Design Associate (Qualitative Research)

About Us:

Good Business Lab is an independent, non-profit labor innovation company. We use rigorous academic research to prove that worker well-being programs have business impacts. We develop market-ready, scalable interventions that benefit both workers and businesses. Our goal is to disrupt the traditional notion of business and show that worker well-being can be a good business practice.

The founders of the lab are Ach Adhvaryu - Professor of Economics and Director of 21st Century India Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego (www.achadhvaryu.com), Anant Ahuja-head of Organization Development at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., and Anant Nyshadham- Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan (www.anantnyshadham.com).

Role: Design Associate

Location: Delhi / Bengaluru / Remote in India

Start date: ASAP (applications being accepted on a rolling basis)

Salary: 6.5-10 LPA (depending on experience)

Length of Commitment: Minimum of 12 months

About the role:

The Design Associate (Qualitative Research) will work on all phases of a typical research cycle: from conception, desk research, and fieldwork, to analysis and report creation. They will also support the team in solution design and ideation, presenting our work to internal and external stakeholders, creating training modules, etc., as required.

Key responsibilities

Work on all stages of the qualitative research cycle:

• Conduct in-depth literature reviews tapping into different types of sources depending on the project.
• Conduct fieldwork of qualitative interviews and FGDs with stakeholders across various projects, making regular field visits (can be to both urban and rural areas) to collect data.
• Plan fieldwork and data collection for projects based on the requirements. Create or support the creation and review of the data collection tools (qualitative interview questionnaires).
• Identify participants based on apt sampling techniques.
• Work on the qualitative data analysis and synthesis process. Coordinate with the stakeholders, manage field issues, and align the workflow within their premises.
• Ensure the planning, managing, and following of ethical data collection practices and ensure good data quality throughout the project, especially when on the field.
• Maintain relations with clients/partners and stakeholders and perform additional duties as needed. Actively participate in and conduct brainstorming sessions for ideation and prototyping of solutions using a participatory design approach. Create and assist in writing the reports of the work undertaken and other outcome collaterals.
• Plan and create training materials and modules for relevant projects as required.
• Work closely with other team members in collaboration to create comprehensive collaterals as required.
• Create and assist in creating blogs and write-ups, including thought pieces and field experiences.
• Work with the team closely on a wide range of preparatory work for upcoming projects.
• Ensure project documentation is well-maintained, including designing, maintaining, and tracking field reports/project logs in Google documents and spreadsheets, along with drafting and developing materials, manuals, guidelines, and protocols per project requirements and under the supervision of the senior team members.

Who are you?

• A graduate with a minimum of 2-3 years of work experience or a postgraduate with a minimum of 1 year of work experience in qualitative research.
• A degree in social sciences (Economics, Development Studies, International Development, Anthropology, Psychology, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology, Social Work, etc.) or allied areas. Demonstrated hands-on experience with all aspects of the qualitative research cycle (including fieldwork, literature review, data collection, data analysis, and report writing).
• Proficient knowledge of QDAS tools such as NVivo/Dedoose/Atlas.ti or other relevant tools. Experience using at least two or more qualitative research design methods such as ethnography, case study, grounded theory, phenomenology, narrative inquiry, etc.
• Comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders, including groups with little or no background in qualitative research and design. Excellent interpersonal and written, visual, and verbal communication skills.
• Passionate about tackling complex social and organizational challenges. Ability to work in a team, manage multiple projects on the ground, review and prioritize work independently, and be self-motivated.
• Ability to complete assigned tasks and meet deadlines while maintaining high-quality work.
  
  Preferable but Essential Qualifications:

• Proven academic writing and/or grant writing experience.
• Experience or interest in working with design research tools and software (e.g., Miro, Dovetail, etc). A research portfolio or writing samples demonstrating your qualitative research work and skills.
• Basic knowledge of survey data collection tools and techniques like SurveyCTO, Google Forms, etc. Strong willingness to learn new tasks and methodologies.

Also, we know it’s tough, but please try to avoid the confidence gap. You don’t have to match all the listed requirements exactly to be considered for this role.

What should you be comfortable with?

• A dynamic environment with competing priorities.
• Working within a global team with shared responsibilities.
• Independently coordinating with coworkers to accomplish goals.
• Being resourceful in new environments and scenarios.
• Problem-solving in hi-pressure environments.

Perks of working with us

There are plenty of benefits at GBL, here are some examples:

• Flexible leave policy: Time away from work can be extremely helpful for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. GBL encourages managers and leadership to set the example by taking time off when needed and ensuring their team members do the same. We don't have a strict limit on paid leaves, only suggested ( extremely liberal) averages.
• Flexible working hours: We recognize that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance, productivity, and reduce stress. The basis of our norms pertaining to this is a system of trust in each other and our common goals.
• GBL Care Systems: As an organization, we are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our team members and creating a thriving work environment- because that gives us, together, the best chance at achieving our shared mission and sparking joy at work. We do this by partnering with organizations such The Mindclan, Therapize among others for workshops and other wellbeing-related initiatives.
• Growth-oriented review policy: To foster collaboration, we have adopted regular reviews and check-ins among team members. We see a manager's role beyond what is expected from them by conventional management thinkers. Apart from delivering high-quality work, managers are responsible for the holistic development of their team members. This can be achieved through practices inspired by coaching philosophy.

Additional benefits

• Wellbeing budget: This includes an individual budget for each team member that they can claim reimbursement for things such as therapy, any physical-health related activity and home office setup. Additionally, there's a separate budget for Managers for care packages or any other team activities. There's also a budget for our People Operations team to organize team-wide activities or provide mental health services in collaboration with organizations like Therapize and Mindclan.
• Informal virtual and in-person hangs and activities!

Recent projects and blog posts:

To acclimatize yourself with some of our work, you can read our blog posts on Medium, and also go through our LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The process:

We are glad you’re interested in applying for this role!

After each step, we decide whether to invite you to the next one. Our interview process for this role has the following steps:

Depending on the candidate pool, we may add any additional interviews to make a well thought through decision.

Our commitment to diversity:

GBL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, physical disability, or length of time spent unemployed. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer traditional monetary workplace benefits such as insurance and travel allowance. We are a young and growing company making us the ideal ground for team members to experiment, take on dynamic roles, and grow with us. We focus on happiness, output, and quality of work.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.

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