Programme Associate- Energy Transitions

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Terms of Reference

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. So, if the below description strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!

At CEEW, we build careers in public policy

• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale​

• We actively promote leadership by initiative​

• We celebrate talent and ambition​

• You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow​

• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations​

• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW​

• You will get above-market remuneration​

• We provide a safe space for all​

• At CEEW, your life is your example for others​

Designation offered

Programme Associate

Team/ Focus area

Energy Transition

Location

New Delhi, India

Reporting to

Programme Lead

Full-time

Purpose

At CEEW, we envision a decarbonised electricity sector in India that provides reliable and affordable electricity services to all. To pursue this vision, we undertake interventions that focus on accelerating India's energy transition to a cleaner electricity mix, through rapid uptake of diverse renewable energy technologies, albeit in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. We generate evidence for change, engage with policymakers to devise and implement policies and programmes, and evaluate the impact of initiatives on the ground.

CEEW seeks to hire a suitable candidate for the position of Programme Associate to support team’s research efforts on increasing the share of distributed renewables (DRE) in the grid. To accelerate the deployment, the candidate needs to build expertise on three fronts – nudging the consumer to adopt new technologies, identifying solutions with equitable incentives for stakeholders and facilitating the process with conducive policies and regulations. We are looking for a candidate with comprehensive understanding of tariff mechanisms, state-level policies and regulations pertaining to distributed renewables, hands-on experience in stakeholder engagement (including discoms, electricity regulators, state governments and developers), profound understanding of power system modelling, and grid integration of DRE. The candidate will be expected to travel frequently to priority states and build relationship work with key stakeholders, particularly government (both at central & state level) and industry.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

Desirable Outcomes (first year)

·       Lead the team to accelerate adoption of distributed RE in atleast one state and support in other states.

·       Conceptualise and execute atleast one innovative idea to scale up the adoption of DRE in the priority state

·       Take up atleast one institutional responsibility or actively work on one institutional initiative

Primary responsibilities

●        Conduct regular reviews, monitor and analyse day-to-day regulatory and policy changes in the renewable energy markets, especially on grid-connected distributed renewable energy (DRE) at the state, national and international level

●        Conceptualise and implement new research methods, innovative ideas on market solutions, policy interventions and market design that can support the scale of DRE technologies

●        Identify distributed renewable energy deployment issues and opportunities from the state’s perspective to co-conceptualise and execute research that can aid policy, regulatory and market related changes

●        Develop go to market strategies for innovative business models and establish partnerships with private sector to implement ideas on ground

●        Assist in executing the implementation of solar policy in the priority state for the team

●        Conduct various types of analyses using advanced data analytics tools to further the research and programme objectives

●        Develop trust-based relationships with key stakeholders, especially with discoms, regulators, state nodal agencies, developers and other research organisations to understand the challenges and opportunities in the DRE sector

●        Share knowledge and findings on various internal and external platforms based on the research and implementation efforts through presentations, memos, short reports, opinion pieces, videos, etc. with support from CEEW’s Outreach team

●        Write high-quality research reports and publish in leading peer reviewed journals

Programme Assistance

●        Lead project implementation by contributing towards preparing detailed activity plans and timelines, resource planning, stakeholder management, and donor engagement.

●        Lead team’s outreach efforts including organising webinars/physical events, representing CEEW in industry events, and writing op-eds, briefs and reports.

●        Write memos, briefs and issue notes which could be circulated among senior Government officials and other internal and external stakeholders

●        Building stronger ties with government, industry and institutional partners

Selection Criteria

Qualification

●        Master’s degree with a specialisation in renewable energy technologies, economics, public policy or related field

●        Sound understanding of India’s energy markets (specifically grid-connected DRE markets) and policy and regulatory environment

●        Strong research background with an adequate understanding of research methods and quantitative skills

Work experience

●        At least 3-5 years of relevant work experience in the field of research, policy/industry engagement and project management in the area of electricity policy, electricity distribution, and renewable energy

●        Prior experience of writing white papers, articles, policy briefs and research reports

●        Strong track record of team and project management including timely delivery of outputs

●        Demonstrable experience in stakeholder engagement at state-level and experience of working with public and private institutions within and outside India

Key skills

·       Strong interpersonal and influencing skills

●        Proficiency in MS-Excel is a must. Understanding of STATA/R/Python and other data visualisation tools would be an added advantage

·       Excellent written and oral communication skills

·       Ability to summarise and communicate the insights/findings in written and oral formats

·       Proficiency in Hindi and English language

• Active user of AI tools for research synthesis, drafting, and engagement preparation
  

If you are passionate about supporting India’s Energy transition, this is the place for you!

CEEW operates in a dynamic environment and the candidate will be required to show flexibility in undertaking a variety of tasks.

Compensation

Competitive compensation – commensurate to the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by industry or other similar organisations for similar roles.

Application Process

CEEW is an equal opportunity employer and the selection process does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified by us. We appreciate your interest.