Research & Insights - Manager

Department

R&I

Job posted on

Sep 24, 2025

Employment type

Full Time

About Dasra: Dasra drives collaborative action to accelerate social change. In 1999, Dasra began as a venture philanthropy fund to invest in early-stage non-profit organizations in India. We recognized early that we had the responsibility, the capability, the connections, and the energy to be a notable change agent. Dasra has evolved from being a philanthropy fund to a bridge between NGOs and funders, and now, two decades later, it has cemented its identity as a leading nonprofit systems orchestrator working with diverse stakeholders across the social impact ecosystem. Dasra promotes social change by acknowledging diverse challenges, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. Over the last 25 years, Dasra has gained a depth of knowledge from working with over 1,000 non-profits and having brought over $400 million in funding to organizations.

Dasra embraces diversity across people and communities through multiplicity in composition integrated with structures, culture and policies, enhancing inclusion and belonging for all in letter and spirit. We envision a team that includes people across caste, religion, gender, economic status, geography, disability and other underrepresented communities, supported by organizational structures that enable collective, transparent and fair decision making, guided by policies that facilitate growth and authenticity within an environment of openness and listening.

We believe that GEDI in our institutional and programmatic endeavors will enhance, drive and accelerate social impact and social change through an integration of the worldviews of the most marginalized, recognition of their vulnerabilities, rights and potentials and through prioritization of their needs. Dasra is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

About the Research & Insights Team: We triangulate ground reports, community testimonies, and non-profit expertise to generate meaningful, evidence-based insights that drive lasting social impact. By combining data-driven analysis with the deep knowledge of sector experts, we empower decision-makers to make informed choices and catalyze sustainable change. With our ears to the ground, our research captures macro-trends in philanthropy and highlights good practices from civil society. We undertake thematic studies on India's philanthropy ecosystem and flagship sectoral research, offering comprehensive overviews of non-profit action landscapes. Our work also supports non-profits and funders through evidence-backed strategy narratives and codification of practice. Dasra has published over 500 reports, videos, articles, and other communication materials. Our priority is to glean actionable insights that shape development discourse. Through thought leadership and strategic communications, we have inspired funders in India and globally to channel more strategic resources toward underserved sectors, geographies, and communities, helping mitigate inequalities and strengthen the social impact ecosystem.

• Key Responsibilities:
  
  Research and Analysis: Drive rigor and analytical thinking in research products about social impact, philanthropy, and strategy
  
  Thought Leadership: Develop and publish resources, thought leadership materials, and diverse content to manage learnings, integrate ecosystem building, and strengthen the nonprofit and philanthropy narratives.
  
  Team and Project Management: Manage professional development, supervise and mentor the team with a GEDI (gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion) lens; ensure team development towards high-quality impactful delivery; and nurture a culture of continuous learning
  
  Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: Manage multi-stakeholder projects; foster collaboration through insights-driven approaches; leverage diverse stakeholder perspectives to develop tools and resource.
  
  Convenings and Facilitation: Lead the conceptualization and facilitation of ecosystem events to engage diverse ecosystem actors toward insight-led dialogue and action
  
  Proposal Writing and Fund Raising: Support the organization with developing proposals and anchoring relationship management
• Skills Required:
  
  Work Experience: Individuals with 10-12 years of work experience in an analytical field (e.g., management consulting, strategy department, impact evaluation, quantitative data analytics)
  
  Educational Background: A postgraduate degree with an interdisciplinary inclination (e.g., business administration, public policy/ administration, economics) is a must; an excellent academic record is a plus
  
  Team Management: Prior experience in leading teams of 4-6 individuals to deliver on research and insights projects is a must
  
  Written & Communication skills: Brings strong structure and organization to written and verbal content and can frame concepts effectively for different target audience
  
  Project Management: Consistently meets deadlines, effectively manages time, across several complex projects, and identifies/resolves conflicts or roadblocks independently; is adaptable, proactive, and operates with a sense of efficiency, clarity and foresight
  
  Research & Data Analytics: Prioritizes structures and organizes the information effectively, using spreadsheets or data analysis tools where needed and ensuring adequate depth and breadth of perspectives; draws accurate results from the information gathered, within the theme
  
  Relationship Management: Engages external stakeholders with trust and confidence and can manage multiple relationships independently towards several goals/ projects/ deliverables
  
  Dissemination Capabilities: Demonstrated experience in managing projects where research is leveraged for visual and data-rich storytelling, narrative building, and digital design
  
  Soft Skills: Practices attentive and active listening to accurately restate the opinions of others even when they disagree; humility to learn given the diverse skills needed in an evolving field; ability to deal with ambiguity and exhibit an entrepreneurial mindset); a passion for the development sector and the communities we serve is a must
  
  Desirable: Demonstrated interest and/or experience in social impact, nonprofits, philanthropy, and/or public policy

If you have what it takes but are not sure you check every box – we encourage you to apply We would love the opportunity to explore and determine whether you could be a good fit.