Research Associate
Research Associate Research AssociateAbout the Role Research AssociateLocation: India based (Delhi preferred, or remote within India with ability to travel to field locations and work across time zones)We are seeking an exceptional Research Associate based in India to support research, analysis, and programme development across climate, agriculture, and carbon removal. The role will focus on generating high quality evidence, synthesising complex technical information, and supporting the design of field and policy programmes that link soil restoration, agricultural productivity, and durable carbon removal.The successful candidate will contribute to technical analysis, research publications, grant and concept note development, country risk analysis, and internal strategy work.The role is best suited to candidates who combine strong academic training with practical experience working on real world climate, agriculture, or development programmes.Key ResponsibilitiesLead structured literature reviews across soil science, agronomy, carbon removal, climate policy, and rural developmentTranslate academic and technical evidence into clear decision ready outputs for internal and external stakeholdersSupport development of research frameworks for field trials and evidence generation programmesAnalyse and interpret data from field trials and pilot deploymentsContribute to technical reports, white papers, and peer reviewed publicationsCountry and Market Risk AssessmentContribute to development of country risk assessments across priority geographiesAnalyse political economy, regulatory stability, and policy direction relevant to agriculture and climate deploymentAssess operational risks including logistics, infrastructure, and supply chain constraintsSupport evaluation of carbon market, Article 6, and voluntary carbon market enabling conditionsContribute to country prioritisation frameworks and deployment readiness scoringProgramme and Strategy SupportContribute to development of concept notes, grant applications, and technical proposalsSupport analysis of India specific and international policy, regulatory, and market environmentsSupport partner mapping across academia, government, multilaterals, and corporatesCarbon Removal and Climate AnalyticsSupport modelling of cost curves, farmer economics, and deployment scenariosStakeholder and Knowledge ManagementPrepare high quality briefing materials for senior leadership and external partnersSupport workshop and roundtable preparation including background research and synthesisMaintain structured research repositories and knowledge management systemsRequired Qualifications and ExperienceMasters degree from a university outside India in a relevant field (for example environmental science, soil science, climate policy, development economics, geography, or agricultural systems)Minimum 3 years professional experience in climate, agriculture, development, sustainability, or applied research rolesDemonstrated experience contributing to technical reports, policy papers, or research publicationsDemonstrated experience working with complex datasets, field evidence, or multi source research inputsRequired SkillsExcellent written English with ability to translate complex technical material into clear, structured outputsStrong analytical and structured thinking capabilityHigh attention to detail and source accuracyAbility to work across disciplines and with international teamsStrong organisational and time management capabilityStrongly PreferredExperience working on climate or agricultural programmes in Global South contextsExperience conducting country risk, political economy, or market enabling environment analysisFamiliarity with carbon markets, carbon accounting, or MRV frameworksExperience working with smallholder farming systems in IndiaQuantitative capability including Excel modelling, or statistical or geospatial toolsPersonal AttributesHighly intellectually curious and evidence drivenComfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-moving programme environmentsMission aligned with climate mitigation, adaptation, and rural developmentAble to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiencesWhat We OfferOpportunity to work on frontier climate and agriculture challenges in India and other Global South contextsExposure to global policy, science, and finance stakeholdersFast learning environment with strong mentorship and responsibility from day onePotential pathway to programme leadership or specialist technical rolesApplication ProcessPlease submit:CVOne writing sample (for example research summary, policy brief, or technical note). Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a short synthesis exercise.Additional Capability Expectation: Digital and AI LiteracyCandidates are expected to demonstrate strong practical capability using modern AI enabled research and productivity tools to improve the speed, depth, and quality of analysis and synthesis. Equally important is a clear understanding of the limitations, risks, and appropriate use cases of these tools, including issues related to accuracy, bias, hallucination risk, data provenance, confidentiality, and reproducibility. The successful candidate should be able to apply AI tools as part of a rigorous research workflow, using them to augment rather than replace critical thinking, domain expertise, and source validation.