Associate/Senior Associate, India (Shillong)

Associate/Senior Associate, India (Shillong)

Location: Shillong, Meghalaya, India

About the Associate/ Senior Associate Position

Associates/Senior Associates at IDinsight are high-performing early-career professionals passionate about experiencing the front-line realities of evidence-informed decision-making. These roles provide a rich, varied experience with responsibilities ranging from in-depth research and analysis, data collection management, client interactions, and internal team building. We seek intellectually curious, resilient, and team-oriented individuals who, in addition to developing professional and technical skills, are highly motivated to grapple with the difficulties and unpredictability of trying to improve lives at scale.

We are looking for an Associate/Senior Associate with a proven track record of working with Indian governments. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in public policy, governance reforms, and stakeholder relationship management. In addition, the ideal candidate will have sectoral expertise in health, nutrition or rural development. This role requires the candidate to be based in Shillong, Meghalaya as they will engage extensively with government stakeholders in an embedded manner.

The individual will support a project to help government organisations implement a goal-oriented HR management (GOHRM) approach in priority areas of health, nutrition and rural development. This approach is expected to enable the organisation to link its goals with individual capacity and performance, bringing observability to what each individual needs to do and is able to do. Thus, decision-makers at different levels will be able to effectively identify problems in service delivery and provide targeted support to improve capacity and performance. More information about this approach is documented here. Given the nature of the GO-HRM initiative, experience in workforce planning, HR process strengthening or performance management in government settings will be a strong advantage. Familiarity with the Meghalaya’s administrative context and on ground delivery systems will be desirable

Key Responsibilities:

Managing project team workflow, systems, and deliverables

• Driving the day-to-day execution of the GO-HRM project in Meghalaya, according to project plans and leading internal coordination efforts for their team; big picture thinking about the project, our impact and higher-level implications of our work
• Support in the implementation of key GO-HRM activities such as understanding what officials do in their day-to-day roles, assessing their capacity and training needs, helping develop digital data systems and coordinating consultations with departments
• Update project teams regularly on project progress, key outcomes, and insights to ensure alignment with project priorities
• Creating client deliverables, including reports, slide decks, and oral presentations that clearly communicates GO-HRM findings and recommendations
• Use a broad set of data and evidence tools to identify gaps, bottlenecks and support decision making for government partners
• Developing strategic communications to build awareness of the GO-HRM approach and IDinsight projects and learnings, contribute to sectoral knowledge, and shift the sector towards more evidence-informed policy and practices

Client relationships

• Work closely with government of Meghalaya officials every day in an embedded manner to support the roll-out of GO-HRM across departments
• Preparing talking points and presentations for government meetings related to GO-HRM
• Serve as an important team contact for government officials, building and maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with nodal officers, departmental leaders and field functionaries
• Coordinate with multiple government departments to ensure smooth implementation and cross-departmental alignment

Organisation building

• Developing, piloting, and implementing internal systems or other organisational contributions (e.g., event management) for IDinsight, in coordination with functional teams such as Operations, Communications, Finance, etc.
• Contributing to office life and culture building in Shillong. This can include facilitating All Hands Meetings; leading team building efforts at team retreats; participating in and organizing Social Cultural Committee events.
• Support organisational knowledge-building by documenting GO-HRM learnings, tools, and implementation processes.

The role is not a typical “9-5” job and can require early mornings and late nights to accommodate client requirements, the time zone differences of a dispersed team, and busy periods within project workflows. IDinsight encourages balance with flexible work hours and wellness benefits, including comprehensive mental health care support and organisation-wide wellness days off. Many find this balance to yield rich professional and personal rewards and, therefore, progress to more senior roles with IDinsight.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of relevant work experience, including working with Indian government departments
• Ability to navigate complex government structures and build trusted relationships with government officials
• Sectoral experience in health, nutrition, and rural development
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across multiple departments or government programmes
• Experience or strong interest in public sector HR processes, workforce planning, or performance management
• Strong writing skills with the ability to translate technical jargon into well-structured, writing-based deliverables (e.g., policy briefs, project memos, analytical reports, external blog posts, and more)
• Ability to understand complex concepts and topics quickly even with limited prior knowledge or exposure and a willingness to invest in learning new concepts, skills, and methods without being prompted
• Strong analytical skills, with exposure to (either via professional work experience or academic coursework) the basics of econometrics, data, and research analysis tools, and quantitative and qualitative research processes or an ability to quickly understand these topics
• Excellent interpersonal skills, can effectively engage with stakeholders ranging from school children to senior government officials to internal colleagues, and places a high value on being a team player
• Highly organised, attentive to deadlines, and able to efficiently manage a high volume of work. Past experience in independently managing multiple workstreams is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to be a self-starter and fast learner; resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges
• Comfort operating in an evolving, fast-paced environment where priorities may shift based on government needs
• Intellectually curious and a willingness to share your opinions with the team, question the status quo, and encourage others to expand their perspectives
• Embodies our organizational values and demonstrates a steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their daily interactions
• Deep passion to improve lives around the world
• Familiarity with Meghalaya’s administrative and socio-cultural context as well as working proficiency in commonly spoken languages in Meghalaya like Khasi and/or Garo

Professional development

Skill and career development are core to IDinsight's values and long-term impact strategy. Senior Associates receive significant mentorship from IDinsight leadership, support from talented peers, and considerable autonomy in their work. They maintain professional development plans and are given "stretch" opportunities designed to strengthen a variety of skills. Real-time feedback and structured reviews are regularly provided to enable maximum professional growth. Additionally, Senior Associates have access to an annual professional development stipend that they are encouraged to utilize to explore their career interests and develop their skills.

Nuts & bolts

Location

Shillong, Meghalaya

Start date

There is a preference for candidates who can start immediately.

Compensation

Compensation and benefits are commensurate with the qualifications and experiences IDinsight is hiring for. We are especially proud of the people-focused benefits we offer, including comprehensive international health insurance with mental health coverage, paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave, relocation benefits, a travel stipend, technology and work-from-home stipends, a professional development budget, and more.

How to apply

Please click the "Apply for this job online" button at the top right. [Applications are rolling and considered as they are submitted.] The application asks various questions in order for us to get to know you and requires a CV and cover letter .

Please ensure that your CV includes relevant professional and personal experience as well as details on academic qualifications. CVs can range from one to two pages. Please note that headshot photographs, parental details, birth dates, marital status, and other personal information not relevant to the application do not need to be included in your CV. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to use your cover letter to highlight why you want to work for IDinsight and what has prepared you to succeed in the role you’re applying for. A customized cover letter is an important part of IDinsight’s recruiting process as it allows us to understand your motivations for the position, relevant skills, and clarity of writing.

If you’ve previously applied to an IDinsight Associate/Senior Associate role, we encourage you to reapply only if you’ve gained additional relevant experience to strengthen your application since your previous application. More information, including details on IDinsight’s hiring process and frequently asked questions , can be found online at IDinsight Careers. Any questions should be directed to careers@IDinsight.org.