Job Opportunity for Research Associate at J-PAL in Hyderabad

**Job Description: Research Associate – Incentivizing Sustainable Paddy Cultivation – J-PAL South Asia**

**Position:** Research Associate  

**Location:** Hyderabad, Telangana, India  

**Start Date:** April 1, 2025 (Flexible)  

**Duration:** Five months (extendable based on fundraising)  

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### **About the Company:**

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center dedicated to reducing poverty by ensuring that policy decisions are informed by scientific evidence. J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to address critical questions in the fight against poverty, working with over 1,000 researchers worldwide. The South Asia office is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India.

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### **Project Overview:**

This project focuses on incentivizing sustainable paddy cultivation practices in Telangana, India. Flooding fields for paddy cultivation is water-intensive and contributes to methane emissions, exacerbating climate change. The initiative aims to promote water-efficient methods like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) through satellite imagery monitoring and direct benefit transfers (DBT). The RA will oversee the implementation of this evaluation.

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### **Key Responsibilities:**

– Oversee the implementation of the research design, including survey questionnaires and data collection.

– Manage field teams, recruiting, training, and supervising staff for data collection and analysis.

– Ensure data quality and productivity, maintaining relationships with government partners and satellite imagery providers.

– Assist with data cleaning, preliminary analysis, and preparing reports/presentations.

– Report to Principal Investigators on project progress.

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### **Qualifications:**

**Required:**  

– Bachelor’s degree in Economics or Engineering.  

– At least 1 year of work experience.  

– Familiarity with impact evaluations and randomized controlled trials.  

– Strong quantitative, organizational, and communication skills.  

– Fluency in English and spoken Telugu.  

– Intermediate knowledge of STATA or other data analysis tools.  

**Desired:**  

– Master’s degree in Economics, Engineering, or a related field.  

– Experience working with government partners or in developing countries.  

– Proficiency in additional data analysis tools (e.g., R, SPSS).  

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### **Notes:**

– Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.  

– This position requires willingness to live and travel extensively within Telangana.  

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