Senior Researcher - Polling

Prolific isn’t just powering AI development—we’re redefining it. While foundational AI technologies are becoming commoditized, Prolific’s human data infrastructure delivers the high-quality, diverse data needed to differentiate the next generation of AI models. Through our platform, we empower researchers and companies to access a global pool of participants, ensuring cutting‑edge AI research and training grounded in ethical and inclusive practices.

The role Prolific is a BPC‑accredited pollster with an established polling operation in the UK and US. In 2026 we are looking to take that function to the next level. We’re hiring a Senior Researcher in public opinion and polling to work with our sciences lead on building this function into a core element of our business, turning it into something with real visibility, innovation, and impact. In the role you’ll be designing and running our polling programme, acting as a spokesperson for our research, innovating on polling methodology with cutting‑edge techniques, and helping to position Prolific in industry conversations about methodology and data quality. You’ll sit within the Research Sciences team, reporting to the functions lead researcher. While building this function will be your primary focus, you’ll also contribute to broader research initiatives across the sciences team and organisation. Our research agenda spans data quality, representativeness, synthetic data, and methodological innovation. If you’re someone who also wants to work on hard problems beyond polling, there’s plenty of scope here.

What you’ll be doing

• Designing and executing polling and public opinion programmes: methodology development, questionnaire design, sampling strategy, weighting approaches, and data collection oversight.
• Innovating on polling methodology: tackling hard problems, testing new sampling and data approaches, exploring synthetic data augmentation, and validating methods against real‑world outcomes.
• Analysing and reporting: producing clear, compelling reports for internal teams, external partners, and media audiences.
• Acting as a public face for Prolific’s research: serving as one of our media liaisons for polling releases, providing expert commentary, and representing Prolific at industry events.
• Building our polling infrastructure: collaborating with Marketing and Design teams to create data visualisations and develop a centralised polling hub.
• Managing external relationships: working with PR partners, our marketing team, and cultivating media contacts to maximise the reach and impact of our work.
• Contributing to wider research projects: applying your research expertise to other initiatives within the sciences team. Our current agenda includes evaluation of synthetic data approaches, data quality and representativeness research, and external research collaborations.

We’re looking for someone who wants to shape this agenda, not just execute on polling.

Who we’re looking for

• Masters degree or higher in political science, survey methodology, statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Strong technical knowledge of polling methodologies — raking, post‑stratification, MRP — including when to apply them and the ability to implement them in code.
• 2+ years experience delivering public opinion research outside of academia (i.e., you’ve shipped polls that people have actually seen).
• An ideas‑focused thinker who is able to tackle novel methods and innovative concepts head on.
• Familiarity with the practicalities of online panel research, including the trade‑offs involved in non‑probability sampling.
• A solid understanding of the UK and US polling landscape (and ideally beyond).
• Comfortable operating autonomously and building something from the ground up.
• Confident communicator who can translate complex methodology for non‑technical audiences.
• Genuine curiosity about research beyond polling. You’re excited by questions around data quality, representativeness, and the future of online research.

Nice To Have

• Research interest in adjacent questions around data quality, synthetic data, or representativeness.
• Experience working with BPC, AAPOR, or similar professional organisations.
• Track record of publishing methodology pieces, thought leadership, or public‑facing analysis.
• Experience as a media spokesperson or comfort with on‑the‑record commentary.

Why Prolific is a great place to work

At Prolific, you’ll have the chance to shape the future of human‑AI collaboration by empowering participants to contribute to cutting‑edge AI research and training. You’ll work in a fast‑paced, purpose‑driven environment that values impact, inclusion, and innovation. We offer competitive compensation, benefits, and flexible remote working options. Be part of a team that’s pioneering a responsible AI landscape, ensuring that the technology of tomorrow understands and respects the full spectrum of human experience.