Openings – Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is one of Asia’s leading not-for-profit policy research institutions. The Council uses data, integrated analysis, and strategic outreach to explain – and change – the use, reuse, and misuse of resources. The Council addresses pressing global challenges through an integrated and internationally focused approach. It prides itself on the independence of its high-quality research, develops partnerships with public and private institutions, and engages with the wider public. CEEW once again featured extensively across nine categories in the ‘2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report’, including being ranked as South Asia’s top think tank (15th globally) with an annual operating budget of less than USD 5 million for the seventh year in a row. In 2016, CEEW was also ranked 2nd in India, 4th outside Europe and North America, and 20th globally out of 240 think tanks as per the ICCG Climate Think Tank’s standardised rankings. In 2013 and 2014, CEEW was rated as India’s top climate change think-tank as per the ICCG standardised rankings. In over 10 years of operations, The Council has engaged in more than 270 research projects, published well over 200 peer-reviewed books, policy reports and papers, engaged with governments around the world over 670 times, helped state governments with water and irrigation reforms, and organised more than 350 seminars and conferences.

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

1. Communications Intern (Events)

Team/ Focus area Outreach

Reporting to Senior Communications Associate

Location New Delhi

Duration 3-6 months

Purpose

To support the Communications team on a range of communication activities including, but not limited to, keeping a tab on CEEW’s media mentions, assisting with events, performing secondary research in comms, and other key institutional tasks.

CEEW invites applications from budding communication professionals who have prior experience in creative writing and designing with a keen interest in events and media in the public policy sector. The candidate should be solution-oriented, detail-oriented and committed to adhering to timelines. In addition to the duties and responsibilities below, the individual should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities.Deliverables and Responsibilities

• Support the Communications team in designing high-impact collaterals for internal/external events and social media
• Support the Communications team in maintaining media databases, creating new databases
• Support the Communications team in developing concept notes and partnership briefs, as well as proofreading and editing key documents
• Provide on-ground support for CEEW events, sessions, etc.
• Identify and liaise with external agencies and vendors with support from the team
• Research contemporary communication trends used by organisations across sectors
• Other needs comprising ideation, content, design, and news as and when needed

Selection Criteria

Master’s/Bachelor’s degree in development communications, journalism, PR and related disciplines
Work experience and other skills

• 0-1 year experience in creative writing/copywriting, editing, designing, secondary research and coordination
• Prior experience with Canva, Mailchimp and Google Suite
• A strong aesthetic sense and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills — spoken and written English language skills, and a reasonable grasp of spoken and written Hindi
• The ability to research and digest best-of-class communication ideas as well as the knowledge to liaison with third-party vendors
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively
• Ability to adhere to (and manage multiple) timelines

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 the 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.

2. Research Analyst

Team/ Focus area Energy Transitions

Reporting to Programme Lead/ Programme Associate

Location New Delhi

Duration Full-time

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a Research Assistant for its Just Transitions Programme. This workstream is driven by the mission to work on policies that make India’s energy transition citizen-centric, especially its transition from fossil fuels. We will be examining and building evidence for this transition to be socially just through objective research and cutting-edge analytical approaches.

A successful applicant will work closely with the team to solve complex citizen-centric challenges in India’s energy transitions away from fossil fuels and the transitions of associated sectors like thermal power plants. These challenges include designing and deploying targeted skill development programmes for affected communities, governance mechanisms and financial estimations for a citizen-centric transition, identifying and estimating alternative livelihood opportunities in the form of green jobs.

We are looking for an early career professional with passion for working in India’s- skill development sector, governance mechanisms including decentralised capacity building, energy landscape and in public policy. An ideal candidate should have a good understanding of quantitative research methods (qualitative research methods is a bonus), ability to analyse various datasets such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), the CMIE amongst others, excitement for field work amongst rural communities, and bring excellent ability to write coherent research reports and articles. Details on the job duties and the key skills required are outlined below.

Job duties and accountabilities

Primary Responsibilities

Research

• Designing, collecting and analyzing quantitative data on the socio-economic impacts of the energy transition in the context of India (experience in qualitative research is a bonus).
• Analysing existing government datasets like the PLFS.
• Contribute towards conceptualisation of research relevant for a just energy transition.
• Literature review and produce summary documents
• Travel to project sites across multiple states for both primary research and state government engagement- ability and willingness to travel is essential.
• Efficient delivery of specific projects and overall plan of activities in CEEW’s just transition workstream.
• Regularly track important developments nationally and internationally (policy and technical) in the sector through rigorous literature review and share summaries with team members to promote mutual learning.
• Write high-quality research reports and support on research dissemination activities such as seminars, roundtable discussions, webinars with support from the team.
• Proactively contribute to knowledge content by working on – blogs, reports, op-eds, and policy briefs in regular intervals.
• Prepare presentations, fact sheets, briefing notes and other research communication material.

Other responsibilities

• Develop excellence in research methods both quantitative and qualitative.
• Participate in relevant conferences, workshops, and training programs as necessary to communicate research findings and gain insights on new research in focus areas.
• Assist in building strategic partnerships and collaborations with peer organizations and government departments for ensuring continued learning, growth, and impact at scale.

Selection Criteria

Educational Qualification

A postgraduate degree in economics, development economics, energy economics, political science, governance, public policy, sociology or related disciplines is a prerequisite. A Bachelor’s degree in engineering combined with a postgraduate in any of the aforementioned disciplines is acceptable.

Work experience and requirements

• At least 0-3 years of relevant work experience in designing quantitative research (for instance through monitoring and evaluation of any social/ public policy) and working with government datasets (experience in qualitative research is a bonus).
• A good foundational knowledge of India’s governance structures, capacity building mechanisms, political economy of livelihood generation, community engagement. Understanding of the coal economy in India and globally is a bonus.
• Experience in conducting high quality field work for primary data collection.
• Excellent ability to communicate research to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in using advanced statistical data tools like R, Python, STATA.
• Proficiency in using MS Excel, Powerpoint, and Word.
• Strong writing, networking and communication skills.

Key skills

• Sharp and analytical mind with a willingness to co-create new research areas, learn new research and project management skills.
• Ability to adapt and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment.
• Striving for rigor in research and quality in work output.
• Ability to effectively work in a team while being able to independently drive research if, and when, needed.
• Ability to dig deeper into details, while not losing sight of the broader objectives.
• Willingness to learn, grow and develop – both in personal and professional life – at a rapid pace with a steep learning curve.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment.
• The candidate should be willing to travel.

If you possess a deep passion for high quality impactful research to improve people’s lives and livelihoods in the context of an energy transition, we would like to speak to you. If you bring a solid research background with the ability to effectively communicate research, then we would definitely consider hiring you! If you can combine these two aforementioned qualities with a collaborative spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude in a fast-developing external environment of energy transitions, you are probably the candidate we are looking for.

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

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.

3. Consultant — Industrial Sustainability

Team/ Focus area Industrial Sustainability

Reporting to Programme Associate

Location New Delhi

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a research intern who will work with a Programme Associate in the Industrial Sustainability team. CEEW offers an intellectually challenging and conducive work environment, with a focus on research rigour, innovative thinking, and strategic outreach. We are looking for an enthusiastic and detail-oriented individual who would be excited to work on a diverse range of subjects and contribute to the dynamic research environment at CEEW. CEEW has an interdisciplinary research culture and its value comes from adopting different methods and connecting dots across seemingly siloed policy and industry verticals.

CEEW’s Industrial Sustainability team supports India’s transition to a net-zero economy. To meet this objective, we focus on the following areas of research — energy transition to natural gas and hydrogen, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), carbon pricing, circular economy and innovation. Our research endeavours to identify practical pathways to the transition, evaluate the techno-economics of solutions, generate evidence through pilots, understand macroeconomic impacts, develop prescriptive policy solutions and support stakeholders with implementation. We work with governments at the centre and state levels to develop policies and the industry to implement solutions. The research internship will offer the candidate work experience chiefly in our energy transition work area to support our work on oil and gas transitions.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

The candidate is expected to assist in the following:

• Support data collection and analysis for various projects on industrial decarbonisation and transport sector forecasting
• Develop an understanding of the Indian industrial and transport sector and support analyses on demand projections and decarbonisation methods
• Prepare and maintain Excel/Python models for various analyses
• Prepare reports as per the internal protocols of CEEW and support with preparing presentations for both internal and external meetings
• Support our stakeholder engagements by actively seeking new partnerships and maintaining existing relationships

Selection Criteria

Education

• Master’s degree preferred or bachelor’s in engineering with specialisation in economics, energy, climate change, sustainability or related fields
• Significant interest in and knowledge of Indian industries and the transport sector

Main skills

• Strong data management and analysis skills using Microsoft Excel
• Knowledge of Python for linear optimisations and forecasting
• Knowledge of methods such as linear regression and ARIMA for data projections
• Superior analytical abilities and effective oral and written communication skills are necessary prerequisites
• Ability to manage time effectively to handle multiple requests at the same time
• Ability and willingness to work in a dynamic and fluid environment
• Ability to communicate and coordinate effectively as a team member
• Ability to analyse information and present in a clear and accurate manner, both verbal and written
• Willingness to show initiative in order to handle unforeseen challenges
• Ability to work in multicultural teams and willingness to solve problems

Compensation

Competitive compensation — commensurate to the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by industry or other similar organizations 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.

4. Research Intern – Technology Futures

Designation offered Research Intern

Team/ Focus area
Technology Futures/ Trade Analysis

Reporting to Research Analyst

Location
New Delhi, India

Duration 3 months

Purpose

CEEW is looking for qualified individuals with a keen interest in renewable energy technology, supply chains and the broader energy transitions theme. The aim of the project is to derive relevant insights concerning renewable energy technology value chains, through trade data analysis.

CEEW provides an intellectually stimulating and supportive work environment that emphasises research rigour, innovative thinking, and strategic outreach. We are seeking a meticulous and motivated individual who contributes to the dynamic research environment at CEEW and is passionate about translating research into action. We recommend that the applicants visit the Technology Futures team page on the CEEW website for more details about our research.

Responsibilities

Research and analysis

• The research intern will be responsible for conducting thorough research into trade data concerning renewable energy technology materials, components, and products.
• Looking into country-wise/product data such as HS Codes, imports, exports as well as bilateral, free trade agreements (FTA) and other relevant data using publicly available reputable sources.
• Data collection from relevant sources and analysis for research nuances that can help in a better understanding of the trade and commerce segment of renewable energy technologies.
• Analysis that brings out policy implications of identified gaps/promising areas related to the technology value chain.

Programme Assistance

• Assist with programme structuring and project implementation, including preparing presentations, factsheets and other communication material.
• Contribute to reports and other research products as part of the research team.
• Accompany team members for meetings with other stakeholders; prepare minutes of the meetings and assist with relevant follow up.
• Assist in organising webinars, workshops and roundtables as part of the team’s outreach activities.
• In addition to the duties and responsibilities below, the individual should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities.

Selection Criteria

Qualification

Recently passed or currently pursuing a degree in commerce, economics, trade, management, public policy, or related fields. Graduate candidates in other fields with a proven track record may also be considered.

Compensation

Competitive compensation – commensurate to the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by the 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.

5. Programme Associate – Distributed Renewable Energy

Designation offered Programme Associate

Team/ Focus area Energy Transitions

Reporting to
Programme Lead / Senior Programme Lead

Location New Delhi

Duration New Delhi

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 can lead to accelerated and diversified deployment of renewable energy, socially and environmentally responsible deployment of RE and facilitate a just transition away from fossil fuel-based generation. 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 consumer behaviour, and the power market. 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

Qualifications

• 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
• 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.