Senior Manager - Research

Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd.; Dadri; On-site; INR 2,400,000 - 4,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt Ltd is seeking a dynamic Senior Manager to lead our research initiatives and drive revenue growth for the SBU. You will develop proposals, secure new contracts, and manage high-value projects while ensuring data quality and providing guidance to junior team members.

The role also emphasizes thought leadership, client engagement, and building strategic partnerships across sectors, with a focus on MEL in development contexts.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Economics, Rural Management, Agriculture, Social Work/ Development Studies or allied social sciences.
• 6–9 years of work experience in research, with 6 years mandatory MEL/large-scale research.
• Proficiency in MS Office and statistical packages (STATA, R, Python).

Responsibilities

• Lead projects, ensuring client satisfaction and proactive conflict resolution.
• Oversee data quality, time, cost, and quality aspects of projects with robust reporting.

Skills

Project leadership

Proposal development

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Advanced degree in Economics/Rural Management/Agriculture/Development Studies

Tools

MS Office

STATA

R

Python

Job description

Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt Ltd., provides evidence-based insights to seed and catalise scalable social impact. Our research, data, strategy consulting, monitoring, and evaluation solutions, supports implementors, governments, foundations, and donors in the design and execution of programmes and policies that improve the lives of people and the planet. We are domain agnostic and work across a spectrum of areas including public health, WASH, natural resource management, energy, climate change, education, skilling, and entrepreneurship.

We are measurement experts with a flair for innovation and improvisation. Over the last twenty years we have emerged as a pioneer in developing and using cutting-edge methodologies and advanced data tools to enable decision-making and adaptive programming. A team of 150 professionals, we work across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered at Noida (Delhi - National Capital Region), India, we have full service regional offices in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Dar-e-Salam (Tanzania).

Why Sambodhi

Sambodhi offers an exciting and challenging opportunity to contribute to high quality multi-input development programs and to work closely with government, and with key development actors like the World Bank, UN and Bilateral agencies, philanthropies like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation etc. Being one of the leading and largest M&E service providers in South Asia, Sambodhi offers an extraordinary platform to learn, mentor and innovate in a perceptive environment. Driven by deep rooted wisdom of “Equity in Knowledge”, learning is integral to our work; be it investing in peer driven intensive professional development within Sambodhi or field building on M&E globally. In line with it, it offers an enabled environment for professionals to write, publish and network; to locate themselves in the contemporary discourse on M&E and be a part of the global think-tank.

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to lead our research initiatives and drive revenue growth for the SBU. In this role, you will develop proposals and presentations to secure new contracts and achieve revenue targets, while managing high-value projects through effective project management. You will supervise and ensure data quality, optimize resource planning, and enhance project performance. As a Senior manager, you will work with peers and provide guidance to junior members to develop and provide timely feedback on proposals, data collection instruments, engage team members in project activities, and encourage continuous learning through knowledge-sharing sessions. Additionally, you will enhance our organization's credibility by publishing industry-focused content, participating in key events, and tracking engagement and lead generations to acquire new clients and partnerships.

Essential Functions:

Project Management:

• Lead projects, ensuring client satisfaction through clear communication, setting expectations, and proactive conflict resolution.
• Oversee time, cost, and quality aspects of projects to execute effective project management, while maintaining data quality assurance through proper data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Develop and implement resource planning strategies to optimize project performance.
• Deliver high-quality reports, presentations, and other communication materials to clients.

Research Design and Execution:

• Conceptualize and propose innovative and realistic designs for research, monitoring, and evaluation projects.
• Create methodologies and work plans for project execution using mixed-method approaches.
• Develop quantitative and qualitative research tools, including child/student assessments for data collection and perform qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Business Development:

• Develop and write research proposals including creating proposal decks and presenting them to clients to secure new contracts and achieve revenue targets.
• Identify new business opportunities while ensuring adherence to project deadlines and maintaining a pipeline of prospective projects.
• Liaise with partner organizations, consultants, vendors, and other relevant agencies to build and maintain strategic partnerships that enhance project outcomes and organizational reach.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Provide timely feedback to team members and engage them in both project and non-project activities to promote motivation and job satisfaction.
• Facilitate annual knowledge-sharing sessions to promote cross-functional learning.
• Supervise team members in various tasks and other necessary organizational processes.

Thought Leadership and Branding:

• Annually publish industry-focused white papers, case studies, and thought leadership articles to establish credibility.
• Organize or participate in key industry events such as webinars, conferences, and panel discussions to enhance SBU visibility.

Education & Experience:

• Advanced degree (Master’s/MPhil or PhD) in Economics, Rural Management, Agriculture, Social Work/ Development Studies/ or allied social sciences.
• 6-9 years of work overall experience in research, with 6 years mandatory experience in MEL/large scale research.
• In-depth knowledge of research, evaluation, data analysis, and thematic understanding of Agriculture or livelihood sectors.
• Proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Experience in leading projects independently, engaging with various stakeholders, with effective time & resource planning.
• Experience working with Government departments, Multinational organisations, and Philanthropic donors.
• Proficiency in MS Office and statistical packages such as STATA, R and Python for data analysis.
• Willingness to travel to different geographies and write with creative visualization.

Sambodhi focuses on nurturing an inclusive work environment. We stress and reinforce diversity

in our workplace. We welcome all applications regardless of race, religion,caste, place of origin,