Precision Agriculture for Development
Ahmedabad
Social Services
Title: Research and Operations Manager (India)
Location and work authorisation: Ahmedabad, India, with current and ongoing work authorisation (temporarily work-from-home due to the current COVID-19 pandemic)
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Position: Full-time; option of flexible working
Posted on: January 12, 2022
Application deadline: January 27, 2022: 5pm IST (applications may be reviewed as they are submitted)
PxD is looking for a driven, creative and independent person to join a high-performing flexible team as Research and Operations Manager (India). The successful candidate will support research, operations, and the scaling of operations in India by leading activities in collaboration with state governments, private/social enterprises, researchers and other key partner organizations. You will work closely with relevant Program Leads, PxD’s Chief Economist and Director of Research, Research Affiliates, and the India Country Director.
This is an exciting opportunity for a creative, driven, and independent person to have a significant impact on PxD’s future development, as part of a friendly, high/performing and non-hierarchical team. The successful candidate will have the opportunities to work at the intersection of implementation, strategy, and research.
The position will require some travel to project sites (subject to COVID-19 measures, as needed).
Responsibilities (including but not limited to):
- Supervise the implementation of one or more programs, including the development of work plans, tracking progress, designing and launching new pilots and services to farmers, implementing M&E activities and improvements to existing systems, managing focus group discussions and other data collection activities, and writing reports.
- Support the expansion of existing programs and the realization of new opportunities, including design and execution of scoping activities and proposal development.
- Supervise from start to finish the implementation of research projects in collaboration with our partners, including the development of research design and proposals, managing data collection and overseeing data cleaning.
- Work closely with PxD researchers and our partner organizations to identify, develop, and launch new research projects.
- Directly supervise project staff (Research Associates, Project Associates, Field Staff, Interns), and lead training and onboarding of new/incoming project staff.
- Keep track of project budgets and the financial health of individual projects and collaborate with the finance team to provide inputs for accurate budgeting, and cash flow calculations.
- Guide program teams on the use of evidence-based approach to research at PxD and contribute to developing processes to maintain the quality and rigor of research.
- Contribute to general management tasks important for the organization’s functioning and success – including but not limited to budgeting, hiring, and strategic planning.
- Assist in managing partner relations and working with external stakeholders for implementation of field operations.
The ideal candidate has many or all of the following:
- Master’s degree in economics, public policy/administration or a related field. Rigorous coursework in economics is highly preferable (we may consider exceptional candidates without a Master’s degree who have extensive experience in experimental research in developing countries);
- Strong experience in a multi-faceted role dealing with multiple projects and stakeholders; managerial experience preferred.
- Experience with fieldwork and/or primary data collection including managing surveys and focus group discussions.
- Adept at consuming large amounts of academic and scientific literature as well as other technical information, synthesizing key findings, and applying takeaways to program and research design.
- Self-starter, ability to handle multiple projects/tasks and meet deadlines.
- Strong writing and oral communication skills in English, with attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills. Fluency in Hindi/Gujarati is a plus.
- Strong technical understanding of economics and causal inference.
- Willingness to travel to project sites in India (subject to COVID-19 measures)
- Proficiency in using Stata is required, Python, R, or other data analysis software a plus.
- Experience managing partnerships with government entities, donors, and NGOs.
How to apply:
To apply, please visit the PxD website and use the online application form to submit a CV, cover letter, and brief responses to the screening questions. The job position will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the application deadline of January 27, 2022: 5pm IST.
PxD is committed to building an inclusive and diverse organisation. We don’t make decisions based on gender, gender identity, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics that are unrelated to the role. We understand that everyone has different lifestyles and we accommodate flexible working to make sure you are as productive and happy as you can be.
We will use any personal data you provide for recruitment purposes only.
About PxD:
Precision Development (PxD) is a global non-profit organization that harnesses technology, data science, and behavioral economics to empower people living in poverty to improve their lives. By providing actionable information to the right people, in the right way and at the right time, PxD empowers people to improve their livelihoods, mitigate risks, advance environmental sustainability, and adapt to a changing climate. A majority of PxDs services deliver customized digital agricultural advice to smallholder farmers via their mobile phones. This pioneering model of agricultural extension is implemented in collaboration with partner organizations to maximize scale, and we continuously experiment, iterate, and gather evidence on impact to improve service delivery and demonstrate our value. PxD currently works in eleven countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and is rapidly expanding as governments and organizations look for innovative ways to utilize new technologies to deliver actionable information to people who need it. At the end of Q2 2021, PxD and our partners were servicing 5.3 million users through a range of initiatives providing tailored digital information on crop optimization, pest management, input utilization, and environmental stewardship. PxD also leverages mobile technology to deliver information in sectors beyond agriculture, including to facilitate math education in Kenya, improving household nutrition, increasing the adoption of crop insurance and other financial services, and other interventions that advance well-being.
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