International Policy Research Associate

Position Title: International Policy Research Associate

Division: Global Policy, Trade & Strategic Advisory Location: Ahmedabad, India

Location: Ahmedabad, India

Experience: 2-3 years

About Water & Shark

Water & Shark is a globally positioned professional services network delivering integrated legal, tax, corporate, and strategic advisory solutions across key international jurisdictions. As part of our continued expansion into global policy and macroeconomic advisory, we are strengthening our in-house research capability to support cross-border mandates, geopolitical assessments, and international trade strategy.

Position Overview

We are seeking an exceptionally driven and academically accomplished International Policy Research Associate to lead high-level research in macroeconomic trade policy, global diplomacy, tariff frameworks, and strategic economic relations, with particular emphasis on IndiaEurope and IndiaUK economic corridors.

This is not a conventional research role. It is a strategic, analytical, and policy-focused position designed for an individual capable of producing board-level reports, diplomatic briefings, and macroeconomic intelligence that directly supports global advisory mandates.

The ideal candidate will combine academic depth with real-world policy awareness, and demonstrate the ability to translate complex economic developments into structured, actionable insights.

Core Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced macroeconomic analysis on global trade systems, tariff regulations, and international economic governance frameworks.
• Develop detailed strategic reports on IndiaEU and IndiaUK trade relations, including FTA developments, regulatory shifts, and geopolitical implications.
• Monitor and interpret global economic indicators such as GDP trends, inflation cycles, currency movements, trade balances, and sectoral growth patterns.
• Evaluate the impact of tariff revisions, sanctions regimes, and diplomatic negotiations on cross-border business operations.
• Prepare high-quality policy briefs, whitepapers, executive summaries, and sectoral intelligence reports for senior leadership and international stakeholders.
• Perform comparative economic modelling to assess competitiveness across jurisdictions.
• Contribute to global thought leadership initiatives and research publications under the Water & Shark platform.
• Support cross-border structuring and advisory mandates with macroeconomic and geopolitical risk analysis.

Academic & Professional Qualifications (Mandatory)

Candidates must possess a strong postgraduate academic background in fields directly aligned with international policy and economics.

Preferred qualifications include:

• MBA in Public Policy / International Trade / Economics
• MA in Politics / Political Science
• MA or MSc in Economics
• MA in International Relations / Global Affairs
• Any equivalent Master's degree specializing in macroeconomics, trade diplomacy, or geopolitical strategy

Candidates with exposure to WTO frameworks, international trade law, econometrics, public policy drafting, or geopolitical risk advisory will be given strong preference.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Strong command over macroeconomic theory and international trade architecture
• Deep understanding of tariff systems, bilateral trade agreements, and multilateral frameworks
• Analytical clarity in IndiaEurope and IndiaUK strategic partnerships
• Exceptional research drafting ability with structured, policy-grade articulation
• High intellectual curiosity with global geopolitical awareness
• Ability to work on complex, multi-jurisdictional advisory assignments
• Strong quantitative reasoning and data interpretation capability

Why This Role Matters

As global trade dynamics shift and international diplomacy reshapes economic corridors, Water & Shark aims to position itself at the forefront of strategic advisory backed by rigorous policy intelligence.

This role will directly contribute to:

• Enhancing our global advisory depth
• Strengthening macroeconomic intelligence capabilities
• Supporting cross-border corporate strategy with data-driven policy insight
• Building a recognized thought leadership presence in global economic policy

Location & Opportunity

Based in Ahmedabad, India, this position offers international exposure and the opportunity to work on high-impact global mandates within a rapidly expanding professional services platform.