Senior Policy and Research Manager (Weather Forecasts)
About the Trust
The University of Chicago Trust (the Trust) is a charitable trust in India, established in 2008 by The University of Chicago alumni. The objectives of the Trust are to provide opportunities for grants to support educational programs, research programs and activities for the betterment of India.
About The Development Innovation Lab - India (DIL-India)
DIL-India, based at the Trust in India, uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. We work across sectors like health, education, agriculture, climate change, road safety, and others. We do so by collaborating with government agencies, firms, and non-profits in India to identify, test, and scale evidence-based solutions. DIL-India collaborates with the Development Innovation Lab (DIL) at the University of Chicago, which was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.
In 2024, DIL-India supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare in India in digitally disseminating monsoon forecasts to approximately 9 million farmers. In 2025, DIL-India will support the Ministry in disseminating forecasts at a greater scale and conducting research (such as A/B tests) to optimize dissemination.
Position Description
Research suggests that the benefits of delivering high-quality weather forecasts outweigh the costs by orders of magnitude. DIL-India is seeking a Policy and Research Manager to advance its initiatives aimed at increasing access to high-quality weather and climate forecasts in low- and middle-income countries, particularly for smallholder farmers. This position will be responsible for managing this effort and developing partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including but not limited to governments in India, to digitally disseminate weather forecasts to farmers. In addition to their primary responsibility managing projects and stakeholders in India, the Policy & Research Manager will also provide management support for DIL-India work scaling this intervention through collaborations with Indian: funders, multilaterals, NGOs, and government officials, as well as work with the faculty collaborator (Michael Kremer) and other researchers on related research.
Responsibilities
Lead policy outreach for and scaling of high-quality weather and seasonal forecasts in India, with collaborators.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with policymakers, funders, and other partners.
Lead project planning and oversee project execution. Including junior researchers, presenting research insights to non-technical audiences, and anticipating and solving problems.
Coordinate with team members to ensure alignment across workstreams, identify and develop opportunities for expansion, and regularly report on progress.
Develop proposals and concept notes.
Represent DIL-India at meetings with high-level stakeholders.
Provide management support for research projects, such as A/B tests on disseminating high-quality weather forecasts to farmers:
Coordinate with DIL researchers and other partners on study design, implementation, and potential scale-up of projects.
Manage relationships with implementing partners.
Handle project responsibilities such as new proposal development, donor reporting and communication, and grants management for DIL-India projects.
Qualifications
Education
Master's degree in a related field.
Experience
At least 4 years of relevant work experience.
Competencies
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and teams simultaneously.
Excellent stakeholder management skills, particularly managing partnerships with governments in India.
Prior experience in agriculture, agrometeorology, or climate services, to facilitate collaboration with climate scientists and agronomists.
Familiarity with development economics, particularly causal research.
Must be able to interpret research findings for policy audiences and manage research projects.
Excellent writing skills in English.
High ownership and strong problem-solving abilities.
High adaptability.
Working Conditions
This position is based in Delhi India and will predominantly be a work-from-home role. This individual will be required to attend in-person meetings in Delhi at least twice a week. The candidate must be able to attend these meetings at short notice, including attending meetings daily as needed.
The candidate must be willing to travel within India at least once a month if needed for developing opportunities outside of Delhi.
Work independently for periods of eight (8) hours or more.
We are looking for candidates interested in starting as soon as possible. This is a full-time position for one year with the possibility for renewal based on project needs.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in India.
Location
New Delhi, India
Application Documents
Resume
Cover Letter
Three References
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis till November 6th.