How to apply for Field Research Assistant (Nepal)

About Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Initiative

The Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Initiative (LABRI) works with governments to improve how used lead-acid batteries are recycled. The organization focuses on a specific environmental and public health problem: informal battery collection and processing. This is a short-term research contract, not a permanent staff role, so the main draw is hands-on field exposure to a regulated waste supply chain.

About the role

You will map how used lead-acid batteries are collected, traded, and processed across Nepal. The work involves visiting scrap yards, repair shops, and traders, interviewing workers and owners, and recording findings in LABRI templates. Your notes go to the Co-Executive Director and are meant to produce actionable insights, so accuracy and clear reporting matter more than volume.

A typical day

A typical day starts with travel to a scrap yard, repair shop, or trader site. You observe how batteries are collected, sold, dismantled, or processed, and interview workers and owners in Nepali. You then record findings in LABRI templates and prepare clear notes for the Co-Executive Director. The exact schedule depends on site access and travel distances, so ask the Co-Executive Director how days are typically structured.

Who Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Initiative is looking for

• Fluent Nepali speaker who can interview workers and business owners without a translator and pick up on informal trade language.
• Comfortable in unstructured field environments such as scrap yards and repair shops, with good judgment about when to ask questions and when to step back.
• Able to observe battery collection, sale, dismantling, and processing practices and record them accurately in a standard template.
• Available for 30–40 hours over 1–2 weeks and willing to travel across Nepal, with expenses for travel and meals covered.

Tips for this application

• State your Nepali fluency directly and give an example of using it in a field or business setting, not just in a classroom.
• Name any prior experience visiting scrap yards, repair shops, informal traders, or similar unstructured sites, even if it was for a different project.
• Confirm your availability for the 30–40 hour window over 1–2 weeks and your willingness to travel within Nepal.
• Mention that you can follow a template and report to a Co-Executive Director, since the role requires structured note-taking and clear handoff.
• Keep the application focused on field observation and interviewing skills, because the job is short-term research, not a policy or office role.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain how you would approach interviews with workers and business owners in scrap yards and repair shops. Give a concrete example of observing or documenting an informal supply chain. Show you understand the difference between collecting data and writing actionable insights for a Co-Executive Director. Confirm Nepali fluency and travel availability for the 1–2 week window.

Research before applying

• Read the LABRI website at labrecyclinginitiative.com to understand how the organization supports governments on used lead-acid battery recycling.
• Look up how used lead-acid batteries are collected, traded, and processed in Nepal, including the roles of scrap yards and repair shops.
• Find out what LABRI templates are used for field research, or ask the Co-Executive Director what format the findings should follow.
• Check any public information on lead-acid battery recycling regulations in Nepal so you can place field observations in context.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would introduce yourself and explain the research to a scrap yard owner or battery trader without creating suspicion.
• A time you documented practices in an unstructured environment and how you kept your notes consistent with a template.
• What you already know about used lead-acid battery collection, trading, dismantling, and processing in Nepal.
• How you handle a situation where a worker or owner is reluctant to answer questions or asks you to leave.
• How you would report findings to a Co-Executive Director so they can act on them, including what you would prioritize in a short 1–2 week field window.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without confirming Nepali fluency, since the role requires speaking with workers and business owners directly.
• Treating this as a general research or policy role and ignoring the field visits to scrap yards, repair shops, and traders.
• Submitting a long cover letter that does not address the 30–40 hour, 1–2 week travel commitment and the reporting line to the Co-Executive Director.