ASER Centre, Pratham Education Foundation
ASER Centre (www.asercentre.org) is the research wing of Pratham Education Foundation (www.pratham.org), which seeks to use simple yet rigorous methods to generate evidence on scale on the outcomes of social sector programs. It also aims to strengthen the link between evidence and action by building the capacity of individuals and institutions to design, conduct and understand assessments that focus on key outcome indicators. ASER Centre’s flagship program is the Annual Status of Education Report, which is one of the largest household surveys of children in India.
Job Title: Senior Research Associate
Reports to: Senior Project Lead
Unit: Research Unit
Renumeration - 9 LPA to 12 LPA
Overview
In addition to the ASER Survey, ASER Centre undertakes various research and evaluation projects. The Senior Research Associate will work on the projects undertaken by the Research Unit at ASER Centre. The Associate will be responsible for the design, planning and implementation of these research studies in different locations across India.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities for this role are as follows:
Primary tasks:
- Conduct literature reviews for ongoing research projects or education-related policy areas.
- Conceptualize research design in alignment with the overall structure and objectives of the research project.
- Design questionnaires and other tools through secondary research and piloting.
- Design training material – both print and audio-visual.
- Translate training materials in Hindi and/or regional languages (as applicable).
- Coordinate with a larger team of researchers and field staff from ASER Centre/Pratham.
- Undertake logistical and administrative tasks for ongoing research projects.
- Travel extensively for fieldwork.
- Compile, analyse and interpret data for the report.
- Prepare, proofread and edit report content.
Additional tasks:
- Contribute to work undertaken by other Units as needed
- Produce/contribute to written content like articles, blogs, research papers, etc.
Required qualifications and skills
This role is for candidates who are interested in primary research. We are looking for candidates who are open and willing to learn, can take ownership and work under minimum supervision. A minimum 2-year commitment from the candidate is required.
Qualifications:
Minimum graduate, preferred degree in Education, Sociology, Public Policy, or other relevant social science disciplines. Post graduate degree will be an added advantage.
Work experience: Candidates must have at least 3 years of demonstrable experience in designing and conducting primary research and data collection.
Skills:
- Proficient in deriving insights from data.
- Candidates must be proficient in M.S. Office (Excel, Word, Power point).
- Knowledge of data software packages (eg Stata) is mandatory.
- Proficient in written and spoken English and Hindi is mandatory. Fluency in other regional languages will be an added advantage.
- Able to multi-task, handle work pressure and deliver under tight schedules.
- Able to work well in teams and in diverse, multicultural contexts.
- Comfortable working in a fast-changing work environment; comfortable and open to extensive field travel, often at short notice.
- Familiar with rural contexts.
- Open to working in a rural setting with basic facilities.
Application Process
- Candidates should also submit a written sample (not exceeding 1000words) on any topic along with the cover letter.
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial interview. Successful candidates from the screening stage will be further required to complete an assignment and attend a final interview. The expected timeline to hear back on the application for the first round of screening will be 5-7 days. The entire process is expected to last a month.
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Serious candidates are encouraged to apply at the earliest.
