Job Description

Designation : Research & Development Associate

Organization- SwitchON Foundation

Location- Kolkata

Experience- Min 2 years or above years

About SwitchON Foundation & its Programs

SwitchON foundation (www.SwitchON.org.in) is an award winning not-for-profit working since 2008 in the sectors of Sustainable Agriculture / Livelihoods, Renewable Energy Access and Environment & Climate Change. We are a leader in building social enterprises and ecosystems to create scalable and replicable impact. Two of our flagship programs are:

SwitchON foundation is certified as a Great Place to Work , and what makes us so ?

• An equal opportunity employer with a diverse and inclusive workplace
• Above 50% of the workforce are women in managerial and leadership roles
• Follows a unique approach from influencing behavior to informing policy with a strong team of 175+ spread across 10 states.

1) Empowering the Energy - Water- Agriculture Nexus in East India (EEWA)- The Empowering Energy Water Agriculture (EEWA) program addresses the interlinkage between food, water, and energy in India, with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable development of the marginalized communities

2) Clean Air Sustainable Cities (CASC)- The Clean Air & Sustainable Cities(CASC) program promotes public participation, influences policy change, collaborates with the government bodies, fosters awareness among children, youth, and civil society to combat air pollution and climate change.

We have expanded our focus from farmer livelihood development in India by promoting renewable energy solutions, organic farming practices and farmer producer organizations using regenerative agriculture promotion, to upskilling and capacity building, empirical research, policy advocacy and dissemination of information.

Watch our Story - 15 Years of Impact and Innovation (https://bit.ly/Celebrating-15-Years) and view our latest annual report (https://www.switchon.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ANNUAL-REPORT-2022-2023.pdf)

Job Responsibilities

Switch On Foundation is seeking a Research & Development Associate to lead its research and public policy vertical, with the aim of influencing policy and decision-making on climate action, clean energy, sustainable livelihood and Regenerative Agriculture. The candidate is also expected to provide technical guidance and support that informs proposals, project implementation and overall organizational strategy in environment and climate change matters. She/he would be responsible for programme oversight and coordination, building and overseeing of the systems and processes that will be critical to the SwitchOn's long-term success. This will involve supporting staff to deliver high-quality and impactful research and policy outputs. She/he will also be responsible for budget oversight and fundraising. In addition, the Senior Manager Research and Policy will have overall responsibility for team development within the vertical, helping to set a positive work culture as well line management responsibility for some team members. More specifically, the responsibilities include:

1) •Research & Policy Lead•

• Co-create, design and lead in-house research projects from start to finish
• Provide guidance on research design, methodology, tools and data analysis. Work with teams to develop key hypotheses and research proposals in line with team strategies.
• Ensure timely implementation of research projects with a strong focus on execution and quality assurance, including development of data collection tools, putting in place robust mechanisms for data collection, data analysis, data validation and as well as drafting and finalizing the policy output.
• Write and produce key knowledge management products such as policy briefs on Switch On's program verticals, research papers, research summaries, executive summaries with succinct policy recommendations, as well as project reports. She or he is also expected to engage stakeholders and partners through external communication such as email updates and newsletters

2) •Planning & Strategic Management•

• Oversee planning, implementation and evaluation of the program.
• Monitor the day-to-day delivery of the research team and maintain or improve quality
• Conduct learning sessions, provides regular coaching and support during the action period for implementing the Research project of EEWA & CASC Programs.

3) •Fundraising & Partnerships•

• Identify funding opportunities with public & private sector entities; write grants & proposals
• Take the lead in coordinating the submission and negotiation of project proposals & applying for awards.

4) •External communication and Stakeholder Management•

• Drive meaningful partnerships with multiple stakeholders including but not limited to relevant state departments, research institutions, universities, think tanks, civil society and youth organizations.
• Proactively identify policy inroads and intersections on topical issues, and have the dexterity to quickly and succinctly draft policy briefs, articles and opinion pieces to establish Switch On as a thought leader in the sustainability space in India.
• Presenting research findings and outputs at important relevant webinars/ seminars, external meetings and conferences as required.
• Design and conduct policy dialogues and consultations with external stakeholders and partners.

Experience & Skills

• A Master's degree in climate change, natural resource management, environmental science/ economy, regenerative agriculture, international relations, sustainable development, economics, public policy or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant working experience, including in-depth knowledge of Renewable Energy / Sustainable agriculture / Air Pollution / Climate Change policies, programmes, and good practices.
• Excellent demonstrated writing skills and fluency in English is required, coupled with an active interest in disseminating research via short articles or blogs.
• Understanding of the climate needs of developing countries and the Global South is required.
• Experience in reporting on organizational or program impacts is considered an asset.
• Experience in quantitative, qualitative research and mixed method research methodologies, as well as knowledge of participatory, inclusive and gender-responsive approach to all stages of the research.
• Candidates with experience in using quantitative or qualitative data analysis software such as STATA/ SPSS/ R/ Python or N-Vivo will be considered an asset
• Substantial record of research and publications with an emphasis on environmental and climate change management and sustainable development, including non-scientific communications.
• Ability to multi-task and take responsibility for the timely completion of activities

The position reports to Senior Research Manager in Kolkata .

Candidates must be open to travel extensively in the field in the Eastern and Western Region of India and Kolkata as necessary

Annual CTC- Upto 3Lacs

(Compensation package will be as per experience and qualification - in line with qualification, experience and last salary drawn)

Open to travel

Industry

• Non-profit Organizations

Employment Type

Full-time

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: ?25,000.00 - ?350,000.00 per month

Benefits:

• Cell phone reimbursement
• Commuter assistance
• Health insurance
• Paid sick time
• Provident Fund

Schedule:

• Day shift

Experience:

• total work: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: In person