Research Associate (ROCCA) Job Posting

June 24, 2026

Other Jobs To Apply

About Us Orion Policy Institute (OPI) is an independent non-profit think tank based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote good governance, advance human rights, and improve policy through high-quality research. OPI seeks to generate practical and sustainable solutions based on multidisciplinary, diverse, and in-depth scientific research and analysis. We address a broad range of issues, including national and global security, democracy, human rights, political and economic development, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and various other issues at the local, national, and global levels. About The Project Records of Critical Cyber Attacks (ROCCA) is a structured, open-source database that systematically records critical cyberattacks conducted by state and non-state actors. The project focuses on cyber operations designed to produce significant societal, political, economic, or strategic impact, including disruptive attacks against critical infrastructure, state-linked cyber operations, geopolitical cyber campaigns, and financially or politically motivated cyberattacks. Position Description Orion Policy Institute is seeking a Research Associate – ROCCA Project to join our dynamic team of researchers and policy analysts, working at the intersection of cybersecurity, geopolitics, and data-driven policy research. The Research Associate will contribute to the development, verification, and analysis of structured cyberattack data and support research outputs examining strategic cyber threats and global cyber conflict trends. Compensation: The Research Associate is paid a publication-based honorarium. Key Responsibilities <ul><li> Conduct open-source research on critical cyber attacks involving state and non-state actors.</li><li> Assist with identifying, verifying, categorizing, and documenting incidents for inclusion in the ROCCA database.</li><li> Support data collection, cleaning, validation, and enrichment efforts using publicly available sources.</li><li> Contribute to analytical outputs, including policy briefs, research papers, reports, and data-driven assessments related to cyber threats and geopolitical risk.</li><li> Assist in developing incident summaries, attribution assessments, and contextual analysis of cyber operations and campaigns.</li><li> Support the preparation of visualizations, presentations, and public-facing research materials related to the ROCCA project.</li><li> Contribute to drafting concept notes and funding proposals to support ongoing and future research initiatives. </li></ul>Qualifications <ul><li> Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in cybersecurity, international relations, political science, data science, security studies, computer science, or a related field.</li><li> Familiarity with open-source intelligence (OSINT), cyber incident tracking, or cybersecurity research methodologies is preferred.</li><li> Experience with spreadsheets, structured datasets, or data organization is strongly preferred.</li><li> Familiarity with cyber threat actors, ransomware campaigns, critical infrastructure threats, or state-linked cyber operations is a plus.</li><li> Strong interest in cybersecurity, cyber conflict, geopolitical risk, emerging technologies, or digital security policy.</li><li> Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote work environment. </li></ul>Application Process Interested candidates should submit the following materials to careers@orionpolicy.org. <ul><li> A cover letter outlining their interest and qualifications for the position.</li><li> A current resume or CV.</li></ul>

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...