Programme Lead – Distributed Renewable Energy

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is hiring a Programme Lead for Distributed Renewable Energy in New Delhi. The role involves leading research to promote distributed renewables, engaging with policymakers, and developing strategies for energy transition. Candidates should have expertise in tariff mechanisms and stakeholder engagement. The position requires frequent travel to build relationships with government and industry stakeholders. CEEW emphasizes career growth and offers competitive remuneration.
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Programme Lead – Distributed Renewable Energy

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 Lead

Team/ Focus area

Energy Transition

Location

Delhi

Reporting to

Senior Programme Lead

Duration

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 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 Programme Lead position to shape the team’s research efforts to increase the share of distributed renewables (DRE) and its integration 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 a 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), a profound understanding of the power market and grid integration modelling. The candidate will be expected to travel frequently to priority states and build relationships with key stakeholders, particularly government (both at central & state level) and industry.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

Strategy
• Support the Senior Programme Lead in the development of strategy and plan for the Energy Transitions programme at CEEW that aligns with institutional and national priorities
• Engage with current and potential funders and stakeholders (relevant central/ state/ city level entities, other policy/ academic research institutions) for partnerships and resource mobilisation

Research
• Conceptualise and implement projects related to the assessment of increasing the share of grid-connected distributed renewable energy technologies
• Conduct power system modelling studies for DRE dominant scenarios to reflect transition challenges and opportunities, as well as realities of the current system, analyse model outputs and distil policy and regulatory insights
• Conceptualise and implement new research methods, innovative ideas on market solutions, policy interventions and market design that can support the scale-up and integration 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 trust-based relationships with key stakeholders, especially with discoms, regulators, state nodal agencies, developers and other research organisations and interact regularly to understand the challenges and opportunities in the DRE sector
• Evaluate the quality of draft data analyses and reports prepared by direct reports as well as all research products under the distributed renewable energy verticals

Project and people management
• Lead project implementation in states by contributing towards preparing detailed activity plans and timelines, resource planning, stakeholder management, and donor engagement.
• Manage a team of multi-disciplinary team of researchers on a day-to-day basis
• Expand the Energy Transition team by assisting in hiring the right set of people at a Research Analyst and Programme Associate level to drive the strategy and execute the plan
• Lead teams’ outreach efforts and 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.
• Assist Research Fellows and other Senior Researchers with financial reporting and budgeting for specific projects
• 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 7+ years of relevant work experience in the field of research, policy/industry engagement and project management in the area of electricity policy, electricity distribution, energy modelling and renewable energy
• Prior experience in 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 national and state-level and experience of working with public and private institutions within and outside India

Key skills
• Strong analytical and research skills, and proficiency in using tools such as Plexos, GridPath, PyPSA, and MS excel
• 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.