Executive Director, DIL-India Research Program

About the Trust

The University of Chicago Trust (the Trust) is a charitable trust in India, established in 2008 by an alum of The University of Chicago. The Trust’s objectives are to provide opportunities for grants to support educational programs, research programs, and activities for the betterment of India.

The Development Innovation Lab – India (DIL-India)

DIL-India, based at the Trust in India, is dedicated to using the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people. We have work in health, education, agriculture, climate change, and road safety. We do so by collaborating with government agencies, firms, and non-profits in India to identify, test, and scale evidence-based solutions.

DIL-India has a fast-growing portfolio of policy relevant research. For example, in 2025, DIL-India supported the Government of India to deliver AI-based monsoon onset forecasts to almost 40 million farmers.  We are also working closely with the Ministry of Jal Shakti and other collaborators to identify and test safe water solutions that could be deployed at scale. Our estimates suggest that safe water solutions could save the lives of up to 10,000 children annually in India. We are also working with a number of partners in ed tech to refine the potential of personalized adaptive learning to improve learning outcomes at scale.

Position Description

The Executive Director, DIL-India Research Programs (ED) will lead research and policy engagements for DIL-India. The CPO will collaborate closely with Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer and other Lead Researchers based at the Development Innovation Lab (DIL) at the University of Chicago. Candidates need substantial familiarity with development economics, research, and evidence-based policy. The ED will be a dynamic, analytical, and self-motivated leader who can build relationships, engage with multicultural teams, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Design and Implement the overall vision and objectives of DIL-India, in collaboration with the faculty director, deputy faculty director and other senior leadership.
  • Oversee research, communications, and operations teams and verticals within DIL-India and help guide and manage the functions of each group, ensuring cohesion and alignment with overall mission,
  • Expand DIL-India’s portfolio by building, maintaining and cultivating relationships with key partners in governments, NGOs, firms, foundations, and multilateral agencies.
  • Oversee ongoing scale-up programs and other strategic initiatives.
  • Review and ensure research findings are correct and widely disseminated and targeted at relevant stakeholders.
  • Facilitate better evidence-based decision-making through events, interpersonal relationships, and close engagement with partners throughout the research process. 
  • Establish the structure of the DIL-India team, lead all staffing and hiring decisions, mentor junior staff, and appropriately resolve any conflicts in a fair and supportive manner.
  • Mobilize and manage financial resources to ensure that the DIL-India team is operating at its maximum potential, strategic programs are being effectively delivered, and the highest-potential research is pursued and executed to completion.
  • Ensure efficient allocation, monitoring and reporting of programmatic resources. This includes annual programmatic budget development, accountability for the disbursement and appropriate use of project funds in accordance with policy and procedures.
  • Ensure, establish and enforce safeguards for monitoring, accountability, and compliance of research operations in accordance with research directives, policy guidance, IRB protocols, and Trust policies. 
  • Perform other related work as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:

  • Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or international development including significant training in economics.
PhD level or advanced degree training in economics, public policy, or international development.

Experience:

  • Twelve or more years of relevant work experience including substantive implementation of development economics research and collaborating with policymakers. Ph.D. can count for up to 3 years of experience.
  • Ph.D.-level training in microeconomics and econometrics; candidates from a related academic background who can demonstrate similar knowledge, and competencies will also be considered. We will consider experienced candidates with strong economics training at a top master’s program.

Competencies

  • Strong knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural context in India including deep familiarity with relevant academic research especially in the field of economics.
  • Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills in English and fluency in spoken Hindi; other Indian languages are a plus.
  • Effective program and project management skills, including managing and successfully working across teams, budgeting, attention to operational and research details, and ability to manage multiple projects efficiently.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Expert problem-solving and analytical skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage and maintain high-level relationships with senior stakeholders in governments, international development practitioners, and/or academic researchers.
  • Implementing large-scale programs in coordination with diverse stakeholders.
  • Productive collaboration skills for successfully coordinating multiple stakeholders in achieving shared goals.
  • Collaboration, and a track record of successfully implementing change, with governments or large bilateral/multilateral funders in low- or middle-income countries.
  • Experience with evidence-based public policy in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs)
  • Work in water, health, education, and agriculture sectors in LMICs is desirable. 
  • Accomplished in research techniques and/or methods.
  • Familiarity with randomized evaluations and other forms of causally identified research; experience implementing randomized evaluations.
  • Organizing policy events as well as producing policy resources and publications.

Working Conditions

  • Based in Delhi with regular travel to project locations, including rural India.
  • Occasional travel to the United States

Applicant must be legally authorized to work in India.

Application Documents

  • Resume/CV (required)
  • Cover Letter (required)
  • References’ Contact Information (3 required)
  • Writing sample (required)

Apply now

If you have queries about this role, please contact us at dil-indiahr@uchicagotrust.org, with the subject line “Executive Director - 2025”