Senior Research Associate, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Location: New Delhi

Employer: LEAD at Krea University

Contract type: Full-time

Remuneration: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

About LEAD at Krea University:

LEAD, 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 has strategic oversight and brand support from Krea University (sponsored by IFMR Society) to enable synergies between academia and the research centre.

About the Position:

The Senior Research Associate (SRA) will be part of the Financial well-being and Social Protection (FWSP) vertical at LEAD. The role entails conducting research on frontier topics in financial inclusion, including digitalization trends, financial health, MSMEs, platform economy, etc, by articulating research questions/hypotheses and rigorously framing the research design. He/she will be expected to be familiar with the latest vistas of research and policy developments in financial inclusion and other allied thematic areas in India/globally, and be passionate about staying on top of new regulatory/policy/market developments to spot the trends and opportunities.    

The SRA will be responsible for leading and supporting multiple projects in the vertical. Depending on the background, interest and skill set, the SRA will work on various research and/or policy-oriented projects. The position involves being self-driven and having a strong capacity to multitask. The SRA should have excellent writing, presentation and communication skills, and a creative problem-solving outlook.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct research and investigation in relation to objectives and project goals to be accomplished in a time-bound manner.
• Prepare project narrative reports to be shared with the clients/donor and other research partners in the project.
• Evaluate project achievements and shortcomings at designated points of evaluation goals on a periodic basis.
• Stay abreast of current and emerging developments in financial inclusion research to inform the current and new projects.
• Direct and oversee project implementation on the field and assist the field team when required.
• Actively represent LEAD in front of business, academic, government and non-governmental agencies and media to achieve project objectives, strengthen the organization’s profile and improve the credibility of the implementation process.
• Work as part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers, willing to share ideas and take constructive criticism to fulfil project objectives.

Background and Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Management or other related disciplines from reputed institutes in India/globally.
• Total experience of 4-5 years.
• Minimum 3 years of research/advisory/consulting experience in financial inclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain an organized and structured work style in a fast-paced environment, working simultaneously on different work streams and projects. 
• Demonstrated experience in engaging with clients/donors.
• Demonstrated track record in prior publications preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience with the proposal (EOI/RFP) and concept note writing.

Key Competencies/Attributes:

• Takes initiative to lead and manage multiple tasks and propose solutions with minimal supervision.
• Strong MS Office skills (Word, PPT and Excel).
• Conversant with statistical software packages for quantitative analysis (Stata or R) and/or qualitative analysis (NVivo or ATLAS.ti).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to visualize and fit the team’s research into the current policy context and plan future studies based on contemporary policy-level gaps.
• Motivated to travel for work to various places in India.
• Highly self-motivated, driven, and resourceful to meet the highest standards of output while adhering to timelines. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to interact with a wide range of individuals ranging from government officials, donors, think tanks, private sector players, NGOs, etc. 
• Strong writing skills, including competency in churning out quick pieces out of existing research.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Deadline: Applications are being accepted until the position is filled. Please collate your resume, cover letter and a writing sample and apply in the form here.

Note: We are an equal opportunity employer and all candidates will be considered for employment. However, 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.