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 – Financial Sector / Financial Inclusion to join its consulting and research team in Lucknow.
The role will involve working across financial-sector research, consulting, advisory and program assignments, with a particular focus on financial services, financial inclusion and inclusive economic development.
We are looking for a professional who combines practical understanding of the financial sector with strong research, analytical and problem-solving capabilities. The ideal candidate should be able to understand how financial institutions, products, markets and distribution systems work in practice; investigate complex questions using quantitative and qualitative evidence; and translate findings into clear insights, recommendations and implementable solutions.
The role will involve working closely with senior team members, clients and ecosystem stakeholders to frame problems, conduct research, analyse data, develop recommendations, design programs and contribute to high-quality client deliverables.
Candidates with direct, hands-on experience in banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech, digital financial services or other financial-services businesses will be strongly preferred.
Key Responsibilities1. Financial-Sector Research & Analysis
- Conduct market, sector and institutional research across banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech, digital financial services and financial inclusion.
- Develop a practical understanding of financial institutions, including their business models, products, customer segments, distribution channels, operating models and strategic priorities.
- Analyse industry trends, regulatory developments, competitive dynamics, technology developments and emerging business models and assess their implications for institutions and customers.
- Undertake market assessments, landscape studies, benchmarking exercises, customer research, institutional assessments, opportunity assessments and sector scans.
- Conduct rigorous secondary research using regulatory publications, annual reports, financial statements, investor presentations, industry reports, databases, public datasets and other credible sources.
- Track developments across the financial sector and maintain relevant sector intelligence, databases and research repositories.
2. Primary Research & Stakeholder Engagement
- Design and support primary research, including stakeholder consultations, key-informant interviews, surveys and field-based research.
- Engage with financial institutions, government agencies, development organizations, investors, industry bodies, technology providers and other ecosystem stakeholders.
- Develop interview guides, research instruments, questionnaires and other tools required for primary research.
- Synthesise stakeholder perspectives and translate them into actionable findings and recommendations.
3. Data & Analytical Work
- 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.
- Analyse financial, operational, customer and market data to identify trends, gaps, opportunities and risks.
- Develop clear charts, tables, dashboards and visualisations to communicate findings.
- Apply appropriate analytical approaches to test hypotheses and support evidence-based recommendations.
- Translate data and research into clear insights, implications and the “so what?” for clients and project teams.
4. Consulting, Strategy & Problem Solving
- Work with senior consultants and project leads to structure complex and ambiguous problems.
- Develop hypotheses, identify information requirements and determine appropriate research and analytical methodologies.
- Support the development of strategy recommendations, business models, operating models and implementation frameworks.
- Assess proposed solutions from the perspectives of customer relevance, institutional feasibility, commercial viability and operational practicality.
- Contribute to assignments involving financial-sector strategy, financial inclusion, digital finance, product and program development, market development and institutional strengthening.
5. Program Design & Implementation Support
- Support the design and development of programs and initiatives aimed at expanding financial and economic opportunities for underserved and emerging segments.
- Contribute to program frameworks, implementation approaches, workplans, operating processes and monitoring frameworks.
- Support implementation teams in tracking progress, identifying challenges and developing practical solutions.
- Analyse program data and implementation learnings to support course correction and continuous improvement.
- Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and learning activities where relevant to project requirements.
6. Client Deliverables & Communication
- Prepare high-quality PowerPoint presentations, reports, research papers, market assessments, case studies, concept notes, technical proposals and other client deliverables.
- Develop executive summaries and management-level presentations that communicate complex analysis clearly and effectively.
- Present research findings and analytical insights to internal teams, clients and other stakeholders as required.
- Ensure that outputs are evidence-based, logically structured, accurate and professionally presented.
7. Business Development & Thought Leadership
- Contribute to proposals, expressions of interest, concept notes, technical approaches and other business-development opportunities.
- Support the development of sector perspectives, research publications, case studies, knowledge products and thought-leadership outputs.
- Contribute to ACCESS ASSIST's understanding of emerging opportunities, market developments and innovations across financial services and financial inclusion.
8. Project Management & Team Contribution
- Support project planning, workplans, timelines, deliverable tracking and quality assurance.
- Coordinate with multidisciplinary project teams and contribute to timely completion of assignments.
- Manage defined components of assignments independently while seeking guidance on complex issues.
- Maintain high standards of analytical rigour, accuracy and quality across all outputs.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have 2–5 years of relevant professional experience and demonstrate a strong combination of financial-sector understanding, research capability, analytical ability and consulting-oriented problem solving.
Financial-Sector Experience
Direct, hands-on experience in the financial sector will be strongly preferred.
Relevant experience may include:
- Banking and financial services
- NBFCs and lending institutions
- Insurance
- Fintech and digital financial services
- Payments and financial infrastructure
- Financial inclusion
- Credit and lending
- Distribution and customer acquisition
- Financial products and services
- Financial-sector strategy or operations
Candidates from financial-sector consulting, strategy, advisory, market research or development consulting will also be considered, particularly where they have worked closely with financial institutions or on financial-sector assignments.
The candidate should have a practical understanding of financial products, customer segments, distribution models, institutional operations, business processes and the broader financial-sector ecosystem.
Consulting & Analytical Mindset
The candidate should be comfortable working with ambiguous and open-ended questions and should be able to:
- Structure problems logically.
- Identify the right questions to investigate.
- Develop and test hypotheses.
- Identify and assess relevant evidence.
- Analyse quantitative and qualitative information.
- Distil large amounts of information into key insights.
- Translate findings into practical recommendations.
- Move beyond describing “what is happening” to explaining “why it matters” and “what should be done.”
Research & Data Skills
Strong research and analytical capabilities are essential.
The candidate should be comfortable with:
- Secondary and primary research
- Market and sector analysis
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Data interpretation
- Financial and business analysis
- Benchmarking and trend analysis
- Data visualisation
- Research synthesis
Strong proficiency in MS Excel is required.
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python, R or other analytical tools will be an advantage.
Communication
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required, including the ability to:
- Write clear and well-structured reports and research outputs.
- Develop high-quality PowerPoint presentations.
- Present analytical findings to senior stakeholders.
- Communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Develop concise executive summaries and management briefs.
Personal Attributes
We are looking for someone who is:
- Curious and intellectually rigorous.
- Commercially and institutionally aware.
- Analytical and detail-oriented.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity.
- Strongly oriented towards evidence and problem solving.
- Able to work independently while collaborating effectively with teams.
- Comfortable interacting with senior professionals and external stakeholders.
- Willing to learn quickly and take ownership of deliverables.
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
2–5 years of relevant professional experience in financial services, consulting, research, analytics, financial inclusion or a related field.
Direct experience in banking, insurance, NBFCs, fintech or other financial-services businesses will be strongly preferred.
Experience in financial-sector consulting, strategy, advisory, market research or development consulting involving financial institutions will also be relevant.
Key Skills
- Financial-sector knowledge and practical understanding
- Financial inclusion and inclusive finance
- Consulting and structured problem solving
- Market and sector research
- Primary and secondary research
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Business and financial analysis
- Strong MS Excel skills
- Data visualisation and dashboards
- PowerPoint and presentation development
- Report and proposal writing
- Stakeholder interviews and consultations
- Program and project support
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Attention to detail and quality
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
What the Role Offers
The position provides an opportunity to work on multi-disciplinary consulting, research and program assignments involving financial institutions, governments, development partners, investors, industry bodies and other ecosystem stakeholders.
The candidate will gain exposure to assignments spanning:
- Financial-sector strategy and advisory
- Banking, insurance and NBFCs
- Financial inclusion and inclusive finance
- Digital financial services
- Fintech and emerging financial models
- Green and climate finance
- Market and customer research
- Data analytics and evidence-based decision making
- Financial product and program design
- Institutional and ecosystem assessments
- Stakeholder engagement and advisory
- Program design and implementation
The role is particularly suited to professionals seeking to build a career at the intersection of financial services, consulting, research, 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 or advisory exposure
- Experience with financial inclusion or financial services
- Data and analytical capabilities
Subject: Application – Program & Research Analyst | Financial Sector / Financial Inclusion | ACCESS ASSIST | Lucknow. Send in your resumes at [email protected] or apply through website at 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
