Senior Researcher, Housing and Cities

About Sightline Institute: 

Founded in 1993, Sightline Institute is committed to making Cascadia, a region stretching from Alaska to northern California and the Pacific to the Rocky Mountain States, a global model of sustainability—with strong communities, a green economy, and a healthy environment. Founded in 1993, Sightline is one of the region’s premier public policy think tanks, influencing legislation many times—and media coverage hundreds of times—each year.

In our programs on climate and energy, housing and cities, democracy and elections, and farms and forests, we identify and promote reforms that yield outsized improvements for the region’s people and places. We believe sustainability exists at the intersection of environmental health and social justice and have an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A nonprofit, nonpartisan, and independent public policy research center, Sightline provides research reports, articles, and commentary; maps, graphics, and tools; framing and messaging guidance. Sightline’s influence depends on the depth and breadth of our researchers’ expertise and their persuasiveness in presenting analysis and arguments. We aim to draw attention to and build support for data-backed solutions to specific public problems through close engagement in policy debates. We advise and inform public officials, advocates, and the media, and we collaborate with diverse allies and unconventional coalitions in pursuit of our mission. Learn more at www.sightline.org. 

Position Summary

Through field-leading policy research, advocacy, and strategy development, the Senior Researcher, Housing and Cities, will play a pivotal role in Sightline's efforts to create housing abundance as a solution to multiple pressing challenges: affordability, climate change, equity, and sprawl. They will help develop and drive pro-housing policy at the local and state level, with a core goal to lift exclusionary zoning rules that limit affordable home choices, to promote policies that increase the supply of housing at all levels, and to bring down the cost of living in opportunity-dense cities and towns. They will work to loosen restrictions on homebuilding that segregate neighborhoods, push lower-income people out, force burdensome, polluting commutes, and prevent Cascadian cities from welcoming new residents.

The Senior Researcher will report to Sightline's Senior Director of Housing + Cities and collaborate with staff members in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska. They will be part of a high-functioning, collaborative cadre of researchers, communicators, and advocates, supported by a strong administrative and fundraising team.

Essential Responsibilities

• Work as a thought leader, policy researcher, analyst, writer, communicator, and advocate
• Develop and deploy expertise on policies to create housing abundance, primarily zoning reform, but also other types of reforms that Sightline has identified as promising.
• Implement strategies for using information and communications to help win passage of these reforms, often in coordination with cross-partisan coalitions.
• Focus on state legislation in Washington, but also engage on efforts in Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Alaska, or in local jurisdictions if opportunities arise.
• Write articles, policy memos, and talking points; and create graphics, give presentations, serve as a resource to the media, and lobby public officials.
• Cultivate relationships with leaders and partners across many types of diversity, including racial, ethnic, economic, geographic, and political.

Desired Skills and Experience

• At least six years of professional experience in policy development, research or program analysis, and/or strategy development.
• Excellent analytical skills and an ability to quickly sift through large amounts of information to identify key points and develop practical, strategic, and compelling arguments.
• Top-notch written and oral communication skills, including an ability to succinctly and accurately convey complicated information to diverse audiences.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Comfort and skill working independently to manage project workplans, set and meet deadlines, and prioritize effectively among competing responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience quickly mastering new subject matter areas, developing compelling arguments, and effecting change.
• A track record of building respectful and effective relationships and collaborating with people across differences, including racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, and political differences.
• The ability to be self-directed and self-motivated while working well in a team.
• An eagerness to learn and incorporate feedback.
• Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work. Familiarity with or experience working on issues of social justice preferred.
• Experience working with government preferred, but not required.
• Special consideration will be given to candidates with advanced experience with GIS, real estate development economics, or demographics number crunching.
• Commitment to Sightline’s mission and values.

Sightline believes in mentoring talent and providing opportunities for growth. If you are somewhat underqualified or overqualified for the position as described or have relevant experience and transferrable skills different from those listed here, but still feel you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply.

Compensation and Benefits: 

As part of our commitment to equity and in an effort to reduce bias, Sightline has established salary bands for each position level. The salary range for the senior researcher level is $86,000-$105,000 (plus 10 percent retirement as noted below). Sightline is committed to supporting team members along their career pathways by encouraging learning and providing mentoring and training. Employees can earn annual merit raises and periodic promotions.

We offer a robust package of benefits including a 401(k) plan with employer contribution of 10 percent of salary (added to, not subtracted from, pay, so for example, a $86,000 salary at Sightline is equivalent to a $94,600 salary at an organization that makes no employer contribution to retirement).

Benefits also include:

• Full medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee and partial coverage for dependents
• Four weeks of paid vacation
• Twelve paid holidays annually
• Two weeks of paid health, wellness, and care leave
• A guarantee of 12 weeks paid parental leave
• A three-month paid sabbatical every seven years
• A monthly remote work stiped
• Regular staff gatherings for in-person connection

Since Sightline is a nonprofit organization, employees are also eligible to apply for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Sightline’s staff members work hard but enjoy balanced lives and a collegial organizational culture.

Location: 

Because the work of this position focuses on Washington state, we would prefer to have someone who lives in or is willing to relocate to the state. Candidates who live outside Washington are welcome to apply if they have a deep understanding of housing policy in other places that could inform and improve our work in Washington and are willing to travel regularly to the state.

Sightline is a virtual-first organization. Our staff, contractors, and fellows are in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington and beyond Cascadia as well.

To Apply: 

Please include:

• A resume
• A cover letter outlining how your skills and experience qualify you for the role's responsibilities. Please include a short description of your experience advancing equity and justice, ideally in your professional work.
• A brief (2-4 page) writing sample that showcases your ability to write clearly, succinctly, and persuasively. Our preference is for writing samples that include analysis or recommendations related to a public policy issue (housing or otherwise). Please include a 1-sentence description at the top of the writing sample that explains original context for the sample (e.g., a class, a job, etc.)

Please assemble all application materials in a single PDF, labeled with your name. Send everything to jobs@sightline.org. Please put “Senior Researcher, Housing and Cities” as the subject line of the email. Applications that do not include at least a cover letter, resume, and writing sample will not be considered.

The application deadline is May 7, 2025, and applications received by that date will be given priority. We will accept applications until the position is filled. Interviews will take place throughout May. will likely invite finalists to complete a work assignment that is designed to test their skills in the specific functions required for the position. We anticipate extending an offer in early to mid June.

Sightline Institute is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.