Position Details
Position Information
| Recruitment/Posting Title |
Miller Center Director & Social Media and Democracy Research Hub, Rutgers Democracy Lab (RDL) New Brunswick |
| Job Category |
Staff & Executive - Research (Laboratory/Non-Laboratory) |
| Department |
Eagleton Institute of Politics |
| Overview |
The Rutgers Democracy Lab (
RDL) was established through a transformative gift received in November 2024. Its mission is to serve as a vibrant hub for civic engagement and a collaborative workshop for studying, analyzing, and addressing the challenges and opportunities of contemporary democracy.
RDL embodies a bold commitment to equip students with the tools and knowledge to engage with, strengthen, and sustain democracy for future generations. The Lab also seeks to examine emerging threats, such as the influence of social media, and explore their profound impact on democratic processes.
As a central component of the
RDL, the Social Media and Democracy Research Hub will provide students, faculty, and staff with data and analysis to complement programs and research across the university. The Hub's mission is to examine how social media use relates to civic engagement and democratic participation, including the pervasive influence of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
By drawing on multidisciplinary expertise at Rutgers and building a national network of experts across technology, political science, journalism, and public policy, the Hub aims to tackle challenges facing American democracy. Through rigorous research and collaboration with community members and practitioners, the Hub will generate insights with national impact, contributing to the broader understanding of democracy's evolution in the digital age. The Hub's findings will be positioned to inform policymakers, technology leaders, law enforcement, and the public discourse, ensuring that research drives actionable change. |
| Posting Summary |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is seeking a Miller Center Director & Social Media and Democracy Research Hub, Rutgers Democracy Lab (
RDL) New Brunswick within the Eagleton Institute of Politics. This position directly supervises the Associate Director and Administrative Support Staff positions at the Research Hub, as well as a Graduate Assistant and students. Reports to the Administrative and Academic Directors of
RDL and reports up to the Director of Eagleton.
The mission of the Miller Center is to assist vulnerable communities to enhance their safety and standing in society by improving their relationships with law enforcement, with other government agencies and with other vulnerable communities. The Center identifies and implements best practices in policing, and researching and calling attention to extremism and hate speech as they spread across social media platforms and erupt in real-world acts of violence.
Key Goals:
Informing Democratic Practice: promote a civic-minded community informed by research on how digital media and emerging technologies shape political behavior. By better understanding online discourse, the Hub seeks to rebuild trust and strengthen democratic participation at every level.
Student Engagement and Training: Put students at the heart of research. Students from all disciplines will not only study democracy's challenges and the impact of social media on society but also apply their training in practical settings. The Hub will offer hands-on learning, enabling students to work alongside faculty, policy experts, and tech industry leaders on real-world democratic issues.
Evidence-Based Solutions: The Hub will explore and test ideas-such as interventions to counter false information or strategies to increase youth civic engagement-and develop recommendations grounded in data. Findings will be disseminated to inform policymakers, educators, and social media platforms about effectives ways to bolster democracy in the digital age.
Key Research Areas:
Measuring Social Media Trends and Civic Participation: Examining how online discourse influences voter behavior, political engagement, and trust in democratic institutions.
The Role of Generative AI, Polarization, and Misinformation in Democracy: Analyzing how emerging technologies contribute to the spread of false information, political division, and public trust in media.
Platform Design, Policies, and Civic Engagement: Investigating how social media platforms' algorithms, moderation policies, and content recommendation systems shape civic participation and democratic discourse.
Among the key duties of the position are the following:
- Trains students, generates research that captures national attention, influences public policy, and advances democratic resilience in the digital era.
- Leads Miller and RDL research, student training, and policy engagement efforts.
- Oversees interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of social media, democracy, and civic engagement, ensuring the Hub contributes cutting edge insights into digital political discourse.
- Directs research initiatives, developing partnerships with industry and policymakers.
- Secures external funding.
- Shapes the national conversation about digital media's role in democratic renewal.
- Creates a very visible and relevant research hub, engaging faculty, staff, and students at all Rutgers campuses.
- Oversees activities of the Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience, including examination of the role of law enforcement in American democracy and programming to educate and train law enforcement in threats and challenges presented by social media.
- Creates an imprint on democratic learning and civic engagement among young adults.
- Builds and leads high-performing teams.
- Drives innovation within a major public university while fostering interdisciplinary connectivity to advance the mission and scope of RDL.
- Connects to the world outside of Rutgers at local, state, and national levels.
- Participates in Institute-wide and/or cross-team projects.
- Develops and implements a strategic vision for the Hub, ensuring its research and training programs align with the mission of the RDL.
- Builds interdisciplinary collaborations across Rutgers and with external partners, including policymakers, tech companies, and civic organizations.
- Publishes research findings in academic journals, policy reports, and public facing outlets to maximize impact.
- Establishes partnerships with social media platforms, advocacy groups, think tanks, and public institutions to advance digital democracy research.
- Serves as key representative of the Hub at conferences, policy roundtables, and academic forums.
- Organizes events at Rutgers to highlight the work of the research hub and that of key partners in the field.
- Develops RDL courses and workshops on social media, technology, and democracy, integrating research with classroom learning.
- Provides students with the skills needed to analyze digital political behavior and understand the role of technology in shaping civic life.
- Designs courses that bridge theory with applied research.
|
| FLSA |
Exempt |
| Grade |
09 |
| Salary Details |
|
| Minimum Salary |
120741.00 |
| Mid Range Salary |
152826.00 |
| Maximum Salary |
184911.00 |
| Offer Information |
The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate's qualifications, experience, and expertise, and availability of department or grant funds to support the position. We also take into consideration market benchmarks, if and when appropriate, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university's broader compensation structure. We are committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation packages to attract and retain top talent. |
| Benefits |
Rutgers offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, based on position, which includes:
- Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
- Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
- Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
- Employee and dependent educational benefits
- Life insurance coverage
- Employee discounts programs
For detailed information on benefits and eligibility, please visit:
http://uhr.rutgers.edu/benefits/benefits-overview. |
| Position Status |
Full Time |
| Working Hours (per week) |
|
| Standard Hours |
37.50 |
| Daily Work Shift |
|
| Work Arrangement |
Consistent with the current application of Rutgers Policy 60.3.22 or the applicable provisions of relevant collective negotiations agreements, this position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Flexible work arrangements are not permanent, are subject to change or discontinuation, and contingent on the employee receiving approval in the FlexWork@RU Application System. |
| Union Description |
Admin Assembly (MPSC) |
| Payroll Designation |
PeopleSoft |
| Seniority Unit |
|
| Terms of Appointment |
Staff - 12 month |
| Position Pension Eligibility |
ABP |
Qualifications
| Minimum Education and Experience |
- Master's degree with minimum of 5 years of exceptional relevant experience.
|
| Certifications/Licenses |
|
| Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities |
- Must also have extensive experience that encompasses social media, political, and academic worlds including research.
- Requires advanced knowledge of technology, politics, law enforcement.
- Must also have extensive experience in designing, implementing, and overseeing educational programs in higher education including curricular design and execution.
- Must have strong communication skills, the capacity to communicate to various constituencies and levels both within and outside the Institute and the University, experience supervising multiple employees, and must have meticulous project management skills.
- Must be able to independently manage multiple tasks, short deadlines, often within stressful situations.
- Entrepreneurial and problem-solving attitude with strong organizational and management skills, good judgement, and multidisciplinary project planning skills.
- Experience and demonstrated ability to conduct relevant research with an appreciation for and experience with engaging in research with human subjects and the related Institutional Review Board (IRB) expectations.
- Strong personal initiative, self-motivated, adaptable and innovative.
- Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communications skills including fluency in research and collaboration.
- Efficient and detail-oriented.
- Prior success in collaborating on complex projects with multidisciplinary stakeholders and program development.
- Comfortable working for an organization that is political yet non-partisan and straddles the worlds of politics and academia.
- Advanced understanding of social media and emerging technologies (AI, machine learning, etc.) and the impact they have on democracy and attitudes toward democracy.
- Appreciation for and understanding of grant writing, institutional fundraising, and donor cultivation and stewardship.
- A thorough understanding of how social media use relates to civic engagement and democratic participation is required for this position, as the Hub will engage in research and collaborations to contribute to the broader understanding of democracy's evolution in the digital age.
|
| Preferred Qualifications |
- Ph.D.
- 8 years of relevant experience.
|
| Equipment Utilized |
|
| Physical Demands and Work Environment |
- Eagleton offices are located within a historic building with no elevator. The duties of this position regularly involve navigating stairs numerous times a day.
- An applicant may request a reasonable accommodation if they have a disability that restricts them in their ability to climb and/or navigate stairs.
|
| Special Conditions |
- Must be available to work evenings occasionally during the academic year and some weekends.
- This position is paid from a five-year gift, and continuation is contingent upon available funds.
|
Posting Details
| Posting Number |
25ST1266 |
| Posting Open Date |
06/10/2025 |
| Special Instructions to Applicants |
|
| Regional Campus |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick |
| Home Location Campus |
Douglass (RU-New Brunswick) |
| City |
New Brunswick |
| State |
NJ |
| Location Details |
|
Pre-employment Screenings
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings. Immunization Requirements
Under Policy 100.3.1 Immunization Policy for Covered Individuals, if employment will commence during Flu Season, Rutgers University may require certain prospective employees to provide proof that they are vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza for the current Flu Season, unless the University has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption. Additional infection control and safety policies may apply. Prospective employees should speak with their hiring manager to determine which policies apply to the role or position for which they are applying. Failure to provide proof of vaccination for any required vaccines or obtain a medical or religious exemption from the University will result in rescission of a candidate's offer of employment or disciplinary action up to and including termination. Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement |
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Jun 10, 2025