Research Associate- School Leadership Development Program - J-PAL South Asia

Research Associate - School Leadership Development Program - J-PAL South Asia

Organization: J-PAL South Asia at IFMR

Location: India

Start Date (Earliest): November 4, 2024

Length of Commitment: 1 year (with possibility of extension)

Education: Bachelor’s/Master’s

Principal Investigators: Todd Pugatch (University of Buffalo), Ketki Sheth (University of Tennessee), and Emmanuel Rukundo (RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research)

About the Organization: The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research centre working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. J-PAL South Asia conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking, and helps partners scale up effective programs.

About the Position: J-PAL South Asia seeks qualified applicants for the position of Research Associate to lead impact evaluations in India. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research.

Project Specific Details: This project aims to study the effectiveness of the School Leadership Development Program in building leadership competencies amongst school leaders and improving student learning outcomes in primary and secondary schools located in Bidar and Raichur districts of Karnataka.

Key Responsibilities:

• Designing and developing survey questionnaires, running pilot exercises, refining study design and survey instruments
• Supporting and informing qualitative research
• Managing field teams across multiple districts: recruiting, training, and supervising both field-based and data operations teams
• Supervising data collection and data entry, ensuring data quality and productivity
• Writing high-quality documents, including training manuals and process reports
• Assisting with data cleaning, preliminary data analysis, and preparation of documents and presentations
• Ensuring the project follows the agreed timeline and meets key milestones
• Maintaining relationships with partner organizations at both headquarters and field levels
• Reporting to the Research Manager and PIs on all activities
• Maintaining compliance with all J-PAL protocols and policies

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's/Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, education or related fields
• Experience living and working in a developing country is a strong plus
• Fluency in English; fluency in Kannada is highly preferred
• Knowledge of Stata and SurveyCTO or other data analysis/collection software; strong quantitative skills
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials or primary data collection preferred
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations
• Good team management skills
• Ability to work independently

Note on Work Authorization: Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this position, please click on the apply button on the JD here; first-time users will be asked to sign up and upload the CV, cover letter, and academic transcripts (optional).

For any queries, please write to recruitment.jpalsa@ifmr.ac.in.