About Pratham
Pratham Education Foundation (‘Pratham’) is an innovative learning organization with a mission of “every child in school and learning well”. Around 30 years ago, Pratham’s work began with pre-schools in the urban slums of Mumbai. Today, Pratham has grown both in scope and geographical coverage. Currently, Pratham has activities in 25 states and UTs and implements programs that include activities for preschool and elementary school age groups, dropout girls and women, as well as vocational skilling programs for youth. As one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the country, Pratham focuses on high-quality, low-cost, and replicable interventions to address gaps in the education system.
The mission to improve the quality of education in India and ensure that all children not only attend but also thrive in school is being accomplished by working in collaboration with the government, local communities, parents, teachers, volunteers, and civil society members. Our programs aim to supplement rather than replace governmental efforts. They are implemented on a large scale to not only reach as many children as possible, but also to enable an adoptable demonstration model for governments and other partners. For more details, refer to www.pratham.org
About ASER Centre
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. We are currently hiring for the following position at ASER Centre:
|
Job title |
Research Associate |
|
Reports to |
Senior Research Associate |
|
Base location |
New Delhi (with frequent travel to states) |
|
Unit |
Research Unit |
|
Remuneration |
6 to 7.8 LPA (CTC) |
In addition to the ASER Survey, ASER Centre undertakes various research and evaluation projects. The Research Associate will work on the projects undertaken by the Research Unit at ASER Centre. The Associate will support in designing, planning and implementing these research studies in different locations across India.
The responsibilities for this role are as follows:
Primary tasks:
- Participate in the design and piloting of tools and formats based on project goals and indicators.
- Conduct literature reviews for ongoing research projects or education-related policy areas.
- Create process documents and trainings manual on tools administration and survey methodology.
- Design training material – both print and audio-visual.
- Translate survey, assessment and training materials in Hindi and regional languages (if applicable).
- Participate in the management and analysis of data.
- Prepare, proofread and edit report content.
- Compile, analyse and interpret quantitative data for the report.
- 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 for different research projects.
Additional tasks:
- Contribute to work undertaken by other Units as needed.
- Produce/contribute to written content like articles, blogs, research papers, etc.
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 Economics, Education, Public Policy, or other relevant social science disciplines.
Work experience: Candidates must have some demonstrable experience in conducting primary research and data analysis. If the candidate does not have prior work experience, experience of relevant assignments/projects at university or at internships will be considered.
Skills and requirements:
- Proficient in deriving insights from data.
- Candidates must be proficient in M.S. Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
- Intermediate knowledge of data software packages (eg Stata, R) 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
- Email your CV and cover letter (not exceeding 500 words) as 1 document to recruitmentsasercentre@gmail.com with the subject line – Application for Research Associate (Research Unit). Applications that do not follow this protocol will be at a disadvantage.
- Candidates should also submit a written sample (not exceeding 1000 words) 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.
Deadline for applying: 27 October 2024
