Research Associate

Posiiton: Research Associate (Climate Portfolio)
Number of Positions: 1
Duration: 7 months, starting September 2026
Location: Kathmandu

Organization Description

The Why: NEPAL aspires to graduate from least developing country to a lower middle-income country by 2026. However, the development community’s excessive focus today on socio-political empowerment has not yielded the desired economic transformation. In reaching the 2026 national target, shall we wait for institutions of power to become accountability productive or shall we bolster innovations of people to bring inclusive prosperity? How do we strengthen grassroots-government collaboration in shaping an equal and enterprising future?

The How: DAAYITWA, with a focus on economic empowerment, envisions an enterprising Nepal where every youth has opportunities for a prosperous future. Daayitwa is a part of the Daayitwa Abhiyaan which consists of four organizations: Daayitwa, Governance Lab, Nepal Leadership Academy based in Nepal and Nepal Rising (Daayitwa-US) based in the U.S. Inspired by shared values of innovation, collaboration, and service, it promotes the socio- economic development of Nepal. The movement fosters inclusive and equitable economic growth by accelerating grassroots innovations, strengthening government institutions, and revitalizing a virtuous cycle of democracy and development through grassroots-government collaboration.

Our Focus Areas:

1. Promote enterprise-led employment creation

2. Design evidence-based policies for improved decision-making

3. Build state capability for effective policy implementation

4. Foster stakeholder collaboration for governance innovations

Daayitwa runs several programs and initiatives aimed at our focus area.

Job Description

The What: We are looking for a full-time Research Associate who will (a) work closely with a research team based at top international universities to develop study protocols (b) collaborate with on-ground policy partners to execute the study and collect monitoring data; and (c) collect, clean and analyse data from large-scale field surveys in our study sample. The Research Associate will be based in Kathmandu, with occasional travel to study field sites. This position requires a self-starting candidate, who enjoys working on cutting edge research that informs policy. The candidate will have a unique opportunity to drive efforts to ensure that government policy priorities inform research agenda and vice versa. The candidate will also conduct in-depth interviews and scoping activities, engage with government stakeholders, manage field activities and coordinate field staff for the execution of primary data collection activities. She/he will support high-quality cleaning and rigorous analysis of both primary and secondary data, and work with a team of leading economists and public policy experts from top universities across the world and the Inclusion Economics India Centre. It is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in a career in academic research to work closely with a Principal Investigator team that includes Rohini Pande (Yale University) Maulik Jagnani (Tufts University), and George Taylor (UC Berkeley).

The Project:

Urban and peri-urban flooding imposes severe and growing economic costs across South Asia, with the burden falling disproportionately on the informal firms that form the backbone of local economies. Kathmandu’s peri-urban and urban economy is built on a dense population of informal firms whose financial fragility makes flood disruption acutely damaging and adaptation especially difficult; evidence from similar settings shows that firms systematically underinvest in protection even when adaptation would be cost-effective, and the evidence base on why — and what would shift their behaviour — remains thin. This proposal outlines a randomised study testing whether timely flood forecast information allows formal and informal firms in Kathmandu to take anticipatory measures to prevent flood damages, generating evidence to support climate-resilient economic growth in Nepal.

The central question is whether information constraints are the binding obstacle to adaptation among Kathmandu’s peri-urban formal and informal firms. Treatment firms receive timely forecast dissemination, and the study measures outcomes including days of business closure, inventory losses, worker layoffs, and changes in procurement and sales patterns, as well as relevant outcomes for neighbouring firms, connected suppliers, workers, and consumers.

Responsibilities:

In collaboration with the research and senior project teams, the Research Associate will be required to:

• Conduct data cleaning and analysis of multiple primary and secondary data sources.
•  Seek out and collect administrative data from partners and government agencies.
• Assist in the design and field-testing of scoping and survey instruments.
• Support the day-to-day implementation of field-based research including scoping, surveying,field staff recruitment, training & supervision.
• Support with writing research outputs such as policy briefs, research articles, etc.
•  Review and report on academic literature of requested topics in support of concept notes, policy briefs and research projects.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with officials at all three spheres of government, policy and program partners in academia, civil society etc., as requested.
• Others, as required

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with experience in data-based research, preferably in economics, political economy, political science, or a related field.
•  Strong interest in public policy and economic development in low-income countries.
•  Excellent oral and written communication skills in Nepali and English languages.
•  Proficiency in Stata and/or other statistical tools and the Microsoft Office suite.
• Mature, self-directed individual with ability to balance multiple tasks and prioritize effectively to meet deadlines in a fast-paced working environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly and frequently to other parts of the country.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with data based research in Stata and/or other statistical tools is highly desired.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to engage with partners at various levels.
• Additional local language skills (apart from English and Nepali).
•  Field experience and administering surveys will be an added advantage.
• Prior experience with external stakeholder engagement such as government, donors, development agencies, and/or political parties.

What we offer

• A dynamic and engaging environment within our office in Kathmandu, with our India based partner, and with internationally acclaimed researchers.
•  A competitive salary by local standards.
•  Regular travel within Nepal.

Additional information

Compensation: Governance Lab will provide compensation on a monthly rate basis. The rate will be mutually agreed upon, commensurate with the level of the required deliverables, the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

How to Apply: If you’re keen on this position, kindly complete the form below by 20 August, 2026. To access the page, please click on the provided link and right-click to go to the link. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOeqtGl3bB5mmTLqIurHs2QwkGe2jWDfBgsyQcT7LX-Jg5IA/viewform

At the end of the form, you will be asked to submit a few documents.

All documents must be compiled in a single file, PDF format only and labelled as “Your Last Name_Your First Name_Research Associate (e.g., “Sullivan_Ben_Research Associate)

1. Cover letter (one page max)

2. CV (two pages max)

3. Academic transcripts from all degrees received

4. A writing sample (of not more than 1000 words)

Deadline: 20 August, 2026.

Priority Deadline: 16 August, 2026.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The vacancy may be closed prior to the deadline if a suitable candidate is found. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Daayitwa is committed to promoting workforce diversity and actively encourages applications from individuals belonging to marginalized and discriminated groups, including women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi/Terai, and other minority communities. The organization values inclusive representation and strives to create a diverse and equitable working environment.

Tagged as: Kathmandu