Project Development and Research

About the organization

Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a not-for-profit civic tech company that works at the intersection of emerging cutting-edge technological tools and their applications by equipping young professionals to solve emerging challenges in our community. YI-Lab’s mission statement is, ‘to engage young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation’. YI-Lab harnesses indigenous knowledge, citizen science approach, develops low-cost technological solutions, promotes open data, promotes entrepreneurship, and conducts evidence-based advocacy campaigns. YI-Lab provides a conducive environment for young people to co-create solutions for inclusive development. 

About the project

RiskAI (Beta Version 1.0) & Citizen Science for Resilience is an innovative civic-tech initiative led by Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab), a not-for-profit organization founded in 2017 with a mission to empower young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation. The project aims to strengthen community resilience by transforming complex, verified geospatial data and localized knowledge into accessible, actionable information for citizens and decision-makers.

YI-Lab invites dynamic and enthusiastic Nepali citizens to apply for the following position. 

Key Responsibilities

She/he will manage the non-technical aspects of the RiskAI Beta Phase, focusing on partnership, user engagement, and project execution according to the implementation plan.

I. Project Coordination and Partnership Management

1. Partnership Formalization: Coordinate the establishment and formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the partnership with the United World School (UWS) within November 2025.

2. Site Coordination: Coordinate the identification and confirmation of specific pilot school site(s) where implementation is feasible and impactful.

3. Stakeholder Engagement: Identify key UWS stakeholders (administration, teachers) and conduct introductory meetings to present the RiskAI platform and the beta plan.

4. Sensor Deployment Coordination: Oversee the logistics and installation of the low-cost heat and pollution sensors in schools in partnership with UWS.

5. Project Monitoring: Track the timeline and progress of the beta platform development (Dec 2025 to Mar 2026) and ensure resources are aligned with the plan.

II. Piloting, Research, and User Engagement

1. Pilot Execution: Organize and execute the piloting of the platform with the two target user groups: students and decision makers.

2. Citizen Science Loop Management: Implement and manage the citizen science method/feedback loop, which collects user input to help fine-tune the AI model.

3. Feedback Collection: Collect, categorize, and synthesize feedback data:

•       From students, concerning the clarity and relevance of the platform's outputs.

•      From decision makers, concerning the actionability and accuracy of the insights and policy briefs.

4. Usability Input: Participate in design workshops, contributing non-technical input based on user needs, especially related to the role-based output modes and the delivery of information in both English and Nepali.

5. Refinement Support: Communicate user feedback and corrections back to the technical team to ensure the outputs improve over time.

III. Documentation and Reporting

1. Documentation: Lead the documentation of the beta phase outcomes, pilot findings, and learning generated through the citizen science process.

2. Reporting: Contribute to the final reporting requirements, detailing the impact achieved during the pilot phase.

3. Knowledge Sharing: Support the organization's commitment to documenting and sharing open-source innovations and lessons learned.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

·      Master's degree in environmental science/management, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Development studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.

·      Minimum 4-5 years of relevant professional experience in project coordination, research, community engagement, or partnership management within development, climate, DRR, civic-tech, or education-related initiatives.

·      Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders such as schools, local governments, NGOs, youth groups, or research institutions.

·      Experience in field-based piloting, user testing, or participatory research, including collecting, organizing, and synthesizing user feedback.

·      Familiarity with or strong interest in citizen science approaches, youth-led initiatives, and participatory engagement models.

·      Experience contributing to documentation and reporting, including pilot reports, learning briefs, or project summaries.

·     Exposure to technology-enabled or innovation-driven projects (e.g., digital platforms, data tools, AI-supported initiatives) is an advantage, though technical expertise is not required.

·      Strong written and verbal communication skills in both English and Nepali.

·      Experience working in the Nepal context, particularly on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), is highly desirable.

·      Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered.

We promote workforce diversity and highly encourage all the interested applicants, especially youth and young professionals including those who identify as women and indigenous community members/minority caste groups, to apply.

We are having interviews on a rolling basis, and encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.

Deadline for submission of application

17 December 2025