Research Fellow

About Us

Good Business Lab (GBL) is a research-to-action nonprofit that advances access to high-quality jobs for low-income workers. We believe a truly good job is more than wages — it creates conditions for workers to thrive. Yet too few workers have access to sustained wage growth, supportive workplaces, and real opportunities for advancement. GBL works to change this by expanding pathways into better-fit, higher-opportunity work and improving job quality within large employers. We study worker needs, partner with workers and employers to co-design interventions that serve both individual and business goals, and evaluate impact through causal methods. Across manufacturing, retail, and food service, our work shows that improving job quality also improves firm performance. Globally, we have directly improved outcomes for over 500,000 workers, with indirect reach across an ecosystem impacting nearly 2 million more.

The founders of the Lab are Achyuta Adhvaryu - Professor of Economics and Director of 21st Century India Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego ( [link for members] ), Anant Ahuja - Head of ESG and Sustainability  at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., and Anant Nyshadham - Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan ( [link for members] ).

Role Summary

The Research Fellow will join the team of Principal Investigators (PIs) to provide technical leadership across a portfolio of existing research projects (3-4) and   support the development of new research projects. The research projects are aligned with GBL’s mission: providing better jobs for workers around the globe through evidence-based  interventions and policies focussed around firms. The research projects will cover key thematic areas of the GBL portfolio: Gender, Health, Climate, Livelihoods, and Workplace. You will work with Research Managers (along with other GBL team)  to lead the project where you will lead the technical part of the projects and the Research Managers will oversee day-to-day project management

Location: Bengaluru/Delhi (India)

Length of Commitment: at least one year

Duration of engagement: 2 Years

Start Date: ASAP (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis)

Who are you?

Ideally, you have

• A PhD (or submitted dissertation) in Economics, Public Policy, Development , or a related field.

• Experience in rigorous research methods: Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental methods.

• Experience in managing RCTs with experience in conducting social science or economic field research (supervising data collection, teams of field workers, survey design and implementation) is strongly preferred.

• Experience working with large primary and secondary datasets.

• Experience writing grant proposals and contributing to fundraising.

• Ability to work in a team, manage multiple projects  and be self-motivated.

• Strong academic and non-academic communication skills (writing and presentations) with experience in translating findings into academic papers, technical reports, presentations, and other external-facing outputs.

• Experience working in low- and middle-income country contexts and willingness to travel for fieldwork are strongly preferred.

What will you do?

• Primary Responsibilities (75% -80%  time):

• Lead the research design of projects by defining relevant research questions and appropriate research design, pre-analysis plans, measurement strategies, and statistical analysis plans taking into account  feasibility constraints (such as budget, resources, timelines and on-ground realities)

• Monitor the progress (together with the Research Manager) of projects to ensure research design fidelity and data quality.

• Assess any changes that are  required in the research design, implementation, or measurement plan of projects, and help determine final project direction in consultation with the other PIs.

• Proactively identify and mitigate project risks.

• Identify new research ideas and develop research proposals.

• Work with GBL’s fundraising team on funding applications for these ideas. Support GBL’s Partnerships team in its engagements with firm partners, implementation partners, research collaborators and funders on the technical aspects of research and collaboration, to enable smooth and rigorous project execution.

• Lead academic writing for projects, including academic papers and technical sections of funder reports.

• Other responsibilities (20-25%):

• Mentor Research Managers, Research Associates and other staff

• Lead training session of Research Associates and other staff

• Help improve the procedures, policies, and culture of GBL

• Contribute to GBL’s communications (blogs and articles) as requested

• Represent GBL at meetings with external stakeholders (by delivering presentations, for example)

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.

• Traveling to project sites and engaging with field teams, partners, and stakeholders as needed.

• Problem-solving in high-pressure environments.

How to apply?

• Fill up the application form and kindly share your Research Statement highlighting research agenda by emailing us at [link for members] with the subject line “Application for [Role Name]”.

• Please include an academic paper or PhD chapter that best represents your research, ideally solo-authored.

The hiring process

We are glad you’re interested in applying for this role! Here is an excerpt of the screening process overview which can take up to 2-4 weeks (from the date of the application deadline).

• CV, cover letter and research statement screening

• Interview with hiring lead  / Research presentation

• Final Round Interview

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.

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.

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 for 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.