Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi
Programme Associate – Power sector (Lucknow)

Terms of Reference

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has been a Great Place to Work-Certified™.

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don't stand for!) as an employer. We are proud to build careers in public policy and social impact.

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 offeredProgramme Associate – Power Sector (Lucknow)

Reporting toSenior Programme Lead

LocationLucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a suitable candidate with a good understanding of power distribution sector and a hands-on experience in handling large data sets to support its work on power sector reforms. Our programme of work on power sector is driven with the mission to support the clean energy transition in India by examining and promoting the operational, financial, and environmental sustainability throughout the value chain of the electricity sector. We provide knowledge support to the discoms in India, with a particular focus on discoms in Uttar Pradesh. 

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 concerning power sector reforms in India, with a specific focus on taking research to action. The candidate will be expected to support the team’s work with discoms to help them improve their billing and collection efficiency, and embrace new technologies (smart meters and energy-efficiency). An ideal candidate should have the experience of designing surveys, collecting primary data and ability to analyse large data sets (from surveys or administrative data)

Job Duties and Accountabilities:

The candidate should be passionate about using statistical approaches to

• Co-conceptualise and implement research interventions to test strategies to improve financial health and operational efficiency of power distribution companies.

• Design and execute primary surveys (at scale) to collect high quality primary data and conduct data analysis to extract meaningful insights.
• Conduct various types of analysis using survey data, administrative data (from discom) and smart meter data in STATA/R/Python
• Build strong networks of trust and relationship with key stakeholders in the sector, including discom officials, regulators, policymakers and civil society organisations, and communicate to convince for the power sector transition.
• Write high-quality research reports and publish in leading peer reviewed journals
• Generate and disseminate knowledge and findings from studies and implementations by way of presentations, memos, short reports, opinion pieces, videos, etc., with the help of CEEW’s outreach team.
• Present research to key constituencies, advisory bodies, conferences and research institutes
• Keep a tab on the policy developments in India and across key countries of the world on power sector
• Travel to project sites, when required, to monitor field surveys, conduct interviews or collect data for different research projects

Education and experience

• Master’s degree in quantitative economics, statistics, engineering, public policy, energy economics or related field.
• At least 3-4 years of relevant work experience. Though candidates with extremely strong quantitative skills with lesser experience may also be considered
• Should have a strong research background, along with an understanding of distribution sector 
• Experience in designing and executing primary surveys is strongly desirable.
• Past track record of team and project management including timely delivery of outputs is desirable.

Main skills

• Must have strong technical expertise and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and any statistical software (Python/R/Stata) is a must. Experience with visualisation tools like tableau and spatial analysis tools would be a bonus.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to summarise and communicate the insights/findings as reports and presentations
• Proficiency in Hindi and English is a must; proficiency in multiple languages is preferred.
• Experience in dealing with different stakeholders, including central and state government officials, discom officials, and researchers is essential.

Personality

• Willingness to work on multi-disciplinary projects.
• Willingness to learn new research and project management skills.
• Ability to identify creative solutions to vexing challenges in taking policy to action.
• Ability to adapt and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment.
• Ability to effectively work in a team while being able to independently drive the work with minimum assistance.
• Ability and willingness to dig deeper into details, while also keeping a sense of the broader objectives and big picture.
• Willingness to learn, grow and develop at a personal and professional front, at a rapid pace with a steep learning curve.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment.

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.

Interested candidates are requested to send their CV and cover letter (in one pdf) to jobs@ceew.in with 'Application: Research Analyst – Power Sector' as the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We appreciate your interest.