Assistant Manager / Manager / Senior Manager, Research

Key Objectives of the Job

•To provide methodological, research and evidence-based support to Arpan's Research and Programme evaluation design, implementation, analysis, reporting, and dissemination

Major Deliverables

• Lead and manage assigned internal and external research projects and evaluation independently

• Design and pilot quantitative, qualitative and mixed method surveys in collaboration with other teams.

• Conduct advanced data analysis using statistical software packages of programme and research data to inform programme design, implementation and strategy.

• Engage with external research agencies to ensure conduct of quality research and follow ethical protocols.

• Perform data quality checks for internal and external research projects.

• Write high quality reports and review internal and external stakeholders’ reports.

• Conduct literature reviews and keep abreast of findings from relevant research.

• Ensure preparation, maintenance and updation of Arpan's research knowledge databases.

• Undertake other administrative duties related to research projects, such as participating in internal meetings, arranging and coordinating dissemination of research reports, and maintaining research documents.

• Develop and support research and evaluation strategies of programmes as per the organization’s calendar of activities.

Job Challenge

• Managing both internal and external research projects simultaneously while ensuring quality and timeliness can be challenging.

• Ensuring accuracy and reliability of data from multiple sources, especially when working with external agencies or large-scale surveys.

• Conducting advanced data analysis and deriving meaningful insights, particularly when dealing with complex datasets.

• Ensuring external research partners adhere to high-quality standards, timelines, and ethical protocols.

• Coordinating with programme, communications, and M&E teams to align research with organizational goals while managing differing expectations.

• Maintaining ethical research standards, obtaining necessary approvals, and ensuring compliance with protocols, especially in sensitive topics like child protection.

Specialised job competencies

• Demonstrated experience on quantitative methodologies and data analysis using statistical tools (SPSS, STATA, R, NVivo, Survey CTO etc.) is a must.

• Experience in experimental / quasi-experimental research studies (e.g. RCT, RDD, PSM designs) would be an advantage.

• Hands-on experience of overseeing primary data collection, ensuring ethical considerations and child protection protocols.

• Ability to communicate technical topics to internal and external audiences in clear, simple and compelling manner - both verbally and in writing.

• Interpret research findings to inform program strategies, training modules, and government partnership, fundraising efforts.

• Team and Project Management Skills

Educational Qualification

• Masters' degree in any developmental, statistical, population studies, with graduate-level coursework on statistics, econometrics, impact evaluation, and economic development.

Desired Experience

• Minimum 4 to 5 years of experience in quantitative research in development sector.

• Prefer candidates with exposure to child protection, child sexual abuse and/or similar areas of work.

Other desired attributes

• Experience conducting literature searches (e.g. through Google Scholar alerts, research circulars, etc) and summarizing complex academic papers and non-academic reports into key findings/talking points in straightforward, non-technical language.

• Predict and oversee risks and deliver on time and to budget.

• Strong power point presentation skills is a requisite.

Location - Mumbai

Salary range - As per market standards