Associate Fellow (Economics/ Public Policy/ Applied Econometrics / Data Science)

About PIF

PIF is a purpose-driven action tank committed to shaping evidence-based, impactful policies for India’s economic transformation. We work closely with state and central governments on district-led development, export-led manufacturing, Ease of doing business, strengthening data systems, and impact assessments.

Role Overview

As an Associate Fellow, you will:

• Lead data-driven research and policy analysis projects.
• Design and apply advanced econometric and statistical methods (DiD, IV, PSM, panel data models, etc.) for causal insights.
• Work with large-scale datasets (administrative, labour, GST, satellite, survey).
• Develop and apply machine learning methods (supervised/unsupervised learning, natural language processing, predictive modelling) where appropriate.
• Translate evidence into policy recommendations and clear outputs (reports, briefs, op-eds).
• Collaborate with researchers and manage stakeholder engagement with government and partners.
  

Qualifications

• PhD (or Masters with susbtantial experience) in Economics, Econometrics, Data Science, Statistics, or related quantitative discipline.
• Strong training in econometrics (microeconometrics, causal inference, time series, panel methods).
• Proven skills in statistical programming (Stata, R, or Python; SQL desirable).
• Experience (7+ years for Associate Fellow) in empirical research, applied econometrics, data science, or related analytical fields.
•  Strong ability to handle large-scale and messy datasets; knowledge of data cleaning, integration, and visualization.

Bonus Qualifications:

•  Experience in survey design and field data collection (ASI, LFS, ASUSE, NSS, or similar).
• Familiarity with India’s statistical system (MoSPI, state DES, national accounts, GVA methods).
• Experience with machine learning methods (clustering, classification, forecasting) applied to economic and policy datasets.
• Strong communication skills for policy briefs, government engagement, along with op-eds and journal papers.
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and big data frameworks (Spark, Hadoop) will be an added advantage.
  

Why Join Us:

• Work directly with governments on live policy challenges.
• Apply cutting-edge data and econometric methods to real-world governance issues.
• Contribute to pioneering reforms in India’s statistical and economic planning systems.
• Be part of a collaborative, impact-oriented environment.
  

Application Process:

Email the following to info@pahleindia.org

•  CV
• Cover Letter (highlighting data/econometrics experience)
• 1–2 writing samples (preferably empirical research, such as published papers or op-eds)