Job Opportunity for Research Associate at PYLP in Multiple Locations in Punjab

About the program:

Punjab Youth Leaders Program (PYLP) is a two-year full-time leadership development program that brings together individuals who have shown exceptional leadership potential. During these two years, the PYLP Young Leaders work towards bringing systemic improvements in the functioning of government schools in Punjab. In the process, they get an opportunity to grow by building their own leadership competencies. The aim of the program is to create and nurture a strong community of future leaders who will have the required understanding, competencies, and resources to initiate systemic change in Punjab.

PYLP is the flagship initiative of Sanjhi Sikhiya, which is a collective of passionate individuals committed to transforming Punjab into a land of Hope, Courage, and Possibilities. We aim to strengthen the governance of primary schools at the local level and improve the teaching-learning process in the classrooms. We do this by strengthening institutions like School Management Committees (SMC) and Panchayat, forming professional learning communities of teachers, and building the capability of system leaders.

About the Role:

The role of Research Associate is aimed towards building a research-driven and evidence-based culture at PYLP. You will work with the team to understand the challenges, identify priorities and accordingly design the tools which help them think and work programmatically. You need to have a keen eye for detail and the ability to rise up and focus on the larger landscape.

The current context gives us unprecedented opportunities to redefine the public education system. Our 5-year long partnership with the education department places us well to design and launch programs at scale. This opportunity provides anyone interested in systems change, education, and youth development; a great platform to be a part of the change process and experience impact at a massive scale.

You will be expected to focus deeply on high-quality research to create knowledge for the ecosystem and to keep PYLP’s functioning up to date with data-backed decisions. This role is most suited for individuals with a strong research orientation and a knack for data and writing.

Role and Responsibilities:

If you are self-motivated, have a can-do attitude, possess an unwavering belief that meaningful collaboration and co- creation can enable sustainable change and that a good design is key to a scalable program, this is the perfect role for you.

As the Research Associate, you would –

● Work closely with the district teams to understand the ground-level challenges and develop need based tools

● Study and implement effective MnE tools for the programs

● Execute the knowledge management processes of creating, structuring, storing, and sharing knowledge

● Create spaces for the rest of the team to capture their learnings and share them with the ecosystem

● Create content and learning materials for sessions with teachers/stakeholders

● Capture, analyze and then publish impact reports

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years of work experience in a research/program design/MnE role

• Prior experience in doing primary or secondary research

• Prior experience in leading design efforts for adult education in general and teacher development, in particular

• Knowledge of Punjabi (Read and Write) is preferred

Values, Competencies, and Skills:

● Strong alignment to work towards ensuring quality education for all

● Strong ability to nurture and strengthen relationships at all levels

● Ability to create enabling structures

● Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills

● Eagerness to continuously learn, research, and innovate

● Ability to handle ambiguity and complexity with ease

● Self-driven, capable of managing one’s self and time.

● Ability to think critically and analytically

● Ability to plan and prioritize work, based on need

● Strong project management skills including assessing progress in goals, making necessary course corrections and/or reinforcements

Location: Fatehgarh Sahib/Patiala/Ropar/Mohali, Punjab

Preferred Date of Joining: Immediate

Duration: Min. 3 years commitment

CTC: 3.5-5 LPA (commensurate with skill and experience)

How to Apply?

Upload your cover letter and updated CV in a single PDF. Save the file like this: FirstName_LastName. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis. The sooner you apply, the better.

You can send in your queries here: teampylp1@gmail.com