Research Associate (Public Finance)

Bharat Digital; Delhi; On-site; INR 700,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Bharat Digital is seeking a Research Associate for Public Finance in New Delhi. The role involves extensive analysis of government budgets and fund flows, utilizing strong quantitative skills. Successful candidates will have a graduate degree in Economics or related fields and 1-3 years of experience in public finance. Responsibilities include data management, report writing, and supporting research projects in collaboration with government bodies. This position is full-time, with an expected engagement through May 2026.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience in public finance analysis or working with government data systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and ability to work with complex financial datasets.
• Fluency in English and Hindi.

Responsibilities

• Analyse government budget documents and fund flows under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
• Produce analytical summaries and data visualisations for research reports.
• Assist in preparing background notes, literature reviews, and research reports.

Skills

Public Finance Analysis

Budget Analysis

Quantitative Research

Data Cleaning and Structuring

Financial Data Management

Education

Graduate or postgraduate degree in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, or related fields

Tools

Excel

Stata or R

Job description

# Research Associate (Public Finance)OpenFULL TIMEY1 3Foundation for Responsive Governance (ResGov)All jobs## About this roleResGov undertakes analytical work on public finance, programme implementation, and evidence-based decision-making in close partnership with government institutions.The Research Associate–Public Finance will support high-impact research by working extensively with government budget and expenditure data. The role requires strong quantitative skills, familiarity with public financial management systems, and the ability to translate complex financial information into clear analytical outputs for policy and administrative use.The selected candidate will work closely with the research team in Delhi. The role involves supporting research and projects related to budget analysis and public finance in the social sector, along with contributing to ResGov’s other thematic areas, including Urban Governance and Climate.## ResponsibilitiesBudget & Finance Data Support1. Analyse Union and State government budget documents, demand for grants, detailed demand estimates, and finance accounts.2. Track fund flows under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), including releases, state shares, and expenditure patterns.3. Compile, clean, and organise multi-year financial data to support analysis of budgets, schemes, fiscal federalism, and decentralised governance.Data Management & Analysis1. Clean, structure, and maintain large financial, administrative, and programme-related datasets.2. Produce tables, charts, visualisations, and analytical summaries for research reports, briefs, presentations, dashboards, and public-facing outputs.3. Support primary and secondary data collection and analysis across thematic areas.Public Financial Management Research and Knowledge Products1. Contribute to research, thought leadership, and public-facing knowledge products on public financial management, fiscal federalism, and decentralised governance.2. Explore how digital systems and public data platforms can improve planning, budgeting, fund flows, expenditure tracking, works management, and output/outcome monitoring across levels of government.3. Support the creation of tools, templates, and analytical frameworks to standardise the collection and interpretation of budgets, financial statements, scheme documents, and expenditure reports.4. Develop explainers, datasets, briefs, and reports that make complex public finance issues accessible to policymakers, practitioners, civil society organisations, and the wider public.5. Document PFM practices, innovations, and bottlenecks across states, districts, ULBs, and panchayats, and help build evidence on how public finance systems can better support responsive governance and service delivery.Research, Programme, and Communication Support1. Assist in preparing background notes, literature reviews, data briefs, research reports, presentations, and training material.2. Participate in field visits, stakeholder consultations, and data collection exercises across project locations as required.3. Contribute to communications activities and learning courses, taking research findings beyond published papers into practice.4. Collaborate with Research Associates and other team members to deliver on project objectives, timelines, and outputs.Cross-thematic Contribution1. Contribute to research and analytical work across ResGov’s thematic areas, including urban governance, climate, and local governance.2. Engage with government counterparts, civil society organisations, funders, and other partners to support evidence-based decision-making.## RequirementsThe position requires strong quantitative research skills.Mandatory Requirements:1. Graduate or postgraduate degree in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related fields2. 1-3 years of relevant professional experience in public finance analysis, budget analysis, or working with government data systems3. Advanced proficiency in Excel; ability to work with complex, multi-year financial datasets and explain findings clearly4. Understanding of Union and State budgets, public financial management (PFM) processes, and CSS fund flow mechanisms5. Problem-solving, communication, report writing, and presentation skills6. Fluency in English and HindiDesirable Requirements:1. Specialisation in public finance, public economics, or applied econometrics2. Prior experience working with or analysing PFMS, finance accounts, or scheme-level MIS data3. Working knowledge of statistical packages such as Stata or R; experience producing data visualisations4. Exposure to social sector financing (health, education, nutrition, rural development, environment/climate etc.)5. Experience with field/data collection; ability to coordinate with government stakeholders6. Working knowledge of other Indian languages## Skills & TechnologyPublic Finance AnalysisBudget AnalysisQuantitative ResearchData Cleaning and StructuringFund Flow Tracking (CSS)Financial Data ManagementLiterature ReviewReport WritingPresentation DesignData VisualizationStakeholder ConsultationPrimary and Secondary Data CollectionApplied EconometricsSocial Sector Financing Expertise (Health/Education/Nutrition/Climate)Field Data CollectionGovernment Stakeholder CoordinationMultilingual Proficiency (Other Indian Languages)Strategic Problem SolvingTechnical Training Material DevelopmentAdvanced Excel## Compensation & DatesSalary not disclosedValid through 5/25/2026## LocationNew Delhi, Delhi, IndiaTimezone: Asia/Kolkata### Ready to apply?Read more about the application process on the organization's website.Apply Now