Research Associate - Demand for Cooling

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About the Organization

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,100 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.

Job Description

J-PAL South Asia at the Institute for Financial Management and Research seeks qualified applicants for the position of Research Associate (RA). The work of a Research Associate at J-PAL South Asia directly contributes to generating evidence that informs policy decisions and helps design more effective poverty alleviation programs. By ensuring that research projects are executed with precision and rigor, the RA plays a key role in advancing J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty through evidence-based policy-making.

The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management and evaluation experience in development, poverty alleviation and public policy interventions in diverse sectors, contexts and geographies.

J-PAL South Asia is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, family status, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and other attributes protected by law. We strongly encourage people from marginalized communities to apply for this role.

Project Specific Details:

As global temperatures climb, the growing need for cooling is straining energy resources and driving up greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding how households consume air cooling and respond to management interventions is crucial for designing effective policies and technologies. J-PAL South Asia is partnering with Tata Power Mumbai to run a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving urban households in Mumbai to assess their cooling demand and examine how locus of control influences energy use.

The RA will be majorly responsible for managing the data collection activities, maintaining a strong working relationship with our implementation partner, and managing the data collected for this project . The RA will work with the Research Manager and Principal Investigators, who will guide and supervise them in various tasks.

The research study is led by principal investigators – Dr Teevrat Garg (University of California San Diego), Dr Maulik Jagnani (Tufts University), Dr Shefali Khanna (London School of Economics) and Dr Patrick Behrer (World Bank)

Job Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a Research Associate typically include, but are not limited to -

• Supporting researchers in developing and refining study protocols through in-field scoping activities. You will provide contextual and operational insights to help researchers shape experimental protocols that are methodologically rigorous and feasible within the study setting.
• Strengthening measurement validity and reliability by assisting in the development and piloting of survey instruments. You will be responsible for organizing field tests, analyzing pilot data, and integrating structured feedback loops to improve the precision and accuracy of indicators.
• Enable accurate and efficient data capture through the programming of digital surveys and development of end-to-end data workflows. This includes incorporating survey logic, real-time checks, and secure data transmission to ensure clean, analysis-ready datasets.
• Ensuring collection of high-quality primary data—recruiting, training, and managing field teams to collect data that meets rigorous research standards.
• Safeguarding data integrity in consultation with the research team by setting up and maintaining systems for real-time quality monitoring. You will identify issues in incoming data, identify solutions in collaboration with the researchers, and implement corrective measures.
• Preparing analysis-ready datasets by writing reproducible code (in Stata, R, or Python), generating summary statistics, and contributing to the analytical preparation for publications, working closely with researchers.
• Facilitating alignment between research teams and implementation partners to ensure that project implementation aligns with study protocols. You will coordinate timelines, share updates across teams, and help troubleshoot day-to-day challenges while maintaining strong working relationships with external stakeholders.
• Ensuring transparency and reproducibility by developing and maintaining detailed documentation, including codebooks, field protocols, and project logs that align with academic standards and support eventual replication and publication.
• Maintaining strict adherence to J-PAL’s research protocols throughout all stages of the research lifecycle.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• A Bachelor's/Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, climate change or related fields
• Previous experience in development research preferred
• Knowledge of Stata (strongly preferred) or other data analysis software is preferred
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials/clinical trials/quasi-experiments/A/B tests preferred

What We’re Looking For:

• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to addressing operational and analytical challenges
• Ability to manage day-to-day work with minimal supervision
• Excellent time management and attention to detail
• Ability to navigate fast-evolving settings that require flexibility and initiative
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations

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