IFMR - Senior Research Associate

- Conduct research and investigation in relation to objectives and project goals to be accomplished in a time bound manner

- Prepare project narrative reports to be shared with the clients/donor and other research partners in the project

- Evaluate project achievements and shortcomings at designated points of evaluation goals on a period basis

- Stay abreast of current and emerging developments in financial inclusion research to inform the current and new projects

- Direct and oversee project implementation on the field and assist the field team when required

- Actively represent LEAD in front of business, academic, government and non-governmental agencies and media to achieve project objectives, strengthen the organization's profile and improve credibility of the implementation process

- Work as part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers, willing to share ideas and take constructive criticism to fulfil project objectives

Background and Qualifications :

Education:

- Master's degree in Economics, Public Policy, Management or other related disciplines from reputed institutes in India/globally

Work Experience :

- Total experience of 4-5 years

- Minimum 3 years of research/advisory/consulting experience in financial inclusion

- Demonstrated ability to maintain an organized and structured work style in a fast-paced environment, working simultaneously on different work streams and projects

- Demonstrated experience of engaging with clients/donors

- Demonstrated track record in prior publications preferred but not mandatory

- Experience with proposal (EOI/RFP) and concept note writing

Key Competencies / Attributes :

- Takes initiative to lead and manage multiple tasks and propose solutions with minimal supervision

- Strong MS Office skills (Word, PPT and Excel)

- Conversant with statistical software packages for quantitative analysis (Stata or R) and/or qualitative analysis (NVivo or ATLAS.ti)

- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

- Ability to visualize and fit the team's research into the current policy context and plan future studies based on contemporary policy level gaps

- Motivated to travel for work to various places in India

- Highly self-motivated, driven, resourceful to meet the highest standards of output while adhering to the timelines.

- Strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to interact with a wide range of individuals ranging from government officials, donors, think tanks, private sector players, NGOs, etc.

- Strong writing skills, including competency in churning out quick pieces out of existing research

- Ability to work in a multicultural environment