Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is a leading public policy think tank advancing social change through market-based solutions. Our work in education focuses on enabling student-centric reforms through rigorous evidence, including Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), regulatory reform, and school choice.

Role: Research Consultant (Fixed-Term)

Team: Research & Training
Reports to: Senior Fellow
Contract Duration: 01 May – 30 September 2026 (extension contingent on performance and project pipeline)

Role Overview

CCS is seeking an exceptional quantitative researcher to lead execution of a high-stakes, large-scale field study evaluating school choice and learning outcomes under India’s RTE framework. The study leverages the world’s largest school voucher program as a natural experiment, with a sample of ~10,000 students across urban contexts. 

This is a frontline research execution role with end-to-end responsibility for data collection quality, analytical rigor, and delivery of publication-grade outputs under a compressed timeline. The role is explicitly designed for candidates who can operate at the level of top-tier applied microeconomics research, while maintaining operational control over complex field processes.

Key Responsibilities

1. End-to-End Field Execution (Non-Negotiable)

• Lead execution of large-scale household and student-level data collection (~10,000 observations)
• Design and enforce rigorous quality control systems (back-checks, audits, real-time monitoring)
• Manage survey firm(s) with strict performance benchmarks and accountability structures
• Troubleshoot field challenges in real time without compromising data integrity

2. Causal Inference & Quantitative Analysis

• Lead econometric analysis using lottery-based identification strategy
• Implement high-quality estimation frameworks (ATE, LATE, heterogeneity, robustness)
• Ensure full reproducibility: clean code, version control, and documentation standards
• Maintain analytical rigor consistent with top field journal expectations

3. Publication-Grade Research Output

• Lead drafting of an academic paper targeting top-tier peer-reviewed journals
• Produce outputs that meet standards of:
  ○ Conceptual clarity
  ○ Empirical rigor
  ○ Contribution to literature
• Drive internal iteration cycles to rapidly refine drafts toward submission quality

4. High-Control Project Delivery

• Own delivery across all phases: data collection (May–June), analysis (July), draft paper (August-September)
• Work in close coordination with the Research Manager to ensure zero-slippage execution
• Maintain tight control over timelines, outputs, and dependencies across stakeholders

5. Research Integrity & Standards

• Ensure adherence to best practices in:
  ○ Survey design and implementation
  ○ Data validation and cleaning
  ○ Ethical standards and research protocols
• Uphold standards expected in international research collaborations