Research Coordinator

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Research Coordinator - Sustainable Food Systems

Terms of Reference

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. So, if the below description strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!

• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale
  

• We actively promote leadership by initiative
  

• We celebrate talent and ambition
  

• You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow
  

• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations
  

• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW
  

• You will get above-market remuneration
  

• We provide a safe space for all
  

• At CEEW, your life is your example for others
  

Designation offered: Research Coordinator – Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Reporting to: Programme Associate

Location: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

India stands at a complex challenge of ensuring universal nutritional security for an increasing yet largely deprived population in a rapidly changing climate. This needs action beyond producing more food – we need to evolve what we eat and how we produce, process and distribute our food.

Natural Farming is a sustainable agriculture practice that has gained a lot of traction in the Indian agriculture space recently. However, the roadmap for scaling up natural farming has to be driven by data and evidence. In this context, CEEW has embarked on a Five-Year Longitudinal Assessment of the Community-managed Natural Farming Programme in Andhra Pradesh (APCNF). The APCNF programme is managed and executed by the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and seeks to improve farmer livelihoods, environmental and nutritional outcomes through the adoption of natural farming practices.  

CEEW seeks to hire a suitable candidate for the Research Coordinator position in the Sustainable Food Systems team to expand its capacity to conduct research and drive change. We are looking for a detail-oriented research co-ordinator with a hunger for impact and the ambition to make our food system sustainable.

The successful applicant will assist the team members in undertaking stakeholder engagement and coordination, and robust quantitative and qualitative analysis, especially in Andhra Pradesh’s sustainable agriculture ecosystem (government, implementers, researchers, etc.). In addition to the duties and responsibilities outlined below, the Research Coordinator should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities and respond to events and developments that cannot be anticipated easily.

The Research Coordinator will primarily execute high-priority tasks in research coordination and research support, which include:

• Ensure smooth coordination between field partners, the research team, and the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) team.
  

• Coordinate field activities with field partners, survey agencies, and research coordinators for timely planning, implementation, and monitoring.
  

• Maintain a record of other ongoing research on APCNF and sustainable agriculture within Andhra Pradesh.
  

• Support establishment and operations of a research coordination committee to align various research studies proposed or underway at RySS to ensure that each research piece builds on and feeds into the growing body of knowledge.
  

• Support the team in documenting tacit knowledge on Natural Farming.
  

Research

• Assist the research teams on qualitative and quantitative applied research on varied food system issues. Such workstreams include but are not limited to (i) identification of optimal research question(s), (ii) designing the research approach/framework (iii) design, development and execution of qualitative and quantitative primary surveys (this includes designing survey instruments, data quality checks, monitoring field activities, and analysis of the survey data), (iv) if required, systematic literature reviews (v) conducting stakeholder consultations, (vi) conducting the relevant analyses using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative tools (e.g. MS Excel, STATA, etc.), and (vii) presenting the analyses in a coherent narrative in different formats
  

• Travel to field sites to conduct fieldwork, including focus group discussions, interviews, meetings, training, or gather primary information
  

• Proactively supporting the team in effectively operationalising the CEEW’s Arc of Learning
  

• Regularly track policy measures taken by the government and their implementation status related to sustainable agriculture and sustainable food systems in India (particularly, Andhra Pradesh).
  

• Write high-quality research reports, and generate knowledge products such as blogs, policy briefs in regular intervals
  

• Establishing and managing relationships with project counterparts from CEEW’s partners
  

• Support the senior researchers in conceptualising new projects, developing high-impact research proposals, and applications for research and general donor funding
  

• Support effective outreach of research outputs through engagement with a broader network of stakeholders and concerned policymakers
  

• Participate in relevant conferences, workshops, and training programmes for a comprehensive understanding of developments relevant to sustainable agriculture
  

• Support team members for important meetings and sessions, prepare notes, and conduct follow-ups, as required
  

• Participate in weekly team meetings and assist with preparing minutes and chairing the weekly meetings
  

CEEW operates in a dynamic environment, and the candidate will be required to show flexibility in undertaking a variety of tasks.

Education and experience

• Master’s degree in environmental policy / environmental management / food systems / agricultural sciences / development studies / social work / rural development / innovations in sustainability / impact evaluation / sociology / political science / development studies or any other field relevant to sustainable and regenerative agriculture is desirable
  

• At least one year of relevant work experience in rural areas and development research work, preferably in sustainable agriculture and food systems. 
  

• Experience of working with or having significant engagement with some or all of the stakeholders in rural development (various government departments, farmer communities, grassroots CSOs, etc.), particularly in Andhra Pradesh.
  

• Analytical skills and prior experience of working with qualitative research methods (Participatory Rural Appraisal methods, literature reviews and meta-analysis) is mandatory. Quantitative methods relevant for impact evaluation and evidence research is desirable
  

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
  

• Ability to use MS Office and the Google Workspace application suite is a must
  

• Knowledge or willingness to learn software applications for qualitative research, like NVivo and quantitative research, like GIS and remote-sensing. Prior knowledge on R/Python/STATA is desirable
  

• Desirable: Relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals/book chapters
  

• Strong communication skills for effective, efficient, and adaptive verbal and written communication, and active listening
  

• Working knowledge of Telugu (speaking, reading and writing fluently) is a must since the geographical focus area is in Andhra Pradesh
  

Personality

• Willingness to learn new research and project management skills
  

• Ability to adapt and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment
  

• Striving for rigour in research and quality in work output
  

• Ability to effectively work in a team while being able to independently drive research with minimum assistance, w