Research Fellow

Summary of the Organization:

Good Business Lab is an independent, non-profit labor innovation and research company. We use rigorous academic research to prove that worker wellbeing programs have business impacts. Additionally, we develop market-ready, scalable products capable of providing dual benefits to workers and businesses. Our goal is to disrupt the traditional notion of business and show that worker well-being can be a part of core business strategy, or in other words, a good business practice.

The founders of the GBL are Ach Adhvaryu – Professor of Economics, Director of 21st Century India Center, School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego, Anant Ahuja – Director of ESG and Sustainability at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. (India’s largest Ready Made Garment firm), and Anant Nyshadham – Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

Summary of the Role:

The Research Fellow will join the team of Principal Investigators (PIs) to provide technical leadership across a portfolio of existing research projects (3-4) and support the development of new research projects. The research projects are aligned with GBL’s mission: providing better jobs for workers around the globe through evidence-based interventions and policies focussed around firms. The research projects will cover key thematic areas of the GBL portfolio: Gender, Health, Climate, Livelihoods, and Workplace. You will work with Research Managers (along with other GBL team) to lead the project, where you will lead the technical part of the projects and the Research Managers will oversee day-to-day project management.

Responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities (75–80% time):

Lead the research design of projects by defining relevant research questions and appropriate research design, pre-analysis plans, measurement strategies, and statistical analysis plans, taking into account feasibility constraints (such as budget, resources, timelines and on-ground realities).

Monitor the progress (together with the Research Manager) of projects to ensure research design fidelity and data quality.

Assess any changes that are required in the research design, implementation, or measurement plan of projects, and help determine final project direction in consultation with the other PIs.

Proactively identify and mitigate project risks.

Identify new research ideas and develop research proposals.

Work with GBL’s fundraising team on funding applications for these ideas.

Support GBL’s Partnerships team in its engagements with firm partners, implementation partners, research collaborators and funders on the technical aspects of research and collaboration, to enable smooth and rigorous project execution.

Lead academic writing for projects, including academic papers and technical sections of funder reports.

Other responsibilities (20–25%):

Mentor Research Managers, Research Associates and other staff.

Lead training sessions for Research Associates and other staff.

Help improve the procedures, policies, and culture of GBL.

Contribute to GBL’s communications (blogs and articles) as requested.

Represent GBL at meetings with external stakeholders (by delivering presentations, for example).

Qualifications:

A PhD (or submitted dissertation) in Economics, Public Policy, Development, or a related field.

Experience in rigorous research methods: Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental methods.

Experience in managing RCTs, with experience in conducting social science or economic field research (supervising data collection, teams of field workers, survey design and implementation) is strongly preferred.

Experience working with large primary and secondary datasets.

Experience writing grant proposals and contributing to fundraising.

Ability to work in a team, manage multiple projects and be self-motivated.

Strong academic and non-academic communication skills (writing and presentations), with experience in translating findings into academic papers, technical reports, presentations, and other external-facing outputs.

Experience working in low- and middle-income country contexts and willingness to travel for fieldwork are strongly preferred.