Project Research Scientist - III

Institute of Public Health Bengaluru (IPH); Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Public Health Bengaluru (IPH) invites applications for a Project Research Scientist-III to provide scientific leadership for the SANKALP study across West Bengal. The role supports the PI/Co-PI in planning, implementation, data quality, and staff coordination within a rigorous research framework.

Eligible candidates hold a postgraduate degree in Medical Health Sciences with a PhD and have at least six years post-master’s experience in multidisciplinary, adolescent health

Qualifications

• Demonstrated scientific leadership and ability to independently manage complex research activities.
• Strong project planning, coordination, and team management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, scientific writing, and presentation skills.
• Experience with mixed-methods research and participatory action research (PAR) or PLA methods.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, design oversight, and inter-institutional coordination with collaborating community health organisations; co-design and contextual adaptation of interventions using participatory methods.
• Lead development of statistical analysis plans for quantitative, qualitative, and implementation science work packages; ensure data integrity and QA across baseline, midline, endline assessments.
• Oversee qualitative and implementation monitoring components and engagement with committees and government stakeholders.
• Travel to project sites as required and contribute to capacity-building within the team.
• Prepare reports, technical documents, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and policy briefs for dissemination conferences.
• Mentor staff on quantitative and participatory research methods and support capacity-building within the project.

Skills

Scientific leadership

Project management

Team coordination

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Postgraduate degree in Medical Health Sciences with PhD

Tools

R

Python

STATA

SAS

SPSS

Job description

Job Summary

This is a ICMR funded project - SANKALP (Strengthening Adolescent Networks for Knowledge, Action, Leadership and Preparedness in Climate Health) is a community-based research study focused on adolescent leadership and climate-health resilience, implemented across rural West Bengal. The Project Research Scientist - III will provide scientific and technical leadership for the project, supporting the Principal Investigator and Co-PI in planning, implementation, and coordination, and overseeing research activities, data quality, and project staff. The incumbent will contribute to the evaluation design, intervention development, technical outputs, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination, while ensuring ethical, regulatory, and project compliance.

Education Qualification

Postgraduate degree in Medical Health Sciences, along with a three-year Master s degree and a PhD in a relevant field.

Work Experience

Minimum 6 years of experience post master s.

Number of Positions

2

Essential Requirements

• Demonstrated scientific leadership and ability to independently manage complex research activities
• Strong project planning, coordination, and team management skills
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication, scientific writing, and presentation skills
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and diverse stakeholders, including adolescents, schools, and community-based organisations
• Ability to manage multiple work packages simultaneously and deliver high-quality outputs within timelines
• Commitment to ethical research conduct, particularly in research involving adolescent participants
• Experience with mixed-methods research designs, including quantitative outcome evaluation and qualitative/implementation science inquiry
• Demonstrated experience in Participatory Action Research (PAR) or participatory learning and action (PLA) methods
• Must have published scientific papers in reputed journals and presented findings at national/international conferences
• Fluency in Bengali is mandatory for the Kolkata based position.

Desirable Requirements

• Proficiency in statistical software such as R, Python, STATA, SAS, or SPSS, including experience with cluster/stepped-wedge trial analysis
• Familiarity with implementation of science frameworks (e.g. CFIR) and mixed-methods triangulation
• Prior experience in adolescent health, climate-health, or community-based intervention research
• Demonstrated publication record in peer-reviewed journals involving advanced quantitative analyses

Job Location

The position is based out of Bangalore (Karnataka) and Kolkata (West Bengal) With frequent travel to project sites across West Bengal.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, design oversight, and inter-institutional coordination with the collaborating community health organisation, including co-design and contextual adaptation of the intervention using participatory methods
• Lead the development of statistical analysis plans and analytical strategies across quantitative, qualitative, and implementation-science work packages, ensuring data integrity, documentation, and quality assurance throughout baseline, midline, and endline assessments
• Oversee qualitative and implementation monitoring components
• Support engagement with the Committees and government/administrative stakeholders
• Travel to project sites as required
• Lead preparation of reports, technical documents, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and policy briefs, including materials for the dissemination conference
• Mentor project staff on quantitative and participatory research methods, and contribute to capacity-building within the project team
• Undertake any other tasks assigned by the Centre Head

Duration

The duration of the employment will be for a period of two years, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance and extension of the project and availability of funds.