About J-PAL South Asia

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) J-PAL was established in 2003 as a research center at the Economics Department at MIT. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL is propelled by a first-rate team dedicated to research, policy, training, and other vital work, supporting J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

J-PAL South Asia, based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai, leads J-PAL's efforts to advance evidence-informed policymaking in the region. By conducting rigorous randomized evaluations, forging impactful strategic partnerships, and scaling effective programs, we strive to deliver better evidence to help governments design better policies so people can live better lives. Established in 2007, J-PAL South Asia is the oldest and the largest among all J-PAL offices. We have 255 ongoing and completed evaluations in the South Asia region across 11 sectors to date.

About the Project

Better Bricks is a multi-country research and implementation program focused on improving the environmental, economic and social performance of informal brick kilns in South Asia. Led by researchers at Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and UC Berkeley, and, in partnership with (Bangladesh), Greentech Knowledge Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the program has achieved landmark results in Bangladesh-including a randomized controlled trial demonstrating that a no-capital-cost operational intervention called Zigzag 2.0 reduces CO₂ and PM2.5 emissions by 20%, cuts energy use by 26%, and increases kiln owner profitability.

The Indo-Gangetic region faces the worst air pollution in the world, with enormous social and economic costs. Building on our past success, Better Bricks is now expanding to India, where at least 50,000 brick kilns present an enormous opportunity for positive impact. West Bengal is the primary entry point for this expansion, given its close operational similarity to kilns in Bangladesh. Over the next three years, the India workstream will encompass stakeholder and government engagement, a systematic situational assessment of the brick manufacturing landscape, adaptation and piloting of the Zigzag 2.0 intervention in West Bengal and a second state in the Indo-Gangetic region, and the development of a state-specific scale-up roadmap.

This position is funded for 3 years with the opportunity for extension if additional funding is secured.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Research Manager to lead the India workstream of the BRICK South Asia Initiative. This is a senior field leadership role requiring someone who can operate with significant autonomy, manage complex multi-stakeholder relationships, and maintain a strategic overview of a program with many simultaneous sub-workstreams.

The Research Manager will serve as the primary on-the-ground lead for all India activities, working closely with the principal investigators (Nina Brooks, University of Michigan Stephen Luby, Stanford University) and senior technical advisor Sameer Maithel (Bangalore, India). The role involves high-level stakeholder management, hiring and supervising research and field staff and technical staff, overseeing technical adaptation of the Zigzag 2.0 intervention,



coordinating implementation, engaging government agencies (both national and state level), and ensuring that the program's research and operational activities are planned and delivered on time and to a high standard.

The successful candidate will bring deep familiarity with India's air pollution policy landscape and ideally with the brick kiln sector or other informal sector activities (e.g., crop residue burning, waste burning, tanneries, etc). A strong technical background is key for this role. Much of the early India work will involves adapting and testing the ZZK2.0 intervention package for the Indian context - including engineering questions such as brick-setting configuration and fan design and performance - which will often require the RM to be involved in experimentation design directly. They will be as comfortable reviewing a survey instrument as they are presenting findings to a state pollution control board.

Key Responsibilities

- Program Leadership and Coordination
- Serve as the primary lead for all India-based research and implementation activities across the three-year program.
- Maintain a comprehensive view of all sub-workstreams (stakeholder engagement, situational assessment, partner engagement, pilot design, data collection, policy engagement) and ensure coherent, timely progress across them.
- Be a thought partner in the efforts to adapt the technical ZZK2.0 intervention to the Indian context.
- Develop and maintain detailed work plans, timelines, and budgets in coordination with the PIs.
- Communicate proactively with the PI team through regular written updates and virtual meetings flag risks and delays early.
- Support the PIs during in-country visits to India, coordinating meetings with partners, government stakeholders, and candidates.
- Partner and Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead outreach and relationship management with the brick kiln industry, including district and state brick kiln owners associations.
- Lead outreach to and relationship management with potential implementation partners, including NGOs, research and academic organizations, and technical consulting firms active in the brick sector
- Develop and maintain productive working relationships with national, state, and local government agencies, such as the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and equivalent bodies in a second target state.
- Engage with national-level stakeholders including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and relevant ministries as appropriate.
- Research Management
- Oversee the design, implementation, and quality assurance of the India situational assessment, including key informant interviews with kiln owners, workers, soil suppliers, brick buyers, government officials, and NGO representatives.
- Manage the design and field implementation of qualitative research and larger scale surveys of current brick manufacturing practices in West Bengal and a second state.
- Coordinate (with the PI team) the pilot of Zigzag 2.0 adaptations (improvement in kiln operating practices), including partner training, adoption monitoring, and data collection.




- Work with the PI team to adapt existing survey instruments, data collection tools, and monitoring protocols from Bangladesh to the Indian context.
- Oversee data management and ensure data quality throughout the research process.
- Team Building and Supervision
- Recruit, supervise, and mentor a research associate (a separate hire at the junior level), technical staff (project engineers), field enumerators, qualitative researchers, and any other local project staff.
- Provide technical guidance and quality oversight to field teams during data collection activities.
- Work with the PI team to support the development of local capacity for brick sector research and intervention implementation.
- Policy and Dissemination
- Contribute to the development of state-specific scale-up plans identifying feasible implementation pathways, expected emissions reductions, and key operational risks.
- Synthesize findings from the situational assessment and pilot into policy-relevant documents for government and funder audiences.
- Represent the program at relevant conferences, workshops, and government forums.

Qualifications Required

- 5-7 years of professional experience in air quality, environmental policy, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated expertise in India's air pollution regulatory landscape, including familiarity with the Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards, and relevant policy frameworks.
- Proven experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder research or implementation programs independently, including oversight of field teams and survey-based data collection.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to hold a big-picture strategic view of a program while managing operational details across many simultaneous workstreams.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Hindi comfort producing clear technical reports, work plans, and stakeholder-facing documents.
- Master's degree in environmental science, economics, engineering, social science, or a related field.
- Sufficient technical/engineering fluency to independently design, run, or closely oversee field experimentation on intervention design questions, and to engage credibly with kiln owners on technical grounds.
- Willingness to be based in or travel extensively to West Bengal, particularly during the first 3-4 months of the position, and to spend significant time in the field (rural areas and small towns) throughout the program (with fieldwork intensification during the key brickmaking season of November to April).

Strongly Preferred

- Familiarity with the brick manufacturing sector in India-its production practices, ownership structures, labor conditions, regulatory environment, and key industry associations.
- Prior experience working with state or central pollution control agencies in India, or managing programs that engage closely with government regulatory bodies.
- Experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods, including key informant interview protocols, household or enterprise surveys, and data quality assurance procedures.
- Familiarity with research ethics and randomized evaluation approaches.
- Proficiency in Bengali or Hindi working knowledge of both is an asset.
- Experience working on informal sector programs in South Asia, particularly in industrial or occupational health contexts.
- Existing networks in the West Bengal environmental, research, or policy community.

📌 Research Manager, Better Bricks - J-PAL South Asia (India)
🏢 J-PAL South Asia
📍 India