Research Associate / Senior Research Associate, LEAD at Krea University

Type: Full-time

Employer: LEAD at Krea University

Vertical:  Financial Well-Being and Social Protection

Location: Chennai / Kolkata / New Delhi

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 the Position:

The primary role of the Research Associate / Senior Research Associate will be the implementation of data collection and data management of the projects. The Senior Research Associate (SRA) will work closely with other research team members on designing survey questionnaires, conducting literature reviews, managing survey teams, monitoring data collection activities on the field, conducting data checks and analysing data, coordinating with the field teams of the partner organisations, etc. The SRA is also expected to mentor Research Associates on their respective projects and guide them in completing their tasks effectively. 

Responsibilities: 

• Assist in the design and development of research projects, including literature reviews, research methodology, and implementation;
• Work with the team members to generate a data collection strategy to maximise the efficient collection of data and its implementation;
• Design survey questionnaires independently;
• Conduct field monitoring exercises to ensure data quality and supervise field work where required;
• Conduct data cleaning and prepare data for analysis; 
• Conduct pilots for survey questionnaires as well as data collection methodologies; 
• Contribute to reports, blogs, and other project deliverables to help disseminate research findings in close coordination with LEAD’s communications team;
• Conduct secondary research where required;
• Develop and maintain a good relation with stakeholders; 
• Mentor Research Associates in completing their roles efficiently. 

Key Qualifications and Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, or other related disciplines; 
• Minimum 2-3 years of research experience in development studies or related fields (only for SRA); 
• Basic knowledge of MS Office and programming languages, like Stata, R, or comparable statistical programming software is required; 
• Strong interest in the areas of financial well-being, social protection and economic development in low-income countries; 
• Demonstrated ability to maintain an organised and structured work style;
• Ability to achieve goals efficiently and effectively while managing competing priorities; 
• Strong interpersonal skills and willingness to work in a team; 
• Problem-solving aptitude and a self-starter;
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and knowledge of any one or more languages from Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada is a must; 
• Willingness to travel extensively to field locations is required. 

Application Instructions: 

Deadline: The last date of application is 31st August 2024. To apply, please collate your resume, a cover letter and two writing samples, one each related to quantitative and qualitative research (specifically study reports/journal articles/research outputs), in a single PDF 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.