Job Description

Organization: IT for Change

Position: Senior Policy Researchers

No. of Positions Available: 3

 Expected start date: July-August 2024

Location: Bengaluru/Remote

Position: Full-time

Apply by: 15 June 2024

Do you think digital justice is a key developmental challenge of the 21st century

Are you interested in emerging policies that will shape the future of the digital society and economy?

Does Big Tech’s control over global digital infrastructures worry you? 

These are the key questions that drive our efforts at IT for Change. If these issues are keeping you up at night as well, let’s team up!

What We’re Looking for

IT for Change is expanding its senior research and management team. We would like to welcome entrepreneurial individuals who would like to be part of a dynamic NGO that works towards social change. The incoming candidate will be part of shaping the organizational trajectory for the coming years, lead a track, and take on the broader challenge of institution building with the core leadership team. Specifically, they should be able to helm a role of intellectual leadership by developing and taking point on these tracks, effectively leading research and policy advocacy initiatives, and supervising an interdisciplinary team towards implementation and execution.

We are looking to recruit for 3 track leads:

Track 1 - Social media governance, the public sphere, and democracy

Track 2 - Regenerative AI: Governing data and AI for global economic justice

Track 3 - Digital infrastructures and their intersection with development domains such as health, agriculture, urban governance, etc.

The ideal candidates should have:

10+ years of experience in policy research on development, economic justice, and human rights issues, with at least 5+ years’ experience on digital issues.

Expertise in the political economy of the digital – market concentration and corporate power, geo-politics and geo-economics of digitalization, democracy and the public sphere, the sociologies of innovation, international governance challenges and pathways, alternative AI models, etc.

A track record of robust and critical understanding of a broad range of debates and issues with respect to technology governance

Skills relevant to research methods in the digital domain

Excellent writing skills and ability to author accessible pieces in a short turnaround

Keen interest in change processes, including providing knowledge support for civil society organizations, policymakers, and multilateral discussions

Demonstrated experience in guiding teams, mentoring younger researchers, working in trans-disciplinary environments, and independently leading projects from conception to change-making

Appreciation of the nature of the NGO environment, and demonstrated leadership skills in navigating complexity

Roles and Responsibilities

As part of the senior leadership, the candidate will be expected to provide managerial leadership across flagship organizational projects, undertake substantive research and advocacy, and contribute to management decision-making processes. Specific responsibilities include:

Project management and implementation

Conceptualizing, planning, and designing research projects

Maintaining administrative responsibility and accountability on activities

Interfacing with external and internal stakeholders on financial and programmatic aspects

Monitoring and evaluation of project milestones

Supervising, guiding, and mentoring research assistants and interns

Reporting to donors and organizational directors

Taking up/leading research and policy activities, individually or as a team

Contributing to report writing, blogs, policy briefs, and proposal writing

Supporting advocacy-related activities, including submissions to government, intergovernmental, and multilateral public consultation processes

Supporting and running short-term courses and workshops

Networking with national and global collaboration:

Attending/presenting work at national and international advocacy events

Supporting event planning

Expanding the impact footprint of the organization

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

A Ph.D./Master’s degree in social sciences, public policy, law, engineering, or design and allied fields, with 5+ years of experience working in the technology policy domain

Demonstrable immersion in current debates on the sociology and political economy of technology

Demonstrable track record in authoring/co-authoring research outputs and publications on digital policy topics and issues

Excellent academic writing and research skills, and ability to work within interdisciplinary teams, with a flair for producing journalistic and non-academic pieces for wider audiences

Substantial experience with global project management, monitoring and evaluation activities, and comfort working/communicating in asynchronous arrangements

What You Can Expect

The opportunity to undertake cutting-edge and critical research and advocacy at a global level

The agility to redefine and lead new frontiers in digital policy through a Global South standpoint

The chance to work with a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and supportive cohort of researchers

The opportunity to belong in wider networks for enrichment and contribution

A competitive compensation package (commensurate with experience and qualifications)

How to Apply?

Please send a brief (no more than 1 page) expression of interest highlighting past experience and fitment for the role (mentioning the specific track), along with a resume, recent list of publications (dating back no more than 5 years), and at least two recent writing samples (one academic and one non-academic) to jobs-policy-researchers@itforchange.net by 15 June 2024. References must be provided upon request. 

About Company

All Jobs posted by: IT for Change