Position: Research Associate

Organization: Ola Mobility Institute

Location: Haryana

Key Responsibilities:

You will be an integral part of the team that informs business decisions and policymaking, and advances discourse on the Future of Work & Platform Economy in India and elsewhere (especially other Commonwealth markets like Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc.). You will lead the team’s writing and analytical abilities and ideally contribute with quantitative skills. You will be assessed on the basis of your commitment to worker justice, understanding of worker conditions and ability to create narratives that advance the creation of just jobs in the platform economy. You will be experienced in reviewing legal and policy documents, especially related to the issue of worker welfare in India and elsewhere. 

The research team is experienced in digitalisation of labour, and methods of studying it at scale. The team has educational backgrounds in political science, development economics, digital societies, sociology and policymaking. Your areas of interest should include economics, labour, labour relations, and consumer protection as well as skilling, micro-entrepreneurship, and jobs, with special focus on social security. 

Your scope of work includes -

Research and creating knowledge products (80% of time required)

• Primary research: Conceptualise studies, create data collection tools, manage, analyse and infer from self-collected data, write reports and white papers using this information

• Secondary research: Conduct relevant socio-economic and political research on issues and developments around skilling, micro-entrepreneurship, jobs and livelihoods, macro- and micro-economics, among others

• Prepare briefs on key research conducted or underway in different parts of the world

• Prepare briefs on policy issues & submissions relevant to Ola’s business and the mobility-based jobs ecosystem in general

• Identify opportunities for impactful research

• Leverage internal data to develop cohesive and targeted narratives on the Future of Work

• Liaise with global experts and researchers to facilitate development of knowledge products

Outreach and Communications (20% of time required)

• Produce material to communicate research outcomes and analytical content to senior management at Ola, non-technical audiences, media, the government and other stakeholders

• Relevant presentation and engagement in research-oriented fora

• Participate and present in academic conferences, policy webinars etc.

Required Attributes and Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of work experience

• Demonstrated exceptional ability (through published work, articles, etc.) to write and comprehend effectively

• Strong analytical research skills and aptitude 

• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly, both orally and in writing, with fluency in English- to a variety of audiences including bureaucrats, senior academics, journalists and organisational stakeholders

• Highly organised and detail-oriented thinker who can juggle multiple, competing priorities

• Ability to understand and transfer skills and knowledge to a breadth of specialty areas

• Experience engaging with literature and concepts on labour and digitalisation, esp gig and platform work, will be an added advantage.

• Masters’ Degree in Economics, other Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related discipline with a quantitative component & data analysis tools an added advantage.