Research Associate, GxD hub

Contract Type: Full-time

Location: New Delhi

Reports to: Associate Director – Research & MLE

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

About LEAD at Krea University:

LEAD is an action-oriented research centre of IFMR Society (a not-for-profit society registered under the Societies Act), leverages the power of research, innovation and co-creation to solve complex and pressing challenges in development. LEAD specialises in developing in-depth granular understanding of socio-economic contexts and harnessing actionable insights that have a wide range of applications in industry, policy, and academia. LEAD is a collaborative hub that brings experts from diverse disciplines and sectors together to develop innovative solutions by harnessing innovation, technology and analytics.

About GxD hub:
The GxD (Gender x Digital) hub is an initiative of LEAD at Krea University (IFMR), focused on addressing the critical intersections between gender and digital systems in India. Through rigorous research, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem engagement, the hub works to inform gender-intentional and inclusive digital platform design and implementation.

About the Role:

The primary role of the Research Associate (RA) will be to conduct secondary research, facilitate and collect primary data, and manage data (including cleaning, analysis, and reporting) for the projects. The RA will work closely with other research team members on: designing survey questionnaires, conducting literature reviews, managing survey teams, monitoring data collection activities in the field, conducting data checks and analysing data, coordinating with the field teams of the partner organisations, and writing reports and other knowledge products. The candidate must also have prior experience and a strong interest in research to assist with mixed-methods projects. 

Key Responsibilities of the Position:

• Assist in the design and development of mixed methods research projects, including literature reviews, research methodology and implementation;
• Work with colleagues at GxD hub and LEAD to generate a data collection strategy to maximise the efficient collection of data and its implementation;
• Lead the hiring, training, and management of the field team;
• Conduct field monitoring exercises to ensure data quality and supervise field work where required;
• Conduct data checks to ensure data quality, conduct data cleaning and prepare data for quantitative analysis;
• Assist in qualitative data collection and analysis;
• Design survey questionnaires and interview protocols;
• Conduct pilots for survey questionnaires as well as data collection methodologies;
• Contribute to writing clear and compelling reports, blogs and other project deliverables, including evidence summaries, insights, and program updates;
• Conduct secondary research where required;
• Develop and maintain good relations with key stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Political Science, Statistics, Sociology, Public Policy or other related disciplines. A master’s degree is preferred;
• A basic knowledge of STATA, R, SAS, or a related programming language is required;
• At least one year of experience in data collection and analysis required;
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills across technical and non-technical audiences;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and Hindi is required;
• Willingness to travel extensively to field locations is required;
• Basic knowledge of NVivo or other similar CAQDAS is preferred;
• Strong interest in gender, labour markets, and digital inclusion in low-income countries is preferred;
• Strong interpersonal skills and willingness to work in a team;
• Problem-solving aptitude and a self-starter;
• Mature, self-directed individual with the ability to balance multiple tasks and prioritise effectively to meet deadlines in a fast-paced working environment.

Application Instructions:

Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To apply, please collate your resume, a cover letter and writing sample and apply in the form here. 

Note: Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact each candidate individually regarding the status of their application. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purposes.