Freelance Editorial Research Analyst

Observer publishes a slate of annual power lists tracking the people who actually move money, culture and policy in their industries. We're hiring freelance researchers and writers to assist in producing them. This post is for our forthcoming AI Power List; more lists will follow across other sectors throughout the year.

The work

We'll hand you a roster of honorees and the criteria they're being measured against. Your job is to make the case — in 150-200 words per entry — that each person belongs there. That means concrete evidence from the past 12–18 months: users, valuations, deployments, deals, headcount, fund sizes, sales, citations. Every claim hyperlinked to a verified source. Internal links where Observer has covered the subject; external links for everything else. No filler. 

Scope, current assignment

• Approximately 100 entries, 150-200 words each

• Internal and external hyperlinks throughout

• Flag any recent developments that materially shift a ranking

• File in batches as completed

• One round of edits

You

You can research a name you've never heard of and, within an hour, find the three numbers that prove (or undermine) the reputation attached to it. You read S-1s, the financial press, and primary sources. You write tight (if a sentence isn't doing load-bearing work, cut it) and you cite sources.

Helpful, not required

Fluency in the AI industry is a bonus for this first assignment. The larger ask is that you can do this work for whatever sector we hand you next.

To apply

Send merin@observer.com a brief note, two writing samples, your rate, and — if you'd like — one name from any industry you'd argue belongs on a power list and the single number that proves it. Put the job title in the subject line.