Job Opportunity for Research Associate at Care India in Hyderabad

POSITION/DESIGNATION

Research Associate

GRADE/LEVEL

E

PROJECT/UNIT

Design Centre

REPORTS TO

Manager – Design Centre

LOCATION

Hyderabad, Telangana

TRAVEL

Willingness to travel when required on work

ABOUT US

More than seven decades ago, CARE was established by 22 charities to send CARE Packages of food, clothing, medicine, and other relief supplies to the survivors of World War II in Europe and Asia after the war. 

Around the same time, a newly independent nation, the Republic of India, took its first steps towards self-government. The paths of this new relief organisation and the new nation intertwined, forging a deep history in which each has played a role in the evolution of the other. 

Over the past seven decades, CARE has contributed, in few parts, to India’s impressive progress on social and economic fronts. And, in turn, much of CARE’s programming around the world has its origin from its achievements in India. 

CARE India is a not-for-profit organisation that builds capacity of communities to ensure empowerment for marginalised women and girls. Our sustainable and holistic interventions in Health, Livelihood, Education and Disaster Relief & Resilience, provide innovative solutions to deep-rooted development problems. We currently operate across 19 states across the country. Along with access to the international confederation of expertise, we integrate internal knowledge and strong network of partnerships to deliver outcomes at scale to varied stakeholders.

CARE continues efforts towards poverty alleviation with focus on women and girls. We hope to impact 100 million people by 2030.

PROJECT DETAILS

The Design Centre aims to design breakthrough innovations leveraging CARE’s existing programs in health, education, livelihood, and humanitarian assistance, validate them through CARE’s global network, and productize validated solutions for global deployment through CARE International member partners.

Design Centre is set up within The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, with an enabling environment and ecosystem for design thinking, yet working closely with program verticals. 

The Design Center will closely work with IIIT-Hyderabad and the Innovation ecosystem to integrate problem areas identified by CARE India, incubate them in the center to get solved and productized into advanced technology & non-technology-based innovations that will be implemented and scaled across domestic and international geographies.

JOB SUMMARY

The Research Associate will be positioned in Design Center and will work closely with the Design and Innovation team at Design Center. S/he will largely be conducting research on problem areas undertaken by the Design and Innovation teams. 

We are looking for passionate and analytical individuals with strong research skills to join our Design Centre team. S/he will guide and inspire teams into uncovering meaningful human-centered insights that drive breakthrough innovations.

You will be part of the Design Thinking team through a journey of human-centered problem-solving approach; design thinking to ideate, incubate and implement innovative solutions.

We are open to candidates from fields such as Social Science, Development Studies, Behavioral Science, Public Policy/Advocacy, as long as you demonstrate the following:

• Strong analytical skills
• Deep experience using investigative research to uncover human realities
• Development perspective, with an ability to think strategically
• Curiosity and a passion for telling compelling human stories

What does the role offer to you?

 CARE India’s Design center is a place where you can solve complex and diverse problems from the ground alongside thoughtful, large, and experienced stakeholders such as IIIT-Hyderabad, and various vertical teams of CARE India. 

In this role, you will get exposure to and/or be involved in all parts of the design thinking process: Integrating the problem areas into the center, Incubating and productizing them, prototyping and delivering it for implementation and scale. 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support diverse efforts related to the Design Center’s research agenda. Tasks may include refining research strategies, gathering qualitative and quantitative data (eg. via literature searches, literature reviews, interview participation, etc.), coding and cleaning data sources, identifying themes, summarizing findings, constructing surveys, preparing preliminary analyses.
• Documentation and communication of qualitative on-ground learnings and sharing insights with the team.
• Assist the Design and Innovation teams in planning and delivery of monthly review meetings, including documentation and data provision for the same. 
• Identify and research emerging innovations in Health, Education and Livelihood sectors. 
• Work with diverse team members from technology/sociology/anthropology/design backgrounds on design thinking  
• Make research findings relevant and impactful for design process through a variety of formats such as insights, decks, stories, videos, experiences, and exhibits. 

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE,  SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

•  A post-graduate from a reputed institute with proven track record in social sector assignments.
• At least 1-3 years of relevant work experience in mixed research and development sector
• Be willing to travel to project sites. 
• Understands qualitative and quantitative research.
• Strong presentation skills with a compelling and creative storytelling skills.
• Comfortable working in an environment with high levels of uncertainty and autonomy. 
• Ability to complete tasks meticulously with speed and accuracy, while organizing time and resources efficiently. 
• A multicultural individual who can go to the field and empathize with the problem, interact with community and derive key insights along with the design and program teams.
• Results driven; strong analytical skills with extraordinary verbal and written communication skills 
• Ability to proactively identify and initiate opportunities for contribution, decision-making, and improvement at the appropriate level.