Consultant - Sustainable Food System

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is seeking a Consultant for Sustainable Food Systems in New Delhi, India. The role involves managing research on food system issues, conducting quantitative analyses, and possibly engaging in fieldwork. CEEW emphasizes leadership, talent development, and offers competitive remuneration. The consultant will contribute to assessing the socio-economic and environmental impacts of alternative protein production and consumption in India.
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Life Cycle Assessment Consultant (1 role)

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: Consultant – Sustainable Food Systems

Reporting to: Programme Associate / Programme Lead

Location: New Delhi, India

Purpose

India faces a multi-faceted challenge as it aims to become a developed country by 2047 while
ensuring food and nutritional security and meeting its net-zero emissions goals. Central to these
ambitions are the Agriculture and allied, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sectors. These sectors
are crucial because they are not only highly vulnerable to climate change but also significant
contributors to it. To reach India's extensive developmental and environmental goals, a fundamental
reassessment and evolution of the AFOLU sector is necessary, involving a comprehensive approach to
food systems transformation.

Considering this complex challenge, CEEW seeks to assess the role and socio-economic and
environmental impacts of alternate protein production and consumption in India. In this context,
CEEW seeks an LCA Consultant to expand its capacity for conducting cutting-edge research on
sustainable food systems.

The successful applicant will assist the team members in undertaking robust quantitative analysis. In
addition to the duties and responsibilities outlined below, the Consultant should be prepared, as and
when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities and respond to events and developments that
cannot be anticipated easily.

Job duties and accountabilities

Research

● Independently manage allocated work-streams on quantitative and quantitative applied
research on varied food system issues. Such workstreams include but are not limited to (i)
identification of optimal research question(s), (ii) designing the research
approach/framework (iii) if required, development and execution of primary data collection
(iv) if required, systematic literature reviews (v) if required, conducting stakeholder
consultations, (vi) conducting the relevant analyses using appropriate qualitative and/or
quantitative tools (e.g. MS Excel, Open LCA/SimaPro,etc.), and (vii) presenting the analyses in
a coherent narrative in different formats

● Travel to field sites, whenever necessary, to conduct fieldwork including focus group
discussions, interviews, meetings, training or gather primary information

● Proactively supporting team in effectively operationalizing the CEEW’s Arc of Learning

● Regularly track policy measures taken by the government and its implementation status
related to sustainable agriculture and sustainable food systems in India and the Global South.

● Write high-quality research reports, publish in leading peer-reviewed journals and generate
other knowledge products for the different audience such as blogs, policy briefs in regular
intervals

● Establishing and managing relationships with project counterparts from CEEW’s partners

Project/programme Assistance

● Support the senior researchers in conceptualising new projects, development of high-impact
research proposals, and applications for research and general donor funding

● Support effective outreach of research outputs through coordination with the outreach
team, engagement with a broader network of stakeholders, and concerned policymakers

● Participate in relevant conferences, workshops, training programmes for a comprehensive
understanding of developments relevant to sustainable agriculture and allied sector and
alternate proteins.

● Support senior team members for important meetings and sessions, prepare notes and
conduct follow-ups, as required
● Participate in weekly team meetings and assist with preparing minutes and chairing the
weekly meeting

Selection Criteria and Key skills

● Master's degree in environmental science/ environmental management/ food systems/
sustainable engineering/ agricultural or ecological economics or any other relevant field
relevant to food system transformation.

● A minimum of two years of relevant research experience in environmental Life Cycle
Assessment with food systems relevance is expected. Exposure to jobs and market potential
estimation and corporate engagement is desirable. Candidates who have developed relevant
specialist skills will be given a strong preference.

● Analytical skills and knowledge of mixed methods – qualitative and quantitative research
methods - relevant for food systems analysis, strategic planning, GHG accounting from
AFOLU sector, political economy analysis, stakeholder engagement, impact evaluation, etc.

● Project management skills to independently manage research workstreams

● Familiarity with IPCC Guidelines on GHG inventory calculations, food and agriculture issues,
policy areas and consumer trends

● Strong communication skills for effective, efficient, and adaptive verbal and written
communication, and active listening along with experience in managing stakeholders,
conducting workshops, convenings, etc. (preferred)

● Ability to use MS Office application suite

● Desirable: Relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals/book chapters

● Desirable skills: SimaPro/ OpenLCA/ other LCA software (any one mandatory),
R/Stata/Python (any one preferred) other statistical software; Vensim, STELLA, AnyLogic
QGIS, ArcGIS (preferred) and environmental and land-use modelling

“If you are passionate about bringing sustainability from margins to mainstream by catalysing a
system-wide transition at speed and scale, we would like to speak to 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.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified by us. We appreciate your interest.

Please write to ruchira.goyal@ceew.in and aishwaryak@ceew.in