Research Specialist - Action Research

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking a research professional specialized in Action Research to join its office in Anand, India, as a Research Specialist – Action Research.

The Research Specialist will primarily contribute to the ongoing initiative, Indo-German Cooperation on Agrivoltaics (IGCA). IGCA aims to accelerate and mainstream the adoption of agrivoltaics in India, generating benefits for the rural population without compromising food security. The role also contributes to relevant IWMI-India projects and partnerships including those with ICAR, Tata Trusts and other collaborators.

The Research Specialist is responsible for planning, designing, overseeing, and monitoring action research activities, including protocol development, scientific process documentation, data collection, analysis, and interpretation to achieve research goals and objectives in agrivoltaics and action research.  The role engages with stakeholders, assigns and mentors support staff, organizes capacity development sessions, and produces knowledge products to enhance collaboration, outreach, and stakeholder expertise. The Research Specialist ensures timely recording and analysis of data, maintains optimal data pipelines, and develops comprehensive reports and  provides inputs to publications to disseminate findings and support evidence-based decision-making.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Main Purpose of Job:

• Plan, design, oversee, and monitor research activities, including developing field action sites, protocols, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, based on a defined research plan to achieve project objectives and development outcomes.
• Gather and synthesize information and literature to design studies, experiments,  surveys, related to action research ensuring alignment with the research outline provided.
• Design and implement monitoring system to assess the performance and impacts of agrivoltaics and action research projects.
• Collaborate, engage, communicate and coordinate with stakeholders on research activities to ensure project objectives and milestones are met including organizing meetings, dialogues, field visits and workshops.
• Design, conduct, and supervise the implementation of surveys or experiments related to action research , ensuring adherence to research protocols and objectives.
• The researcher will also take lead in scientific process documentation, data monitoring, field assessment and all other aspects related to action research sites where IWMI is involved as a partner, co-implementer, consultant or advisor.

Main engagement, collaboration and communication responsibilities:

• Identify and assign appropriate support for research activities, providing clear task responsibilities, technical information, and logistical guidance to ensure smooth implementation of experiments or studies.
• Provide input to performance appraisals of team members, providing constructive feedback and identifying opportunities for professional development to enhance team performance.
• Engage with colleagues, implementation partners, consultants, farmers and other stakeholders exchange conceptual ideas and effectively gather feedback and research-related requirements for the research's advancement or to align the execution of research.
• Align and synchronize project activities with stakeholders to ensure consistency and mutual reinforcement of efforts.
• Develop training materials and organize tailored capacity development sessions to build expertise in area of work.
• Design and produce knowledge products, informational resources, and communication materials for to amplify the impact and outreach of project and organizational work.
• Identify and communicate key information to policymakers and non-scientific audiences to promote knowledge transfer and evidence-based decision-making.

Main responsibilities in the delivery of timely and quality services:

• Lead the synthesis and analysis of data to support the development of publications and presentations.
• Develop reports, and presentations, including summarizing research findings, preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, and creating posters and papers for dissemination.
• Prepare and deliver detailed project reports and supporting documentation for developer-led and farmer-led agrivoltaics projects in line with agreed timelines and quality standards.

Education, Certifications & Training:

• Master’s Degree in economics, rural management, agriculture, renewable energy, natural resource management or in a closely related discipline; or bachelor’s degree with extensive relevant experience.

Experience:

• Experience in planning, implementing and overseeing research tasks.
• Experience in data gathering and management.
• Exposure to research quality assurance of research processes.
• Experience in collaborating with partners on the implementation of research activities.
• Experience working in or with an international not-for-profit organization is an advantage.
• Experience in water and energy related action-research or field action.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English is essential to communicate in writing and speaking.
• Working knowledge of a second language, preferably Gujarati, Marathi or is desirable.

Functional and Technical competencies:

• Analytical, Critical and Systems Thinking: Analyzes information from multiple sources to identify trends, draw conclusions, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Scientific Ethics and Integrity: Adheres to ethical guidelines in data collection, analysis, and reporting, discloses potential conflicts of interest, and ensures compliance with open data principles to ensure transparency and accessibility.
• Data Analysis, Management and Visualization: Verifies data accuracy and consistency, addresses simple errors, summarizes and organizes data, and interprets basic trends using available systems and evolving data methodologies to support decisions or activities.
• Planning and Organizing: Plans and manages multiple priorities and deadlines independently, using time management tools to stay on track, and effectively balances competing tasks while adjusting as needed.
• Problem Solving: Analyzes information to identify root causes, collaborates with colleagues to gather information, and prioritizes critical factors to propose effective solutions.
• Water Systems Knowledge: Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of Central Asian water management systems, including irrigated agriculture, transboundary river basins, basin organizations, hydrometeorological services, and water-energy interactions in river basins.
• Development Contextual Analysis: Analyzes development challenges in India to understand underlying issues, applies knowledge of the water-energy-climate nexus, groundwater governance, agrarian livelihoods, and security, and prioritizes relevant contextual factors to inform effective research and project solutions.
• Field-Based Research: Conducts field-based and action research to gather relevant evidence, collaborates with communities, partners, and stakeholders to collect and validate information, and translates field insights into practical research outputs and recommendations.

This is a nationally recruited position and only Indian nationals will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period Two (02) years, with the possibility of extension.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on August 30, 2026 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, portfolio links and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.