TrustBridge Rule of Law Foundation
Website:
trustbridge.in
Job details:
Senior Fellow – Research
Reporting to: Deputy Director – Research and Programs
Vertical: Dispute Resolution
Location: New Delhi
Employment type: Full-time
About TrustBridge Rule of Law Foundatio
nOur evidence-based research focuses on understanding the underlying causes of our economic policy and attendant rule of law challenges. This approach is necessarily interdisciplinary, integrating legal analysis, economic evaluation and data-driven research, through which we seek to develop actionable solutions rooted in transparency and practicality
.Our work examines the structural drivers of government litigation in India and develops institutional solutions to reduce avoidable disputes. As one of the largest litigants in the countrys courts, the government expends significant public resources on litigation, imposes costs on private counterparties, and contributes to systemic delays that affect the broader justice system
.
We focus on two interrelated areas
.First, we analyse the design of government contracts to identify weaknesses in risk allocation, incentive structures, and procedural fairness that deter private sector participation and generate disputes. Our approach studies the full life cycle of public contracts, from tender design and execution to dispute escalation and enforcement, to identify points where better design can prevent conflict
.Second, we examine the role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and broader dispute governance frameworks within government entities. While well-designed ADR mechanisms can reduce court burdens and improve commercial certainty, their effectiveness depends on institutional design, implementation capacity, and internal decision-making incentives. Our work evaluates how these systems can be strengthened to reduce unnecessary litigation and improve state capacity
.
Role overvi
ewThe Senior Fellow will contribute to the TrustBridges ADR Policy Research initiative, with a clear emphasis on rigorous policy research. The role is designed for a policy researcher with deep familiarity with institutional reform, regulatory processes, or think-tank research, who can shape credible, evidence-backed recommendations in the arbitration and dispute resolution spac
e.The Fellow will set the research agenda, anchor TrustBridges thinking on arbitration reform, and work closely with government stakeholders, arbitral institutions, and industry bodies primarily through consultations, structured dialogue, and institutional partnership
s.Core focus are
asThe role will be anchored around three interlinked problem statement
- s:PSU arbitration culture, including incentives, risk aversion, decision-making frameworks, and contract management practice
- s.Enforcement delays, especially post-award judicial intervention and execution bottleneck
- s.Institutional arbitration uptake, including design, trust deficits, and alignment with public sector contracting need
s.
Key responsibilit
ies
Research leadership and agenda-set
- tingDefine and drive the annual and medium-term research agenda for arbitration and dispute resolution ref
- orm.Lead in-depth legal and policy research on arbitration law, procedure, institutions, and enforcement, with a strong public-law and governance l
- ens.Ensure research outputs are analytically rigorous, methodologically sound, and clearly oriented toward reform feasibil
ity.Policy outputs and intellectual leader
- shipAuthor and oversee high-quality policy papers, consultation submissions, issue briefs, and background no
- tes.Translate research findings into clear, implementable recommendations, including options papers and draft framewo
- rks.Maintain intellectual coherence across outputs, ensuring TrustBridges work is consistent, credible, and cumulat
- ive.Contribute to and curate TrustBridges publication pipeline in the dispute resolution dom
ain.Consultations and institutional engage
- mentEngage with government departments, PSUs, arbitral institutions, and industry associations through consultations, closed-door discussions, and structured conveni
- ngs.Support legislative or regulatory processes primarily through research inputs and drafting supp
- ort.Help design and participate in TrustBridges dialogue and roundtable formats, ensuring discussions are grounded in research and feed back into outp
uts.Team leadership and quality con
- trolProvide intellectual and managerial oversight to the Research Fellow (Leg
- al).Review drafts for analytical clarity, legal accuracy, and policy releva
- nce.Coordinate timelines and priorities across the initiative in alignment with the Deputy Directors broader program go
als.
Qualifica
tionsReq
- uiredAdvanced degree (masters/ Ph.d.) in law, public policy, or related field prefe
- rred.Approximately 4–6 years of experience in policy research, regulatory institutions, think tanks, international organisations, or adjacent public-law r
- oles.Demonstrated publication record, including policy reports, working papers, articles, or other substantive written outputs in law or public po
- licy.Strong understanding of India's arbitration and dispute resolution ecosystem, particularly in public-sector or government contracting cont
exts.
Pre
- ferredPrior experience working with or within government, regulators, commissions, or institutional reform b
- odies.Familiarity with institutional arbitration frameworks and enforcement re
- gimes.Experience supervising junior researchers or managing research pro
grams.
Core compe
- tenciesPolicy judgment and analytica
- l depthStructured, persuasive writing for decision
- -makersComfort navigating complex institutional eco
- systemsHigh ownership with a collaborative workin
g style
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