Post-doctoral Fellow/Research Scientist - Inclusion Economics India Centre - IFMR

Employer: Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR

Location: Delhi, India (with frequent travel to states where IEIC works)

Who We Are:

Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC) at IFMR is an 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 collaborates with the Inclusion Economics at Yale University team to enable inclusive economies and societies through research and policy engagement.

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 labour economics and broader economic empowerment; political economy and governance; and environmental economics. 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 we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

The Role:

We are currently recruiting a Post-doctoral Fellow to collaborate on research related to women’s economic activity and empowerment, with a focus on participation in the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India. The position will provide the selected candidate(s) an opportunity to gain first-hand experience conducting policy-relevant economics research while contributing to an agreed upon research portfolio. Note this position is focused full-time on the research of Inclusion Economics India Centre, although an excellent candidate may also be provided time to advance his/her own research alongside the assigned portfolio.

Responsibilities within the project portfolio include supporting administrative data analysis, qualitative and quantitative research design and implementation, interacting with stakeholders, and managing research activities and staff. It also includes regular components of academic research, including data cleaning and analysis and writing for academic and non-academic (e.g., policymaker and donor) audiences. This position requires a self-starting candidate with expertise in applied economics research who can effectively navigate India's institutional landscape and appropriately represent our work to outside stakeholders. The position will provide a talented early career researcher the opportunity to work directly on policy-relevant research with academics in the Inclusion Economics network.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise technical aspects of assigned research studies in collaboration with the research team.
• Oversee Inclusion Economics India Centre staff to manage research study activities, including intervention implementation, and contribute to field-based scoping, survey design, survey testing, data quality monitoring, and more.
• Clean and process incoming or secondary data and conduct econometric analysis in consultation with senior researchers.
• Manage relationships with collaborating institutions, including policy counterparts and funding organizations; work with partner institutions and governments to set priorities and coordinate project administration and logistics.
• Compile, assess and synthesize research into policy briefs, white papers, memos and academic articles with guidance and oversight of IEIC affiliated research faculty.
• Contribute to building technical skills of IEIC research staff.
• Provide appropriate inputs and support for administrative requirements of the project portfolio, upon request, which may include providing inputs for budgeting, intervention procurement, compliance, grant reporting, deliverable tracking, etc. 
• Contribute to our team’s overall management and strategic vision by identifying new research projects and partners and applying for additional sources of funding in partnership with the research team.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in economics, public policy, political science, statistics, econometrics or related field with a focus on gender and/or labor economics
• Advanced coursework in empirical methods, including econometrics and applied microeconomics methods, and research design and analysis with strong demonstrated academic performance 
• Solid experience with data collection and field work, especially RCTs
• Proven analytical skills and proficiency in Stata and/or R; experience in Python a plus
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and propose timely solutions with minimal supervision
• Excellent attention to detail
• Capacity to maintain an organized and structured work style in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to adapt to quickly to changing environments
• Strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to interact with a wide range of individuals ranging from Research Associates to academics, donors, research institutions, etc.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Hindi
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Willingness to travel frequently and spend significant time at research project sites, as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to independently drive research projects and produce independent, high-quality original empirical research in mutually agreed upon areas
• At least a year of hands-on experience in international development or related field
• Proven success in fundraising for research studies with clear policy relevance
• Demonstrated interest in economics and policy and South Asia
• Familiarity with research on MGNREGS and with MGNREGS MIS data

This position will be based in Delhi, India, with frequent travel throughout the country. This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal and further growth within the organization.