Tetra Tech International Development Services, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, seeks an entry-level Research Associate to support the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded “Enabling Crop Analytics at Scale” activity.  This project will help unlock the ability to remotely generate accurate, near real-time, high-resolution insights on agricultural performance (time of planting, growing season progression, crops planted, area planted, crop health, area harvested, yields, total area production); and underlying conditions (e.g., water and soil conditions, biotic and abiotic stress) at field to national scales to improve strategic and operational decisions for a range of private and public actors working in agriculture at a global scale.  

The Research Associate will be a core part of the activity’s Home Office Technical Team.  S/he will use both primary and secondary data sources to generate, analyze, and synthesize information products for use by the project team or Gates Foundation, with a focus on stakeholder analysis and reporting.  S/he will assist with both regular and discreet project reporting of results and outcomes, and will provide administrative support as needed for operations in both the US and India.  

The Research Associate will be based in Burlington, VT, with potential travel to project sites in India or elsewhere. The role is expected to be full-time throughout the17-month first phase of the project.  

What you will be doing:
• Support Stakeholder Landscape Analysis to identify and maintain database of organizations working in the crop analytics space, both at a global scale and specifically within the final selected geography within India. Support ongoing analysis, engagement, and partnerships with relevant organizations.
• Plan, organize, and conduct literature reviews, interviews, discussions, or other research to collect and analyze data for synthesis in reporting outcomes and results. 
• Develop guidelines for research procedures to be followed by subcontractors in India. 
• Prepare articles, blog posts, reports, and presentations for internal and public use, as required by the activity’s communication strategy.
• Support the project team in documentation of activity outcomes and results. These will include quarterly and annual reporting, as well as specific learning documents for internal use and broader dissemination among stakeholders.  
• Support the project team in procurement, logistics, or other administrative program management needs, especially as pertains to operations in India. 


Qualifications:
* Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, economics, statistics, business, machine learning, or related field.  Masters degree is preferred. 
* Experience working on international development projects and research in the agriculture sector. Research and work experience on agricultural technology and remote sensing for agriculture highly desirable
* Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, especially related to agriculture, highly desirable
* Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and industries
* Experience in a developing country context or experience in design and management of donor-funded development projects a plus
* Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially Excel and PowerPoint
* Proficiency with GIS and statistical tools preferred
* Ability to travel 10 - 20% of time, or as needed

* Ability to work in the U.S. without sponsorship is required