MEL Associate – Data, Learning & Systems in Kolkata | Vikramshila Education Resource Society | ₹4.8-7.2 LPA

Vikramshila Education Resource Society

Vikramshila Education Resource Society is a national not-for-profit organisation working to improve the quality and fairness of education in India. For over three decades it has partnered with governments, development organisations and communities across several states. Its work covers Early Childhood Care and Education, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, teacher professional development and the strengthening of education systems. As its programmes and research portfolio grow, Vikramshila is building a stronger culture of evidence, reflection and steady improvement. This role sits within Vikramshila's central Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning function, which builds the shared systems, tools and evidence that programme teams across the organisation rely on.

Role

The MEL Associate works alongside programme teams across the organisation to design, run and keep improving a single, shared MEL architecture. The work spans systems development, measurement and tool design, data management and analysis, field-based learning, research and knowledge generation. A large part of the job is making sure these systems actually work on the ground, which means spending time with programme teams, listening to what field staff experience and reshaping systems when they are not working. Where standard measurement tools do not fit Indian programme realities, the Associate helps build new ones, tests them and shares what is learned with the wider education and development sector.

Responsibilities

• Develop and strengthen Vikramshila's organisation-wide MEL framework, covering indicators, results frameworks, monitoring processes, data structures, quality standards and reporting.
• Work with programme teams to understand their goals and information needs, and turn these into MEL systems people can genuinely use.
• Support teams through the rollout of these systems on the ground, not only through their design.
• Build feedback loops between the MEL function and programme teams, and adjust systems when field experience shows they are not working.
• Assess credible, widely accepted measurement tools and adapt them for Indian programme settings.
• Design and pilot new measurement tools where existing ones do not meet programme needs, working with programme, technical and research partners.
• Test the quality of these tools through reliability and validity testing, item analysis, index construction, scoring and weighting, factor analysis and inter-rater reliability.
• Design and manage digital data collection systems, automated trackers and dashboards using tools such as Google Forms and Google Sheets.
• Clean, code, analyse and interpret data, and turn findings into clear insights for programme teams and organisational leadership.
• Identify where technology and AI can make data collection, analysis, visualisation and reporting faster and more useful.
• Support baseline, midline, endline and process evaluations, including survey design, sampling, field protocols, data collection and analysis.
• Document methods, piloting, validation and field learning, and turn these into technical notes, learning briefs, policy briefs, case studies, publications and conference presentations.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Statistics, Economics, Development Studies, Mathematics, Data Science, Public Policy, Education Research, or a related quantitative field preferred
• 2 to 3 years of relevant experience in MEL, research, or data analysis
• Strong understanding of quantitative methods, research design, and data analysis
• Strong skills in Excel and Google Sheets
• Working knowledge of R, Python, SPSS, STATA, SQL, Power BI, Looker Studio, or Tableau is a plus
• Experience with digital data collection platforms is an advantage
• Knowledge of reliability and validity testing, index construction, or factor analysis is valuable
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of assignments
• Able to move between data analysis, field visits, and programme discussions
• Regular travel to programme locations across India

Benefits

• Monthly pay of ₹40,000 to ₹60,000, depending on experience and expertise.
• Exposure across programme design, measurement, field research, data systems, evaluation, tool development and validation.
• Opportunity to publish and present learning at conferences, webinars and in journals.
• An equal opportunity workplace committed to safeguarding, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and a clear code of conduct.

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