Precision Agriculture for Development

Title: Research Associate (India)

Location and work authorization: Ahmedabad, India, with current and ongoing work authorisation

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Position: Full-time

Posted on: June 16, 2022

Application deadline: July 7, 2022, 5pm IST (applications may be reviewed as they are submitted)

 

PxD is looking for a driven, creative and independent person to join a high-performing, flexible and non-hierarchical team as Research Associate (India). The successful candidate will have opportunities to work closely with PxD and affiliated researchers and substantially contribute to PxD's research programs that test new ideas and measure their impacts. The successful candidate must have a strong interest in and commitment to PxD's mission to leverage technology to improve the lives of the poor at scale.

Responsibilities (including but not limited to): 

 

• Work with PxD Research Managers and affiliated Researchers to support implementation of a wide range of research projects across geographies, including randomized controlled trials.
• Support execution of quantitative and qualitative research activities on the ground, including surveys and focus group discussions.
• Conduct literature reviews and other desk research.
• Clean project data sets and prepare them for analysis; assist in conducting data analysis.
• Assist in partner relations and working with external stakeholders for implementation of field operations.
• Support development and submission of IRB protocols, renewals, and amendments.
• Develop and update project documentation regularly.
• Contribute to project reports and research grant proposals.
• Contribute to internal and external communications to disseminate research findings including briefs, blogs, reports, and presentations.
• Support PxD institutional knowledge management and internal learning efforts.

 

Qualification and experience in the following domains are important: 

 

• A professional degree in economics, agricultural economics, public policy, statistics, or a closely related field.
• Strong understanding of economics, econometrics, and familiarity with randomized evaluations.
• Excellent knowledge of Stata or R or similar software for data analysis.
• Experience working on field research in economics in developing countries.
• Experience in using ODK, SurveyCTO or a similar program for survey design.
• Understanding of research ethics for human subjects in the social sciences.
• Excellent organizational skills, detail-oriented, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Fluency in English. Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills. Knowledge of any Indian language is a plus. 
• Ability to work under time pressure and solve problems creatively.
• Willingness to travel to project sites and conduct field work (when the Covid-19 pandemic allows).

 

To apply, please visit the PxD website and use the online application form to submit a CV, cover letter, and brief responses to the screening questions. The job position may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the application deadline of July 7, 2022: 5pm IST.

PxD is committed to building an inclusive and diverse organization. We don’t make decisions based on gender, gender identity, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics that are unrelated to the role. We understand that everyone has different lifestyles, and we accommodate flexible working to make sure you are as productive and happy as you can be. 

We will use any personal data you provide for recruitment purposes only.

 

About PxD:

 

Precision Development (PxD) is a global non-profit organization that harnesses technology, data science, and behavioral economics to empower people living in poverty to improve their lives. By providing actionable information to the right people, in the right way and at the right time, PxD empowers people to improve their livelihoods, mitigate risks, advance environmental sustainability, and adapt to a changing climate. A majority of PxDs services deliver customized digital agricultural advice to smallholder farmers via their mobile phones. This pioneering model of agricultural extension is implemented in collaboration with partner organizations to maximize scale, and we continuously experiment, iterate, and gather evidence on impact to improve service delivery and demonstrate our value. PxD currently works in eleven countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and is rapidly expanding as governments and organizations look for innovative ways to utilize new technologies to deliver actionable information to people who need it. At the end of 2021, PxD and our partners were servicing 5.7 million users through a range of initiatives providing tailored digital information on crop optimization, pest management, input utilization, and environmental stewardship. PxD also leverages mobile technology to deliver information in sectors beyond agriculture, including to facilitate math education in Kenya, improving household nutrition, increasing the adoption of crop insurance and other financial services, and other interventions that advance well-being.

 

PxD’s activities in India are implemented in partnership with Behaviour Change Advisory Services (BCAS) LLP