Research Manager

About us

Good Business Lab

is an independent, non-profit labor innovation organization. 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. GBL operates across India, the US, and Latin America.

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 ), 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 ).

Role: Research Manager LatAm

Location: Remote in Colombia

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

Type of contract: indefinite term type of contract in Colombia

Salary: COP $8' monthly

Overview

Our projects span multiple sectors, including food and beverage, retail, construction, and workforce development, and focus on generating rigorous, actionable evidence that helps organizations improve performance while strengthening worker outcomes. Current work includes evaluating managerial training and leadership practices in large service-sector firms and construction sector firms, and partnering with public and private actors to improve job matching and reskilling pathways for youth in Latin America. Across all projects, we combine field experimentation, data analysis, and close collaboration with implementing partners to design, test, and scale solutions that deliver measurable value for both firms and workers.

Who are you?

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, or a related field required.
• Master's degree in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field strongly preferred; may be substituted by 2 additional years of relevant research experience.
• Graduate-level coursework in econometrics, impact evaluation, applied statistics, or economic development is a plus.
• Minimum 2–3 years of relevant experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, or development economics.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to communicate the results of evaluations and data analyses in a clear and effective manner that informs decision making is a must.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining high quality outputs,
• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate research objectives, processes, and findings to technical and non-technical audiences, both verbally and in writing, including partners, donors, and internal teams.
• fluency in Spanish and English is required
• Programming experience in statistical software (Stata preferred; Python, R or Matlab encouraged)
• Experience with project management tasks, including work planning, risk management, basic budget preparation and project tracking is strongly encouraged. Previous experience working on grants and IRB applications is a plus
• Highly organized, proactive, and self-motivated, with excellent time management skills
• Ability to exercise critical thinking skills in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria
• Demonstrated experience supporting or managing impact evaluations, preferably Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).
• Hands-on experience in primary data collection, including survey design, piloting, field implementation, and data quality monitoring.

What will you do?

Research Managers at GBL work closely with academic researchers, the research implementation team, the associate director of programs, and other staff to help implement various projects. They typically manage up to 2-3 projects and mentor Research Associates.

Primary Responsibilities (60-70% time):

• Set priorities for projects in consultation with researchers.
• Maintain clear communication between researchers and GBL staff and clarify expectations.
• Anticipate challenges to research projects and work with researchers to address them.
• Identify and mitigate risks to research projects.
• Ensure that the project has sufficient material and human resources.
• Ensure that projects follow GBL standards and protocols in consultation with Data and Field teams.
• Ensure alignment between the research team and implementation partners.
• Assist with the responsibilities of Research Associates (for example data cleaning, survey planning, surveyor hiring) as required.
• Creates and owns budgets for internal and cross-team projects, achieving cost efficiencies and/or staying within budget.

Other Responsibilities (30-40%):

• Assist with screening and hiring Research Associates.
• Prepare reports for funding agencies.
• Lead training session of Research Associates and other staff.
• Help improve the procedures, policies, and culture of GBL.
• Represent GBL at meetings with external stakeholders (by delivering presentations, for example) .
• Contribute to GBL's communications (blogs and articles) as requested.
• Ensure compliance with Institutional Review Boards.

What should you be comfortable with?

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

Perks of working with us

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

• 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.

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:

• Phone screening
• First-Round Interview
• Test
• Second-Round Interview

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.

Note: By clicking on the 'apply for this job' button, you confirm that you understand and accept GBL's Privacy Policy. You also understand that GBL has zero-tolerance against sexual harassment/ exploitation /abuse/ misconduct ("SEA"). You confirm and declare that you have never been convicted by any court of law and/or you have never been subjected to any sanctions or inquiry or proceedings (be it disciplinary, administrative, civil, or criminal) arising from an investigation in relation to sexual harassment/abuse/misconduct or left employment pending investigation and refused to cooperate in such an investigation