needs of both our customers and the team you’ll work with. You're a seasoned professional who thrives at the intersection of campaigns, data, and customer relationships. You're comfortable leading and collaborating with technical teams, learning from their specialized expertise while providing strategic direction. You’re obsessed with how AI will change every aspect of work. You’re so obsessed that your friends and family are annoyed at how you can’t stop talking about what’s now possible and showing them all the cool new things the technology enables. You understand the high-stakes nature of working for political campaigns. About the role You'll be the operational backbone ensuring our survey research and media production projects deliver maximum value to customers on time and on budget. You'll serve as a primary point of contact for customer relationships. This role blends project management, customer service, and strategic thinking in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. You'll be instrumental in scaling our research practice while maintaining the quality and customer service. We value in-person work and expect employees to work regularly from our Chicago office. Responsibilities Manage multiple projects from kickoff to delivery, ensuring timelines, quality, and customer expectations are met Serve as the primary point of contact for customer relationships. Serve as the final sign-off on customer-facing materials. Collaborate with researchers to scope work, allocate resources, and resolve technical or operational issues. Lead customer calls and presentations, guiding teams through the conclusions of our research. Improve and scale internal project management. Work closely with technical teams to incorporate AI tools into research workflows. Support business development by leading sales pitches and assembling packages that meet customer needs. Identify opportunities to strengthen customer relationships and expand support. Manage video production projects from concept through delivery, coordinating with creative designers and ensuring technical specifications are met Oversee quality control for video content and coordinate delivery of broadcast-ready materials to customers Qualifications 10+ years of experience in political campaigns, polling, or consulting, ideally in customer-facing roles Proven project management skills in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments Strong understanding of how research informs campaign strategy Experience managing high-stakes customer relationships, including senior campaign staff Comfortable working with technical teams; curious about using AI and data to improve political work Familiarity with survey research or polling, or close collaboration with research teams Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting insights to senior stakeholders Our company is small right now and we have preference for folks who don't require extensive on-the-job training Nice to have: Experience at a political polling, technology, or consulting firm Familiarity with project management tools Background in data, product, or campaign operations Understanding of basic survey or statistical concepts To be explicit, you don't need a degree to work here. You just need to excel at managing complex political research projects and building strong customer relationships. Benefits Premium health insurance Unlimited PTO, office closed for all federal holidays 401k match Tavern Research is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.