About ACCESS ASSIST
ACCESS ASSIST is a development-sector consulting and advisory organization working at the intersection of financial services, financial inclusion, livelihoods, economic opportunity and digital transformation.
ACCESS ASSIST works with financial institutions, governments, development partners, investors, industry bodies and other ecosystem stakeholders to undertake research, provide strategic and technical advisory, design innovative programs and support implementation of solutions that expand economic and financial opportunities for underserved and emerging segments.
About the Role
ACCESS ASSIST is looking for a Program & Research Analyst to join its consulting and research team in Lucknow.
The position will involve working across a range of research, consulting, advisory and program assignments, with a particular focus on the financial services sector. The ideal candidate will bring a combination of practical financial-sector experience, strong analytical and research capabilities, data skills and a consulting-oriented approach to problem solving.
Candidates with direct, hands-on experience in the financial sector—particularly banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech or other financial-services businesses—will be strongly preferred. Practical understanding of financial products, customer segments, distribution models, business processes, institutional operations and the evolving regulatory and technology landscape will be highly valued.
The role will require the individual to work closely with senior team members and clients to understand problems, conduct research, analyse data, develop insights and translate findings into practical recommendations and high-quality client deliverables.
Key Responsibilities
The individual will support and, with experience, independently manage components of consulting and research assignments across financial services and inclusive development. Key responsibilities will include:
- Conduct market, sector and institutional research across banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech, digital financial services and financial inclusion.
- Develop a practical understanding of financial-sector institutions, including their business models, products, customer segments, distribution channels, operating models and strategic priorities.
- Analyse industry trends, regulatory developments, competitive dynamics, emerging technologies and new business models, and assess their implications for financial institutions and customers.
- Undertake market assessments, landscape studies, benchmarking exercises, customer and institutional research, opportunity assessments and sector scans.
- Conduct secondary research using regulatory publications, annual reports, financial statements, investor presentations, industry reports, databases, public datasets and other credible sources.
- Support and conduct primary research, stakeholder consultations, interviews and surveys with financial institutions, government agencies, development organizations and other ecosystem stakeholders.
- Collect, clean, structure and analyse quantitative and qualitative data to support consulting and research assignments.
- Undertake trend analysis, segmentation, benchmarking, market sizing, performance analysis and other quantitative assessments as required.
- Develop Excel-based analytical models, dashboards, charts and data visualizations and, where relevant, use tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python or R.
- Translate quantitative and qualitative analysis into clear findings, insights, implications and recommendations for clients and project teams.
- Support the development of strategy recommendations, program designs, operating models, implementation frameworks and monitoring approaches.
- Apply practical financial-sector knowledge to assess whether proposed solutions are commercially relevant, operationally feasible and responsive to customer needs.
- Prepare high-quality PowerPoint presentations, reports, research papers, market assessments, case studies, concept notes and other client deliverables.
- Develop executive summaries and management-level presentations that communicate complex analysis in a clear and compelling manner.
- Work with senior consultants and project leads to structure problems, develop hypotheses, identify analytical requirements and determine appropriate research methodologies.
- Participate in client meetings, workshops and stakeholder discussions and support the preparation of relevant briefing materials.
- Support project planning, workplans, timelines, deliverable tracking and quality assurance.
- Contribute to the preparation of proposals, expressions of interest, concept notes and technical approaches for new consulting and research opportunities.
- Contribute to ACCESS ASSIST's thought leadership through research publications, knowledge products, case studies, sector briefs and other analytical outputs.
- Maintain sector intelligence, databases and research repositories relevant to ACCESS ASSIST's areas of work.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience and demonstrate a strong combination of analytical ability, sector understanding and communication skills.
Direct, hands-on experience in the financial sector will be strongly preferred. Candidates who have practical experience in banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech or other financial-services businesses will be particularly relevant, given the importance of understanding how financial institutions operate in practice. Experience in financial-sector consulting, strategy, advisory, market research or development consulting with significant engagement with financial institutions will also be considered relevant.
The candidate should have a sound understanding of financial services and ideally have practical exposure to areas such as financial products, credit, insurance, distribution, customer acquisition, digital finance, operations, analytics, partnerships, financial inclusion or business strategy.
A strong consulting mindset is essential. The candidate should be comfortable working with ambiguous questions, structuring problems, identifying relevant evidence, developing hypotheses and translating analysis into actionable recommendations. The ability to move beyond simply collecting information and identify the key insight, implication and “so what?” will be important.
Strong research and data-analytics capabilities are essential. The candidate should be comfortable working with datasets, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, identifying trends and patterns, and presenting findings through clear charts, tables and visualizations. Strong proficiency in MS Excel is required. Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python, R or other analytical tools will be an advantage.
The candidate should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare well-structured reports, presentations and analytical briefs and communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
The role requires someone who is curious, intellectually rigorous, detail-oriented and comfortable learning quickly. The individual should be able to work independently on defined tasks while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams and senior professionals.
Qualifications
A postgraduate qualification in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Analytics, Development Studies or a related discipline is preferred.
Candidates with a relevant undergraduate degree and strong practical experience in financial services, consulting, analytics or research will also be considered.
Experience
The candidate should have a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in financial services, consulting, research, analytics or a related field. Candidates with direct, hands-on experience in the financial sector—particularly banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech or other financial-services businesses—will be strongly preferred, as practical understanding of financial products, business models, customer segments, distribution, operations and market dynamics will be important for the role.
Experience in financial-sector consulting, strategy, advisory, market research or development consulting with significant engagement with financial institutions will also be considered relevant.
Key Skills
- Financial-sector knowledge and practical understanding
- Consulting and structured problem solving
- Market and sector research
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Strong MS Excel skills
- Data visualization and dashboard development
- PowerPoint and presentation development
- Report and proposal writing
- Primary research and stakeholder interviews
- Business and market analysis
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Strong attention to detail and quality of output
What the Role Offers
The position provides an opportunity to work on multi-disciplinary consulting and research assignments involving financial institutions, governments, development partners and other ecosystem stakeholders.
The candidate will gain exposure to a diverse set of assignments spanning financial-sector strategy, banking and insurance, financial inclusion, green finance, digital financial services, market and customer research, data analytics, program and product design, stakeholder engagement and advisory.
The role is particularly suited to professionals looking to build a career at the intersection of financial services, consulting, data and inclusive economic development.
Location & Travel
Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
The position is primarily based in Lucknow and may involve travel within India depending on project and client requirements.
Application
Interested candidates should submit their CV along with a brief note highlighting their relevant financial-sector experience, consulting/research exposure and data-analytics capabilities.
Subject: Application – Program & Research Analyst | ACCESS ASSIST | Lucknow
Send your resume at [email protected] or at website https://www.accessassist.in/careers
ACCESS ASSIST is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.
Pay: ₹300,000.00 - ₹600,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
