Consultant

Type: Part-time

Location: Remote

Duration: April 2025 – July 2025, with the possibility of extension based on requirement

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Reporting to: Prof. Farzana Afridi (Project Head, DP-WEE Project) 

About LEAD at Krea University: 

LEAD is an action-oriented research centre of IFMR Society (a not-for-profit society registered under the Societies Act), leverages the power of research, innovation and co-creation to solve complex and pressing challenges in development. LEAD specialises in developing in-depth granular understanding of socio-economic contexts and harnessing actionable insights that have a wide range of applications in industry, policy, and academia. LEAD is a collaborative hub that brings experts from diverse disciplines and sectors together to develop innovative solutions by harnessing innovation, technology and analytics.

About the Project:

Digital Platforms and Women’s Economic Empowerment (What matters and what works) is an action-oriented research initiative led by Prof. Farzana Afridi (Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi Centre). The projects seek to harness digital technology to address multiple constraints on Female Labour Force Participation and improve women’s labor market outcomes. Supported by BMGF (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), the project is housed at CECFEE (Centre for research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy and Environment), ISI, Delhi Centre and IFMR (Institute for Financial Management and Research).

About the Position: 

We are seeking a Legal Consultant for a digital labour markets and women’s economic empowerment project hosted by IFMR. The Legal Consultant will be responsible for taking a lead role in driving the legal pathway to the existing legal framework for worker benefits/safety nets vis-à-vis traditional workers, relative to traditional workers and employers and their implications for the future growth of the sector. They should have sound legal expertise and take into account the opinions of all stakeholders to help chart the legal side of the research projects and meet the necessary outcomes. The Consultant should also have excellent writing and communication skills, good sectoral understanding and a creative and problem-solving outlook.      

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Identify key challenges and develop appropriate solutions with respect to the legalities pertaining to the workers on the platform through a review of existing laws;
• Conduct interviews to gather the views and opinions of all stakeholders in the platform sector—workers, employers, legal experts, and researchers;
• Provide recommendations on revising legal frameworks to accommodate the perspectives of all stakeholders in the platform sector;
• Define policy advocacy pathways;
• Effectively communicate to different stakeholders—written and verbal—i.e., to PIs, survey teams, project manager, and partners;
• Timely response to requests;
• Contribute to blogs and events related to the project;
• Craft white papers on recommendations for protecting the legal rights of platform workers;
• Organise research workshops;
• Liaise with academic visitors.

Key Qualifications and Requirements: 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Law (specialising in labour law); PhD is a preferred criterion;
• 5 to 7 years of experience in a legal labour law firm;
• Demonstrated ability to maintain an organised and structured work style;
• Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time, successfully complete tasks assigned, and meet deadlines;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Independent worker who takes initiative to lead and manage multiple tasks and propose solutions with minimal supervision;
• Attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills for communicating with multiple partners;
• Understanding of academic research;
• Experience working with legal firms, donors, governments, and survey organisations.

Application Instructions: 

Deadline: Applications will be open till the position is filled. To apply, please collate your resume, a cover letter and writing sample in a single PDF and apply in the form here. 

Note: Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact each candidate individually regarding the status of their application. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purposes.