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Job Profile: Program Officer - Research and Analysis

Position

Program Officer - Research and Analysis 

Experience

2-3 years (preferably from the social sector)

Reporting To

Manager – Research and Analysis, Praja Foundation

Location

Mumbai

 

About Praja

Praja Foundation is a non-partisan organisation dedicated to enhancing urban life in India for over 26 years. Through data-driven research, Praja supports governance reforms, provides actionable insights, and empowers elected officials and government representatives.

The Foundation has shaped urban governance by developing Mumbai’s Citizen Charter, improving grievance systems, publishing annual white papers, and launching report cards to assess MLAs and Councillors in Mumbai and Delhi. Praja also conducts training and workshops to strengthen leadership and citizen participation.

Praja’s Urban Governance Index (UGI), launched in 2020 and updated in 2024, ranks cities nationwide and is utilised by major institutions such as MoHUA, NITI Aayog, and the National Institute of Urban Affairs.

Looking ahead, Praja aims to advance urban governance in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Delhi, working collaboratively with government, media, academia, and civil society to improve urban life for all.

The Role

The Program Officer will be responsible for conducting the research and analysis around Praja’s Research Programmes to build the evidence on urban governance and fiscal reforms in different states and cities. The role will include conducting in-depth research, drafting research papers and reports and presenting the complex information in simple formats. The ideal candidate for this role should have prior knowledge of public policy, urban governance, municipal finance and accounts with a clear understanding of the functioning of urban local governments in India. We are looking for a passionate researcher with the skill to analyse complex data sets to create research-oriented papers and reports.

Main Responsibilities

  • Lead and conduct research (Field and Secondary) to enrich the insights of the research paper and reports.
  • Identify, analyse, and interpret trends or patterns from complex data sets, drawing valid inferences and presenting them successfully in the simplest form.
  • Write the findings of analysis in the form of research papers and reports for stakeholder’s outreach.
  • Collaborate with the design team to support written content with creative and engaging graphic ideas
  • Provide guidance and support to the data and analysis team, ensuring data quality and adherence to timelines.
  • Willing to travel extensively within the city and outstation as required and at times at short notice.  

Qualification, Experience, Competencies

  • Graduate or Postgraduate, preferably, in Public Administration/Economics/Political Science.
  • Understanding of Urban Governance Concepts, Municipal Finance, Public Policies, Constitution and
  • the Right to Information Act.
  • Comfortable reading and interpreting policy documents such as Municipal Corporation Act, Municipal Budget document etc.
  • Ability to conduct both field and secondary research on urban governance topics
  • Hands-on experience in writing research papers and reports.
  • Demonstrate strong analytical skills, collecting, organising, analysing data.
  • Good knowledge of Microsoft Word/Excel/ PowerPoint and Internet/social media.
  • Self-motivated with a strong sense of commitment and ability to work under minimal supervision.

Please send your resume to hr@praja.org  with a cover letter why you wish to join Praja Foundation and how the work profile will help you to achieve you goal.

While applying for the position, kindly keep the email subject as “Applying for Program Officer – Research and Analysis – Mumbai”