Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Kathmandu, Governance Lab (within the Daayitwa Abhiyaan)

Governance Lab (GovLab), based in Lalitpur and working in Nepal in partnership with EPoD India at LEAD at Krea University, is dedicated to using rigorous evidence to address challenging questions at the intersection of economic development and public policy. Our cutting-edge research examines questions related to governance, political selection, state capacities, social protection, and also informs COVIDresponse policies. It draws from a network of expert academics with expertise working in Nepal and around the world.

GovLab and EPoD India are currently seeking a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to provide research support on a portfolio of projects relating to economic and political economy research in Nepal. The selected candidate will collaborate closely with the project’s research leads, including Prof. Rohini Pande at Yale University and Prof. Michael Callen at the London School of Economics (LSE), as well as the research teams at GovLab and EPoD India. Our researchers are preparing a collaborative research program bringing together insights and frameworks from economics, political science, and development studies in order to support the recently instituted federalism in Nepal and to promote inclusive growth. Our research on political selection and service delivery in Nepal has opened up a larger research agenda evaluating the impact of federalization on service delivery, state capacity, and ultimately economic performance. With the unfolding COVID crisis, we are also exploring various new research and policy questions in Nepal. The selected candidate would help drive forward these research agendas in consultation with principal investigators and managers on the project.

This Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship is designed to develop the selected candidate’s research skills, and to prepare him/her for a future career in academia, the public sector, or the private sector. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to join a team of leading economists and public policy experts at Yale, LSE, GovLab and EPoD India, to work on cutting-edge development research and gain first-hand experience working with policy partners and conducting rigorous data analysis. The candidate would also be working closely with our funders and policy partners, to prepare and deliver a multiproject, multi-year research agenda. The initial Fellowship is expected to be for one year, with the option to extend for an additional period as mutually agreed upon by both the candidate and the research team.

• Working with international researchers and in-country teams to help identify and conduct scoping for research questions across broad themes of federalisation, economic growth, and inclusion.
• Oversee field-based team to manage research project activities, including intervention implementation, and contribute to field-based scoping, survey design, and survey testing.
• Drafting and finalizing research documents in consultation with principal investigators; may include scoping plans, questionnaires, literature reviews, as well as synthesizing findings into summaries for both academic and non-academic audiences.
• Identifying and liaising with potential partners and stakeholders, including governments, development organizations, and other researchers.
• Manage and supervise technical aspects of select research projects in collaboration with the research team.
• Carry out data analysis under the direction of senior researchers using statistical and econometric tools.
• Provide appropriate inputs and support for administrative requirements of the project portfolio, upon request, which may include financial management, budgeting, procurement, contract setup and compliance, grant reporting, deliverable tracking, etc.
• Contribute to our team’s overall management and strategic vision by identifying new research projects and partners and applying for additional sources of funding in partnership with research team.
• Manage relationships with funding organizations and partner institutions; work with partners in the government to set strategic priorities as well as coordinate project administration and logistics.
• Support with publication of research articles and policy briefs, and other such publications, as directed by lead researchers.
• Support the team in conducting and leading research and insights dissemination activities such as seminars, webinars, etc.
• Supervision and mentoring of 2-3 junior research staff.
• Other tasks, as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• Nepali language skills are a must.
• An in-depth understanding of key frameworks in development economics and political economy.
• A PhD in political science, economics, public policy, or a related field such as social anthropology of development.
• Strong quantitative research skills (including comfort with analyzing large primary and administrative data sets using STATA, R, or python).
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills essential. - Excellent attention to detail.
• Solid understanding of research project design and processes, experience with various identification strategies including RCTs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience of working in Nepal or engaging with Nepal-based projects.
• Experience in conducting complex and long-term research engagements in developing countries (Nepal strongly preferred).
• Understanding of Nepali history and culture preferred, as well as a deep interest in developing this expertise is a must.

The position is expected to be based in Nepal with frequent domestic travel and potential international travel.

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal (with regular domestic travel)

Start date: December 2020

What we offer

• A competitive salary by local standards

• The opportunity to develop research skills in the field

• A dynamic and engaging environment which involves multiple stakeholders

• An opportunity to grow within the organization

• An opportunity to directly influence policies in Nepal

• Regular travel within Nepal

Apply Before: 15 November 2020 

How to Apply

If you are interested in this position, please email contact [@]govlab.com.np. In the subject line, put “Research Manager- Kathmandu” followed by your first and last name (e.g., “XXX – FirstName LastName) and attach the following documents:

• Cover letter (maximum one page)

• CV

• Academic transcripts

Click on I'm Interested to send us your portfolio.