Research Associate, Senior Research Associate – Heat Forecast

Precision Development (PxD)

. Lead formative research on how AI-based heat forecasts can help agriculture and livestock farmers prepare for and respond to heat .

Posted 10/23/2026full-timeNew Delhi • IndiaSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead formative research on how AI-based heat forecasts can help agriculture and livestock farmers prepare for and respond to heat
Design and conduct qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and rapid surveys with crop and livestock farmers
Map farmers' weather-information sources, required timing and lead times, and potential responses to heat forecasts
Engage government agencies, meteorological departments, extension systems, and livestock/veterinary services to understand heat early-warning systems and gaps
Review literature and evidence on heat-stress impacts and heat early-warning interventions
Synthesize findings into research briefs and presentations
Define use cases for AI-based heat forecasts, including target users, supported decisions, forecast variables, lead times, and thresholds
Work with data science and forecasting partners to assess forecast-product suitability
Co-design heat-advisory content and delivery channels with farmers and subject-matter experts
Design and program survey instruments using SurveyCTO/ODK
Oversee data-collection quality through field visits, back-checks, and high-frequency checks
Analyze pilot data on engagement, comprehension, trust, behavior change, and early outcomes
Clean, merge, and analyze weather, forecast, survey, and administrative data
Assess relationships between heat exposure and agricultural and livestock outcomes
Monitor forecast performance against observed weather data and flag issues
Contribute to dashboards and data pipelines supporting PxD's weather initiative

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's or Master's degree in economics, agricultural economics, public policy, development studies, statistics, environmental/climate science, or a closely related field
Demonstrated experience conducting field research in LMIC settings, including qualitative methods (interviews, FGDs) and quantitative surveys
Strong understanding of economics and econometrics, and familiarity with randomized evaluations
Excellent knowledge of Stata, R, Python, or similar software for data analysis
Demonstrated experience using SurveyCTO/ODK or a similar program for survey design
Understanding of research ethics for human subjects in the social sciences
Interest in climate adaptation, weather and climate services, or digital agriculture; familiarity with weather/forecast data or heat-stress impacts on crops or livestock is a strong plus
Ability to translate research insights into practical product or service design, working with technical and non-technical stakeholders
Excellent organizational skills, detail-oriented, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Fluency in English with strong oral and written communication skills; knowledge of Hindi or another Indian language is a plus
Ability to work under time pressure and solve problems creatively
Willingness to travel frequently to project sites and conduct fieldwork, including during summer months
Candidates must have existing authorization to work in India; PxD is unable to sponsor visas

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible working arrangements to support your wellbeing
Applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis
Merit-based evaluation without regard to protected characteristics