Senior Research Associate (Environment & Governance Portfolio) - Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR

Employer: Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR

Location: Patna, India

Start Date: April 2024

Length of Commitment: At least one year 

Who We Are: 

Inclusion Economics India Centre is a policy-engaged research initiative affiliated with Inclusion Economics at Yale University, founded and based out of the Yale Economic Growth Center and MacMillan Center. Inclusion Economics India Centre is based at, and accountable to, the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Society.

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 labor economics and broader economic empowerment, political economy and governance, education and environmental economics. Our core research in the Environment & Governance portfolio focuses on understanding how extreme weather affects the well-being of communities and seeks to support effective governance in empowering communities to adapt to risks related to environment and climate change. 

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 regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

The Role:

We are looking for a Senior Research Associate to support a field-based research project investigating the impact of a community-based flood early warning system in Bihar on households' ex-ante adaptation behavior and post-flood physical and mental morbidity. Read more about the project here. Specifically, the research team is seeking a full-time Senior Research Associate who will (a) work closely with our on-ground implementation and government partners to execute the research study, (b) train and monitor grassroots volunteers in community outreach techniques and how to view and use Google's flood forecasting and alert system on Android phones; and (c) plan, collect, clean and analyze data from households enrolled in our panel study. 

The Senior Research Associate will be based in Patna where the study is located. It is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in a career in academic research, whether in a university or a research/policy think tank. This position requires a self-starting candidate who enjoys working on cutting-edge research that informs policy. The candidate will have a unique opportunity to drive efforts to ensure that government policy priorities inform research agenda and vice versa. The candidate will also conduct in-depth interviews and scoping activities, engage with government stakeholders, manage field activities and coordinate field staff for the execution of primary data collection activities across Bihar. She/he will support high-quality cleaning and rigorous analysis of both primary and secondary data and work with a team of leading economists and public policy experts from top universities across the world and the Inclusion Economics India Centre.  

Responsibilities:

Senior Research Associate works closely with Research Managers & Principal Investigators who guide and supervise them in their various tasks and work closely with field staff to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to:

• Oversee the day-to-day implementation of field-based research (scoping, surveying, project implementation) – including the management of field personnel and reporting for the project
• Support research professors in ensuring all field and data activities are in compliance with IRB and field safety protocols
• Identify and manage threats to the research design with support from Research Managers and Principal Investigators
• Assist in the design and field-testing of survey instruments (paper and digital) and develop and implement appropriate structures and systems for a larger randomized intervention, including the procurement of supplies; development and oversight of field and quality control protocols; recruitment, training, and leading of field staff; and coordination with local partners
• Seek out and collect administrative data from policy partners and government agencies
• Conduct data cleaning, manipulation, and analysis using multiple primary and secondary data sources
• Review and report on academic literature of requested topics in support of policy briefs and research projects
• Contribute to analysis and writing of policy briefs for various government partners and case studies on Inclusion Economics India project components
• Support the Research Manager to manage day-to-day relationships with national, state, and district/block/gram panchayat government officials and other potential partners (academics, policy organizations, NGOs, etc.) as requested
• Others, as required

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's/Master's degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, environment or related fields
• 2 to 4 years of experience in field research/data collection in international development or related field
• Fluency and excellent communication skills (verbal and written) in English and Hindi
• Strong potential/familiarity in setting up primary data collection
• Proven analytical skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Stata
• Excellent management and organizational skills, along with strong quantitative skills
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player
• Ability to work independently and in rural field locations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in economics or related field and experience in Stata/R/Python/QGIS is highly desired 
• Candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to engage with policy partners of various levels 
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials preferred
• Experience working with large datasets, satellite data, etc., strongly preferred