Job Opportunity for (Sr) Research Manager at Trayas in New Delhi

Who We Are

Trayas is a knowledge-driven public purpose enterprise. We collaborate and co-create reform agenda with state governments to pursue freedom-oriented and prosperity-driven policy reforms.

We work with several State Governments to reduce rigidity in labour regulations through new labour rules at the state level, increase in flexibility of building and construction standards and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunities for women. We are recipients of the 2021 Emerging Ventures Award of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and part of The Convergence Foundation, Atlas Network, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship and Azim Premji University networks.

Who Are We Looking For

The incoming (Senior) Research Manager will hold point on Trayas’ large research projects and help develop Trayas’ research pipeline. S/he will provide intellectual leadership on the what and how of these research projects and lead the team on execution. For example, for our women’s right to choose work research programme, the incoming (Senior) Research Manager will analyse literature, understand (and perhaps develop new) research questions, work under the guidance of academics and researchers outside Trayas, develop research methods to answer the questions, and then of course produce working papers or other outputs like opinion/data articles and blogs.

At Trayas, our commitment to clients and partners is a careful, considered work product, every time. The position requires an ability to cultivate collaborative working relationships with clients and partners, a keen understanding of public policy issues, research project management skills, and sound knowledge of India’s political and administrative system and federal structure. The incoming (Senior) Research Manager will also need to be a strong writer and communicator to ensure that our work products are clean, error-free, and useful to our clients and partners in making policy decisions.

Our commitment to the team is a deeply collaborative and high-learning environment, characterised by mutual enrichment not crude competition. The position therefore, also requires the ability to groom, manage, and upskill young analysts in the organisation. It also requires a growth mindset and a willingness to build the organisation’s ways of working.

Our team culture prizes openness to ideas and dialogue, antifragility, honesty, drive for self improvement, adaptiveness, will to lead change, and pragmatic perfectionism. At Trayas, curiosity about the world, relentless pursuit of knowledge, and ability to relay with others, are necessary for success.

Your work history and education

• MA/MSc/MPhil Economics/Statistics/Political Economy/Public Policy
• At least five years of research experience from a think tank, law firm, government body or consulting firm; if to be considered for senior manager role, at least seven years of experience
• At least two of these years should be in a research manager role
• Advanced analytical and quantitative skills.
• Published/unpublished academic research (academic papers, reports, blogs in own name)
• Past experience with at least two of the following:
• Working with large datasets (e.g. NSSO, CMIE’s household or firm data)
• Working with government administrative data, including data sourced from gazettes
• Regulatory research: analysis and study of laws, rules, government orders, circulars, notifications
• Demonstrated proficiency in high-quality succinct error-free writing in English
• Proven track record as validated by references of collaborative work and working with cloud technologies.

What Will You Be Doing

• Research project execution, communication, and quality control
• Manage Trayas’ research projects and work plans in conjunction with the Director, Research / Co-founder, project team, and peer reviewers
• Supervise and develop the team, manage research process and ensure timely delivery of work products
• Conceptualise and author / co-author research outputs, including working papers
• Write, review, and edit research outputs, and build a practice of writing in external publications
• Ensure rigour, excellence, novelty, and simplicity in our research outputs
• Develop and maintain effective systems to track progress, and analyse and report progress on projects internally and externally
• Liaise with the development team to ensure timely, creative, and effective dissemination of research outputs
• Work with Trayas’ leadership to identify, conceptualise and drive new research opportunities aligned with Trayas’ founding principles and vision
• Develop concept notes, write technical research proposals, and participate in client/partner pitches.

External relations

• Take a leadership role and serve as a knowledge resource for clients and partners
• Lead reporting to stakeholders on research project progress and milestones
• Present research products at conferences, roundtables, and digital platforms
• Represent Trayas in external platforms and grow the network of collaborators.

Organisation growth and development

• Assess and recruit new hires for research and mentor and improve capabilities of the team
• Ensure effective use of project funds and participate in organisation-wide budget planning and resource mobilisation
• Contribute to Trayas’ short-term and long-term strategic plans.

What Competencies Do We Want

Analytical skills

• Analyses and clearly documents data to identify patterns, draw comparisons, and draw conclusions
• Has training and high degree of competency in research methods, and statistical techniques
• Effectively reviews work of analysts to probe for data discrepancies, logical inconsistencies or suggest alternatives approaches to analysis
• Identifies opportunities to visualise data and present analysis creatively for impact.

Writing and presentation skills

• Can organise, express, and communicate ideas in a clear, succinct, and convincing manner in a variety of communication settings and styles
• Is able to write cleanly and powerfully in English
• Improves work products, fact sheets and other written materials developed by research team
• Can present effectively in a variety of settings: one-on-one and small and large groups, and to colleagues, peers, experts, and media.

Team management and mentoring

• Builds meaningful partnerships with analysts, interns and other staff
• Nurtures relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds, value systems, needs and skills
• Assists, supports, and encourages others in identifying difficulties, prioritising tasks, defining goals and producing positive results
• Shares expertise and provides informal advice and developmental feedback.

Strategic leadership and operational savvy

• Understands Trayas’ philosophy and demonstrates ability to lead the team toward the project goal
• Understands the political/administrative environment, management priorities, staff roles and responsibilities and grasps external factors impacting the organisation
• Perceives external sensitivities and acts accordingly
• Anticipates trending issues and potential opportunities and consequences accurately.

Interpersonal communications

• Actively listens to seek clarification and understanding and is open to considering other viewpoints
• Uses diplomacy and tact
• Can be counted on to hold things together during tough times.
• Priority setting and problem solving
• Spends time on what’s important and eliminates roadblocks and creates focus
• Probes all sources for answers, looks beyond the obvious.

Relationship building and collaboration

• Works cooperatively with others, inside and outside the organisation, to accomplish objectives to build and maintain partnerships, leverage information, and achieve results
• Identifies, organises, facilitates and /or sustains mutually beneficial partnerships and alliances with internal and external stakeholders.

How to apply

Job Title: (Senior) Research Manager, Trayas Foundation

Location : We are headquartered in New Delhi.

Compensation: Compensation will be commensurate with experience and skills. We also are open to flexi-working (roles, portfolios, location, etc), autonomy, and opportunities to venture into new work areas.

Application: Candidates who are qualified should apply using the quick apply option.

Interview and offer process

The process is likely to involve the following stages:

• A conversation with two members from the team
• A presentation before the team and advisors/fellows on a given research question
• A conversation with the co-founders
• An offer conversation with the co-founders including debrief on the interviews, areas of development and focus, and discussions on salary, benefits, and terms of employment.

Application Deadline

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, until the position is closed.