*Salary Band: $73,531 to $102,803 per yearWho we areElections Ontario (EO) is an independent, non-partisan office of the Ontario legislature that delivers provincial elections, by-elections, and referenda in Ontario. EO is committed to making voting easy and accessible, while maintaining the integrity, security, and transparency of the electoral process.
Join our teamThe Design & Strategic Innovation division is seeking a strategic, forward-thinking and data-driven professional to support EO's research and innovation agenda.
As a
Senior Research & Data Analyst with a focus on behavioral insights, you will play a critical role in strengthening EO's understanding of elector motivations, barriers, trust drivers, and participation behaviors. You will translate research findings into behaviorally-informed strategies that support accessible, equitable, and evidence-based electoral service design.
About the job
Reporting to the Manager of Research & Insights, you will:
Co-lead the Development of Elector Personas• Conduct desktop research, literature reviews, and jurisdictional scans to identify behavioral frameworks and leading practices that are relevant to civic participation.
• Collect, integrate, and analyze primary research and transactional data to identify patterns in elector motivations, trust, accessibility barriers, and participation behaviors.
• Design research approaches, including surveys and targeted qualitative methods, to generate the evidence required to inform persona development.
Develop evidence-based elector personas that are grounded in behavioural, attitudinal, and experiential data, applying a range of qualitative and quantitative synthesis techniques, from rigorous thematic analysis to rapid insight synthesis, to produce clear, actionable outcomes.
• Develop and implement strategic communications materials and approaches to effectively introduce, position, and integrate elector personas across the organization.
Strengthen EO's Research Program• Review and refine EO's research methodologies, survey instruments, analytical approaches, and reporting practices to ensure they are elector-centered, behaviourally informed, and grounded in accessible, inclusive, and equity-informed design principles.
• Develop frameworks to guide how research questions are designed, how responses are interpreted, and how insights are reported.
• Contribute to performance measurement frameworks that assess elector experience, participation outcomes, and service quality.
• Support insight translation by ensuring research findings are synthesized into clear, actionable recommendations for decision makers.
Provide Expert Advice within Design & Strategic Innovation• Serve as a subject matter expert on inclusive, elector-focused research practices.
• Advise colleagues on ethical, accessible, and practical research design.
• Contribute to building research literacy across the division by sharing behavioral and methodological best practices.
• Monitor emerging trends in behavioral science, civic engagement, and public sector research to inform EO's future planning.
What you bring to the team
What you need to qualify
• Demonstrated expertise in behavioral science, applied psychology, behavioral economics, public policy research, or a related discipline, with experience applying design thinking or human-centered design principles to research, insight development, or service improvement initiatives.
• Experience designing and conducting both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Strong experience conducting desktop research, literature reviews, and evidence synthesis.
• Proven ability to translate complex research findings into clear, compelling insights and recommendations.
• Experience with developing segmentation models, personas, or behavioral frameworks.
• Proficiency in data science tools (e.g. Python, R), statistical software, and data visualization tools (e.g. Tableau, Power BI, R-Shiny).
• Strong experience working with large datasets and advanced statistical models.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across teams and with external partners to integrate data-driven insights into organizational initiatives.
• Bachelor's degree in psychology, behavioral science, public policy, social science, or related field.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressively-responsible experience in applied research or behavioral insights.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada.
Preferred qualifications• Experience working in the public sector, civic engagement, accessibility, or equity-informed research.
• Knowledge of the Ontario Election Act and Election Finances Act.
• Ability to converse in English and French.
The successful candidate must be able to work in office five (5) days per week (no hybrid opportunity).How to apply
Our recruitment process reflects our mission to uphold the integrity and accessibility of the electoral process and to manage elections in an efficient, fair, and impartial manner. We offer career growth opportunities and a competitive rewards program.
Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment, quoting File
#EO-2026-38 in the subject line, to
jobs@elections.on.ca no later than
March 23, 2026 @ 4 PM.We thank all applicants for their submission. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
How to request an accommodation
Elections Ontario is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible environment, where all employees feel valued, respected, and supported.
Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code, we provide accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process. If you require a disability-related accommodation to participate, please call 1-888-668-8683, send a fax to 1-866-714-2809, TTY at 1-888-292-2312 or email
hr@elections.on.ca.
Don't meet every qualification?
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility
We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's
Human Rights Code and the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer
accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please
contact us.Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace: