Programme Associate – Power Markets

CEEW seeks to hire a candidate to conduct research on the interface of electric vehicles (EVs) and power systems. The candidate is expected to conduct qualitative and quantitative research on the power system-related challenges and opportunities of expanding the EV charging infrastructure for various vehicle segments. The role will also involve extensive engagement with government, industry and civil society stakeholders at the national, state and sub-state levels to drive evidence-informed policies and regulations.

CEEW offers an intellectually challenging and conducive work environment focusing on research rigour, innovative thinking, and strategic outreach. We have an interdisciplinary research culture, and its value comes from adopting different methods and connecting the dots across policy and industry verticals to take research to action. We seek a proactive, detail-oriented individual who can interpret complex data and is enthusiastic about translating them into actionable policy recommendations.

Responsibilities:-

• Work across teams to conceptualise and conduct research studies on understanding the impact of road transport electrification on the power grid in India.
• Work with cross-disciplinary datasets and quantitative and qualitative methods to design and assess strategies for managing energy demand for EV charging.
• Use open-source tools, such as Python-based modelling and simulation tools, to analyse the techno-economic impact of electricity demand-side management strategies on consumers, electricity distribution companies (discoms) and the electricity grid in general.
• Assess the impact of innovative tariff designs and incentives on the electricity demand, especially EV charging behaviour.
• Support government and industry engagements on policy levers to meet India’s road transport electrification goals through primary and secondary research.
• Generate and disseminate knowledge and findings from studies through presentations, high-quality research reports, memos, opinion pieces, videos, etc., with the help of CEEW’s outreach team.
• Write and prepare research reports/papers/presentations/fact sheets and other communication material to convey the research findings to diverse stakeholders.
• Build strong networks of trust and relationships with key stakeholders in the sector, including government officials, regulators and civil society organisations.
• Keep a tab on current discourse/research on the power sector and EV ecosystem in the national and global contexts and come up with innovative ideas to better understand, measure, monitor, communicate and (ultimately) improve the power supply situation in the country.
• Travel to project sites to conduct interviews or collect data for research.

Educational Qualification:-

• Completed a Master’s degree or PhD. in power system operations/public policy/regulatory governance or related programmes
• Keen interest in policy analysis, regulations, and governance

Work experience:-

• 3-4 years of work experience in design consultancy or research on studying the impact of transport electrification on energy demand and utility load patterns
• Ideal candidates would have a strong background and experience in stakeholder engagement across government and industry, conceptualising research projects, and writing research proposals

Main skills:-

• Strong quantitative research skills
• Proficiency in R/Stata or Python-based tools and platforms for operational modelling and statistical analysis
• Insightful and concise writing in English
• Proficient in MS Excel and MS Word
• Some training in primary and secondary data collection and its analysis
• Keen interest in issues related to the power sector and economic policy
• Basic understanding of the power sector and energy systems

Personality:-

• Ability to adapt and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment with minimal supervision.
• Striving for rigour in research and quality in work output
• Ability to effectively work in a team while driving research with minimum assistance when time demands.
• Ability to dig deeper into details while also keeping a sense of the broader objectives and big picture
• Willingness to learn, grow and develop on the personal and professional front at a rapid pace with a steep learning curve
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment

Location:-

• New Delhi, India.

Company Overview:-

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.