Post-Doctoral Fellow - Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR

About us

Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC) is an initiative affiliated with Inclusion Economics at Yale University (YIE), founded and based out of the Yale Economic Growth Center and MacMillan Center. IEIC is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Society.

Inclusion Economics’ vision is a world where research and dialogue ensure economic justice, social opportunity and environmental protection. Drawing upon economics, political science, and related fields, we conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Our core research focuses on gender as it relates to labour economics and broader economic empowerment; political economy and governance; and climate and environmental economics. We also aim to build a culture of evidence and increase data literacy in the public sector, strengthening leaders’ ability to identify and implement evidence-informed policies. Throughout the research life cycle, we engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure we address questions of immediate relevance, and we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

The role

Inclusion Economics India Center (IEIC) invites applications for a post-doctoral fellow position from recent PhD graduates in economics (or related field). The successful candidate will allocate about one-third of their time to their own research, with the remaining two-third dedicated to research in the Inclusion Economics portfolio, including work to quantify, assess, and address gender gaps in participation in economics through IEIC’s new Women in Leadership in Economics initiative, described below. Candidates are encouraged to visit ie.yale.edu to learn more about Inclusion Economics, our research priorities, affiliated researchers, and our approach to policy-engaged academic research. We will seek to align the Post-Doctoral Fellow’s research portfolio with the candidate’s research interests alongside IEIC’s study needs.

IEIC’s Women in Leadership in Economics (WiL) initiative, launched in collaboration with Inclusion Economics at Yale University (YIE), will seek to understand and advance women’s representation in leadership in economics and public policy in India. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will spearhead a multi-year data and research initiative, as part of WiL, to understand the status of women’s representation and experiences in Indian academia, collaborating with academic institutions and professional networks to quantify and address long-standing gender gaps in economics. Working at IEIC will provide the selected candidate an excellent opportunity to make progress on their ongoing research while gaining first-hand experience conducting policy-relevant economics research and building their research networks within and outside India. The selected candidate will report to IEIC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and receive regular mentoring and opportunities to collaborate with economists affiliated with Inclusion Economics at Yale.

Responsibilities

• You will lead evidence generation and research in IEIC’s Women in Leadership in Economics initiative, including designing and overseeing data collection, leading analysis, and co-authoring written reports and research, generated as part of the initiative. You will interact regularly with senior academic and policy-oriented stakeholders to collect and quantify gender gaps in economics and to propose and test approaches to close those gaps. You will oversee and mentor the India-based research team working on the WiL initiative.
• You will manage and supervise technical aspects of at least one additional research study, in collaboration with a research team based at IEIC, and co-Principal Investigators. Within this portfolio, you will oversee India-based research teams, to design and implement research focused on pressing economics and policy-linked challenges. You will provide core contributions to the research, including supporting research design; conducting and overseeing field-based scoping; interacting with senior policy stakeholders and study counterparts; leading data collection planning and oversight; procuring data; synthesizing literature; supporting fundraising and grant-based reporting; and contributing to academic papers and related outputs.

Note: Candidates who move beyond the initial screening rounds will be able to review the WiL in Economics strategy at IEIC and engage with senior leadership to better understand proposed initiative workstreams.

Basic qualifications

• Ph.D. in economics, public policy, political science, applied economics or a related field by mid-2025, ideally with a focus on gender economics
• Interest in finding and testing innovative solutions to improving women’s economic opportunities and addressing gender gaps in economics and public policy
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and propose timely solutions with minimal supervision
• Excellent attention to detail
• Capacity to maintain an organized and structured work style in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to adapt to quickly to changing environments
• Strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to interact with a wide range of individuals ranging from Research Associates to academics, donors, academic institutions, etc.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Hindi
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment with cross-time zone collaboration
• Willingness to travel frequently and spend significant time at research project sites, as needed

Preferred qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience with data collection and field work, especially RCTs
• Ability to independently drive research projects and produce independent, high-quality original empirical research in mutually agreed upon areas
• Proven success in fundraising for research studies with clear policy relevance

NB

• The salary for this position is highly competitive.
• This position will be based in New Delhi, India, with frequent travel throughout the country. Occasional international travel may be required. 
• In line with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we particularly welcome applications from women and other groups traditionally underrepresented in economics.

Scientific Directors of Inclusion Economics

• Prof. Rohini Pande, Yale University and Faculty Director, Inclusion Economics
• Prof. Charity Troyer Moore, Ohio State University and Scientific Director of IEIC
• Prof Simone Schaner, University of Southern California and Scientific Director of Inclusion Economics (Gender)

Location: New Delhi, India