Online Hate and Harassment Researcher (Quantitative)

Website ADL ADL

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.

ADL’s Center for Technology & Society (CTS) is a research-driven advocacy center that works to end the proliferation of online hate and harassment. Our team partners with industry, civil society, government, and targeted communities to expose these harms, hold tech companies accountable, and fight for just, equitable online spaces.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS:

The Online Hate and Harassment Researcher (Quantitative) will collaborate with staff at the Center for Technology and Society (CTS) to develop and carry out quantitative investigations of hate and harassment online. You will identify research questions and topics, focusing on experiences of targets and platform policies and products; scope and design original studies; carry out methods such as surveys, social media data scraping, and statistical analysis; and write up findings for reports, blog posts, and data visualizations. You will be responsible for collaborating with CTS staff on translating research questions into quantitative investigations, identifying and applying appropriate statistical analyses, visualizing data, and drafting written reports.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary: 

  • Develop original quantitative investigations and analyses of online hate & harassment, focusing on experiences of targets and platform policies and products.
  • Use data collection tools such as SMAT, CrowdTangle, and platforms’ APIs to collect data and monitor trends.
  • Use machine learning tools and classifiers to detect and understand hateful and harassing content and its relationship to platforms.
  • Use data to tell stories about the effects of hate and abuse on social media, online games, and related technologies.
  • Work with external partners to analyze novel data sets for trends in online hate and harassment.
  • Implement varied, research-backed analyses from a wide range of data science subfields based on the data available.

Secondary:

  • Collaborate with CTS team members to identify new areas for quantitative, data-based research.
  • Identify new datasets to analyze and explore using social science research methods
  • Collaborate with CTS to develop short and long-term mixed-methods research projects.
  • Combine data analysis, surveys, interviews, and qualitative content analysis to develop original research projects and findings.

QUALIFICATIONS

Skills

  • Strong quantitative analytical and research skills
    • Survey design methodology and familiarity with qualitative research big pluses
  • The ability to work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, with colleagues from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.
  • Able to translate complex quantitative methods and findings for non-academic readers, policy makers and stakeholders.
  • Knowledge and interest in combating online harassment, hate, and extremism.

Experience

  • The ideal candidate has several years of experience and can demonstrate expertise with:
    • Python (e.g. NumPy, SciPy, Pandas, Selenium, etc.)
    • Statistical analysis language (R, SPSS, etc.)
    • Existing data collection and analysis tools.
    • Open-source machine learning.
  • Experience using computational methods to answer social scientific questions required; experience with social media analysis preferred.
  • Prior academic research or journalistic output a big plus.

Education

  • Advanced degree (MA/PHD) in statistics, computer science, economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, or related field or comparable professional experience in social media data analysis, visualization, and research, especially in an academic or journalistic context.

Work Environment: 

  • ADL COVID-19 Protocol (updated periodically): ADL is adhering to public health guidance regarding COVID-19. ADL will require that all employees are vaccinated with exceptions for medical and religious accommodations. ADL is requiring proof of vaccination. ADL is a hybrid environment; this role may require 3 days in the office.

Compensation: 

  • This position has a salary range of $57,000 – 96,000. This salary range is reflective of a position based in New York, New York. Please note that actual salaries are commensurate with experience and reflect the budget for a given position, and since ADL has a location-based compensation structure, there may be a different range for candidates in other locations. For an overview of our total rewards package, please visit https://www.adl.org/about/careers.

ADL values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of underrepresented ethnic groups, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. ADL is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment, hiring, promotions and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment shall be maintained in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or military status, or in violation of any applicable Federal, state or local laws.

ADL will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation to support the interview process, please contact Talent & Knowledge at [email protected].

ADL will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable State, Local, and Federal laws.

The information in this job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain, or be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job, nor is it to be interpreted as a contract for employment.

Please submit a cover letter and resume

Tagged as: accountability, API, Content Moderation, content regulation, data analysis, online harrassment, research

To apply for this job please visit careers-adl.icims.com.