Social Listening Associate (On Site - Washington, DC)

Rational 360 is hiring a Social Listening Associate to help support and expand the firm’s integrated data approach for clients. Candidates should have experience gleaning insights from social media, news or other text-based datasets, preferably in an advocacy or political context. Candidates must be eager to work in a fast-paced environment and able to manage a diverse workload. Our firm is committed to high-quality, personal service and we specialize in strategic public affairs communications, reputation management, business and consumer public relations and interactive digital communications.

About Rational 360 

Rational 360 is a full-service strategic communications and digital company that helps organizations win in high-stakes public affairs, corporate communications, and reputation management. We combine data-driven insights, creative storytelling, and cutting-edge technology to deliver results for clients across industries. Our team is collaborative, entrepreneurial, and driven by impact.

With a staff of approximately 120 and growing, Rational 360 is partially employee-owned and deeply invested in professional development, mentorship, and career advancement. Our teams work at the forefront of strategic communications, public policy, and media engagement across a wide variety of sectors.

Requirements

• 1-2 years of experience analyzing news and social media conversation with proven results, including internships
• Willingness and excitement to think creatively and entrepreneurially about digital opportunities for individual campaigns and the agency as a whole
• Curious self-starter who enjoys digging into data to help others understand the data and inform campaign-driving insights
• Familiarity with some/all of the following: social listening/management tools (e.g. Brandwatch, NetBase, Talkwalker, Meltwater, Spredfast/Khoros, Sprout Social, Sprinklr), advocacy and fundraising CRMs (e.g. BSD, EveryAction), Google Analytics, Tableau, or message testing platforms (e.g. Qualtrics)
• Not afraid to manually explore and learn about data in Microsoft Excel
• Communications, research, statistical or business background, with experience wrangling small and large datasets to extract effective and accurate insights
• Willingness to experiment and add to a supportive and collegial environment where we can try new things
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to communicate data and analysis visually, verbally and written – tailored to the audience
• Bonus points if you have experience with Boolean search logic, identifying and capturing media clips, forming lists of media contacts and influencers, or analyzing a brand's owned social media content strategy

Benefits

Why Join Rational 360?

Be part of a collaborative, mission-driven team delivering high-impact work across public affairs, communications, and digital strategy.

What We Offer

• 401(k) with match and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for long-term wealth building
• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, vision, generous PTO, paid holidays, paid family leave, and office closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Hybrid schedule: In-office in Washington, DC (Mon/Wed/Thu); remote Tue/Fri.

Salary range for this role is 60,000 to 63,500 USD annually.

Rational 360 is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.