Research / Senior Research Manager, Weather Data Systems (Weather Initiative)

Accountabilities:: Work with forecast science, technology, and dissemination teams to design and oversee pipelines that automatically transform real-time scientific forecast data into location-specific farmer messages. Develop adaptable systems that can integrate with different dissemination vendors and channels, including voice, SMS, WhatsApp, applications, LLM-powered advisory systems, or combinations of these. Ensure time-sensitive forecast information reaches farmers quickly and accurately by reducing processing delays, data transformation latency, and other potential points of failure. Own the technical and operational requirements needed to make weather data pipelines replicable across geographies rather than tailored to a single location or use case. Bridge technical and non-technical teams by translating forecast science and system constraints into practical requirements for research and program teams, and communicating program needs back to technical stakeholders. Oversee data management, quality assurance, testing, and technical rigor as the system expands into new applications and geographies. Document system architecture, decision logic, processes, and design rationale so that the infrastructure remains maintainable, auditable, and extensible. Coordinate with dissemination teams to ensure automated farmer messages align with standards established through field research. Provide technical and data-quality guidance to Associate- and Manager-level colleagues supporting the weather data pipeline. Contribute to funding proposals, technical reports, organizational knowledge management, and broader learning related to weather data systems. Requirements: Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a technical, quantitative, or data-focused discipline such as computer science, data science, engineering, statistics, economics, agricultural economics, or a related field. Experience building, managing, or overseeing data pipelines, ideally involving real-time, automated, or continuously processed data. Working knowledge of technical tools and programming languages used to build and maintain data systems, such as Python, SQL, or comparable technologies. Experience designing systems intended to be replicated, scaled, or adapted across multiple contexts rather than developed as one-off solutions. Ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical functions, translating between forecast science, engineering considerations, research requirements, and program priorities. Strong research management, problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to take ownership and operate proactively in a fast-growing environment. Excellent documentation skills and the ability to make technical systems understandable and usable for people who were not involved in building them. Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Existing authorization to work in India is required; visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Benefits: Competitive salary based on skills, experience, seniority, and the local labor market in India. Full-time, fully remote position based in India. Opportunity to work on a high-impact weather initiative supporting smallholder farmers at significant scale. Exposure to research, technology, program implementation, data systems, and government-facing work. Opportunity to build scalable infrastructure and contribute to systems designed for replication across geographies. Flexible working arrangements designed to support employee wellbeing. Potential to grow into broader research, technical, and leadership responsibilities based on experience and performance.