The Economist

Role Summary:

Our client is seeking a Grounded Economist - a strategic thinker who transcends standard data analysis to build new theoretical frameworks for the social innovation sector. Unlike traditional MEL roles focused on compliance, this is a Learning and Evolution role. You will bridge the gap between rigorous econometric research and on-ground practice, translating Data into Information and information into Knowledge. The Economist has to be someone who can recognize economic patterns that secondary research or even AI misses, and connect those field narratives to macro-economic trends.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Macro-Triangulation & Strategic Pattern Recognition:

- Move beyond standard benchmarking to identify emerging trends in the field that secondary research or AI might miss.

- Triangulate internal program data with national and global economic shifts to create high-level insights for the social innovation sector.

- Lead the analysis of program data using advanced econometric methods (R, Stata, or Python) to build compelling, evidence-based economic narratives.

2. Framework Innovation & Thought Leadership:

- Design and lead new theoretical frameworks for inclusive entrepreneurship and social innovation rather than simply evaluating existing ones.

- Act as a technical thought leader, representing the organization to donors, policymakers, and external stakeholders.

- Develop quantitative and qualitative frameworks to track ecosystem outcomes, benchmarking models against global standards.

3. Knowledge Creation & Data Storytelling

- Translate field evidence into high-level "policy-ready" products, including technical reports, book proposals, and thought-leadership blogs.

- Convert complex data sets into actionable recommendations and capacity-building modules for program managers and field teams.

- Provide data-driven inputs for enterprise services, such as pricing models, viability analysis, and financial planning frameworks.

4. Embedded & Developmental Evaluation (MEL)

- Implement Developmental Evaluation methodologies, working directly with communities to capture "ground-level" narratives that quantitative data may overlook.

- Facilitate quarterly learning sessions to synthesize field observations and ensure internal evaluation documentation informs future practice.

- Collaborate with the data team to manage interactive dashboards, assessing gaps regularly to ensure the work is both evidence-based and scalable.

5. Field Rigor & Quantitative Excellence

- Design survey instruments, sampling frameworks, and data collection protocols that ensure high contextual accuracy.

- Utilize qualitative software (e.g., NVivo) alongside quantitative tools to process field narratives, ensuring a deep understanding of rural/low-income contexts.

- Train and mentor field teams on rigorous data collection, dashboard interpretation, and the nuances of qualitative engagement.

Qualifications & Experience:

a) Postgraduate degree in Economics, Development Economics related field.

b) 2-8 years of experience in applied economic analysis, livelihoods/ entrepreneurship programs, or MEL.

c) Strong skills in quantitative analysis and data visualization.

d) Strong writing (published documents are a plus), facilitation skills, and experience with "Data Storytelling.

d) Experience in survey design, econometric methods, and mixed-methods research.

e) Demonstrated ability to produce knowledge products for funders, policymakers, and practitioners.

f) Fieldwork experience in rural/low-income contexts; willingness to travel extensively.

g) Sensitivity to gender, caste, and social equity issues; ability to engage respectfully with communities.