Investigator

American Oversight

Investigator at American Oversight leveraging public records for investigations into government corruption. Joining a team dedicated to exposing misconduct and strengthening accountability in democratic institutions.

Posted 6/25/2026full-timeRemote • District of Columbia • 🇺🇸 United StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $62,000 - $78,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Monitor news and track other sources to identify emerging issues where American Oversight’s investigations can have the greatest impact
Craft strategic, litigation-ready public records requests to federal, state, and local agencies aimed at exposing decision-making, funding flows, and political influence.
Conduct rigorous review of document productions to identify key facts, patterns, inconsistencies, and gaps; analyze documents in context to surface unreported insights and emerging trends, and synthesize findings into clear, accurate, and strategically useful outputs such as newsworthy narratives that advance government accountability or actionable insights that equip partners’ advocacy and litigation.
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.

Requirements

What you’ll need

2+ years post-graduate experience in 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
Communication
Project and Time Management
Judgment and Decision Making
Strategic Thinking
Collaboration
An understanding of and fluency in relevant news developments, the political landscape, and how public records can inform news coverage, and government action, and accountability.
Experience working in and/or desire to contribute to workplaces with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Self-motivated, collegial, and able to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
Strong technology skills with an aptitude to learn quickly, ramp up on, or test new platforms or technology (e.g., AirTable).
Proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and file-sharing platforms (Dropbox).

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental and vision insurance
Generous paid time off
Paid office closure from Christmas Eve to New Years’ Day
403(b) with up to 4% employer match
Flexible scheduling policy aligned with core business hours
Summer Fridays
Up to $100/month reimbursement for internet services and personal device
Professional development stipend
$400/yr home office stipend
Commuter benefits

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

investigative researchdocument analysispublic records requestsdata synthesiscontent draftinginformation managementproblem solvingcritical thinkingstrategic thinkingproject management

Soft Skills

communicationjudgmentdecision makingcollaborationtime managementself-motivationcollegialityadaptabilityproactive engagementcommitment to diversity