Job Opportunity for Research Manager at Poverty Action Lab in Delhi/Bengaluru

Good Business Lab is an independent, non-profit labor innovation company. We use rigorous academic research to prove that worker wellbeing programs have business impacts. We develop market-ready, scalable products capable of providing dual benefits to workers and businesses. Our goal is to disrupt the traditional notion of business and show that worker wellbeing can be a part of core business strategy, or in other words, a good business practice.

The founders of the lab are Ach Adhvaryu – assistant professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan (www.achadhvaryu.com/), Anant Ahuja – head of Organization Development at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. and Anant Nyshadham – also an assistant professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan (www.anantnyshadham.com/).

Overview 

Projects include but not limited to looking at the migration experience and mental health of workers and how this is affected by pairing them with experienced workers from their region (through a novel ‘buddy system’), how soft skills training can help managers, and unlocking female labor by overcoming mobility barriers

To ensure the smooth implementation of all projects, we are looking for a Research Manager, details of which are given below.

Location: Delhi/Bangalore

Length of Commitment: at least one year

Start Date: ASAP (applications accepted on a rolling basis)

Remuneration: 13-20 lacs p.a

Who are you?

Ideally you have: 

• Masters degree in Economics/Publics policy/Development (or Bachelors degree with 4+ years of relevant work experience).
• Ability to work in a team, manage multiple projects on the ground and be self-motivated.
• Experience in managing Randomized Controlled Trials required.
• Extensive experience conducting social science or economic field research (supervising data collection, teams of field workers, survey design and implementation, financial reporting, and data management)
• Knowledge of Stata (or any other statistical tool) is required.
• Strong quantitative, analytical and financial management skills required

What will you do? 

Research Managers at GBL work closely with academic researchers, the research implementation team, data manager and other staff to help implement various projects. They typically manage up to 2-3 projects and mentor 3-5 Research Associates.

Primary Responsibilities (60-70% of the time):

• Mentor Research Associates and other staff
• Set priorities for projects in consultation with researchers
• Maintain clear communication between researchers and GBL staff and clarify expectations
• Anticipate challenges to research projects and work with researchers to address them
• Identify and mitigate risks to research projects
• Ensure that the project has sufficient material and human resources
• Ensure that projects follow GBL standards and protocols in consultation with Data and Field teams
• Ensure alignment between the research team and implementation partners
• Assist with the responsibilities of Research Associates (for example data cleaning, survey planning, surveyor hiring) as required

Primary Responsibilities (30-40% of the time):

• Assist with screening and hiring Research Associates
• Prepare reports for funding agencies
• Lead training session of Research Associates and other staff
• Help improve the procedures, policies, and culture of GBL
• Oversee administrative needs of the Medellín office
• Represent GBL at meetings with external stakeholders (by delivering presentations, for example)
• Contribute to GBL’s communications (blogs and articles) as requested
• Ensure compliance with Institutional Review Boards

What should you be comfortable with?

• A dynamic environment with competing priorities
• Working in a team with shared responsibilities
• Independently coordinating with coworkers to accomplish goals
• Being resourceful in new environments and scenarios
• Problem-solve in hi-pressure environments

Perks of working with us:

There are plenty of benefits at GBL, here are some examples:

• Flexible leave policy: Time away from work can be extremely helpful for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. GBL encourages managers and leadership to set the example by taking time off when needed and ensuring their team members do the same. We don’t have a strict limit on paid leaves, only suggested ( extremely liberal) averages.
• Flexible working hours: We recognize that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance, productivity, and reduce stress. The basis of our norms pertaining to this is a system of trust in each other and our common goals
• Training and Development: GBL team members can set aside 10% of their work time / around 4 hours a week to improve their skills/knowledge on a subject that they think will help them perform their job better. There is a separate budget set out for this. We encourage all employees to focus both on technical and soft skills. We also facilitate employee mentorship programs.
• GBL Care Systems: As an organization, we are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our team members and creating a thriving work environment- because that gives us, together, the best chance at achieving our shared mission and sparking joy at work. We do this by partnering with organizations such The Mindclan, Therapize among others for workshops and other wellbeing-related initiatives.
• Growth-oriented review policy: To foster collaboration, we have adopted regular reviews and check-ins among team members. We see a manager’s role beyond what is expected from them by conventional management thinkers. Apart from delivering high-quality work, managers are responsible for the holistic development of their team members. This can be achieved through practices inspired by coaching philosophy.

Additional benefits:

• Wellbeing budget: This includes an individual budget for each team member that they can claim reimbursement for things such as therapy, any physical-health related activity and home office setup. Additionally, there’s a separate budget for Managers for care packages or any other team activities. There’s also a budget for our People Operations team to organize team-wide activities or provide mental health services in collaboration with organizations like Therapize and Mindclan