Research Associate (Qualitative research) – Gender sensitive policing

Location: Punjab, India

Start date: October 15, 2025

Commitment: Minimum 1 year, with possibility of extension

Education: Bachelor’s/Master’s

Organization: J-PAL South Asia at IFMR

Language requirement: Punjabi (required), English (required), Hindi (desired)

PIs: Sandip Sukhtankar (University of Virginia), Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner (University of Virginia), Akshay Mangla (University of Oxford), Chitwan Lalji (IIM Kozhikode), Suddhasatwa Bhattacharya (Inclusion Economics India Centre, IFMR)

About J-PAL South Asia:

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) J-PAL was established in 2003 as a research center at the Economics Department at MIT. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL is propelled by a first-rate team dedicated to research, policy, training, and other vital work, supporting J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

J-PAL South Asia, which is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India, analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers to ensure that policy is driven by evidence, and that programs proven effective are scaled up. We have a growing number of partnerships in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

About the Project:

J-PAL SA is collaborating with the Punjab Police to evaluate efforts to support female officers and institutionalize gender-sensitive practices within the police department. The focus of the study is Punjab Police’s Mahila Mitra (PPMM) program, which created help-desks for women and assigned female officers to staff those desks. The research project examines efforts to “mainstream” the PPMM program within the day-to-day work of the police station through different approaches to training. Using a mixed-methods approach (combining a randomized controlled trial and qualitative research), the study will evaluate the impact of different training modalities (female officers only; female and male officers in different settings; or female and male officers together) on the experiences and job satisfaction of female officers; the perception of female officers within the police; the implementation of the PPPM program, and police responsiveness to women.

Job description:

Qualitative research, including observations of and interviews with PPMM officers, will be integrated in all stages of the study, accompanying and complementing the RCT. The Research Associate’s role requires (a) working closely with the Principal Investigators on designing qualitative instruments, piloting them, and using them to conduct in-depth interviews with frontline officers; (b) qualitative analysis and thematic coding of fieldnotes; and (c) working closely with the stakeholders on overseeing the development of the intervention training materials for a full-scale RCT.

The Research Associate will be based in Punjab, working closely with the team of researchers and government counterparts to ensure the successful implementation of both the research and stakeholder engagement components of the project.

Key Responsibilities

Job description:

Key Responsibilities

Qualitative Research:

Collaborate in design and lead implementation of qualitative research activities in police stations, including ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions.
Work closely with the PIs and the research manager to refine research instruments and protocols.
Ensure accurate transcription, translation, and coding of qualitative data for analysis.
Contribute to qualitative data analysis and synthesis of findings in coordination with PIs.
Draft internal memos, presentations, and sections of reports for both research and policy audiences.
Provide inputs into training material design and dissemination documents based on field insights.
Report to the PIs and the RM on all of the above-mentioned activities and any other work assigned

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in public policy, political science, sociology, development studies, criminology, or a related field.
At least 1–2 years of relevant experience in field research, preferably with qualitative methods.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust with government stakeholders.
Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in Punjabi is required (Hindi desired).
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently in challenging field environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

Prior experience working with government stakeholders, especially in the law enforcement, justice, or governance sectors.
Experience conducting ethnographic or long-form qualitative research in institutional settings.
Comfort with data management and qualitative coding software (e.g., NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose).
Familiarity with mixed-methods research, including randomized evaluations and survey-based data collection.
Demonstrated ability to translate research findings into actionable insights for policy.
Interest in public administration, governance reform, or policing as a career pathway.

Note on Work Authorizations:

Candidates must have work authorization to work in India. This covers citizens of India, Nepal, or Bhutan, Persons of Indian origin (PIO), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).