Manager - Research & Impact

Why this role exists :

Sanjhi Sikhiya works with government primary schools and village communities across four districts in Punjab. We generate a lot of data from our programmes. This role exists to make that data count — by asking the right research questions, designing rigorous tools and studies, building the team's ability to use evidence, and communicating findings in ways that strengthen programme design and influence decision-makers at the district and state level.

What you will own

1. Research Design and Studies

Identify research questions and evidence gaps using programme data across programmes ie. School, Village, Youth Leadership, STEM programmes

Design study methodologies — action research, ethnographic studies, pre-post, quasi- experimental, longitudinal, and mixed methods

Handle sampling, basic descriptive analysis, and where relevant, inferential statistical tests

Design qualitative and quantitative tools — with strong understanding of question design principles (leading vs non-leading, social desirability bias, etc.)

Write up findings as research briefs, working papers, and reports that are clear and usable by programme teams and external audiences

2. M&E Systems and Tools

Design and maintain M&E frameworks and LFAs across programmes

Understand Theory of Change and support programme teams in designing and articulating TOC

Design and regularly update monitoring tools — assessment forms, observation forms, facilitation rubrics, maturity matrices

Ensure data collected through Kobo and other systems is clean, complete, and usable

Work with large datasets using Excel, R, Python, or STATA

3. Data Capacity Building and Usage

Train programme teams on how to interpret, analyse, and use data for planning and reflection

Facilitate data review sessions in monthly and quarterly meetings

Observe field processes and learning sessions and share structured feedback to district and state teams

Support teams to move from data collection to data-informed decision making

4. Support in Evidence Communication and Advocacy

Prepare and present findings to district officials, DIET, and state-level stakeholders and enable Sanjhi Sikhiya’s district/state teams to take this further

Use data for liaisoning and advocacy — making the case for programme approaches with evidence

Support in producing knowledge products — case studies, impact briefs, infographics, articles — for external dissemination

Manage research partnerships and coordinate with external organisations and evaluators

What we are looking for

Skills and experience

5–6 years of experience in M&E, research, or impact roles in the social sector

Strong foundation in research methodology — both quantitative and qualitative

Hands-on experience with statistical tools — at minimum Excel; ideally R, STATA, or Python

Experience designing monitoring tools, assessments, and qualitative study instruments

Ability to design and implement M&E frameworks and LFAs

Understanding of TOC and programme design concepts

Clear, structured writing — can synthesise findings and write reports, briefs, and articles

Comfortable presenting data to non-technical audiences including officials and community members

Experience working with DIET, district officials, or state education departments is preferred

Familiarity with data collection platforms like Kobo, ODK, or similar tools

Who you are

You ask why before asking how — you want to understand what a piece of evidence is for before designing it

You can hold rigour and practicality together — you know when good enough is good enough and when it is not

You communicate findings in plain language — you do not hide behind jargon

You are comfortable working in ambiguity and with evolving programme designs

You care about ground reality — you want to see how data is actually used, not just collected

Who you work with most

R&I Lead — weekly check-ins, research planning, and quality review of outputs

Programme and Design Teams (LP, GP, Scale, PYLP, STEM) — tool design, data review sessions, feedback on design decisions

District and State Teams — sharing findings, capacity building on data interpretation

External Partners — DIET officials, research organisations, implementation partners

About Sanjhi Sikhiya Foundation

Sanjhi Sikhiya Foundation works with government primary schools and village communities in Punjab, India — across four districts: Patiala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Ropar. We work on improving learning outcomes through a combination of classroom support, community governance, and leadership development of young people. We are a small, values-driven team and we take our culture seriously. Our core values are Compassion, Collaboration, Curiosity & Continuous Learning, Awareness, and Grit & Resilience. We look for these not just in the work but in how people show up every day.

Other deatils :

Location : Mohali

Slalary band : ₹6.5 –7.75 LPA