Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi
Programme lead – Energy Access

Terms of Reference

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• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale​
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• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations​
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• 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 - Energy Access

Reporting to: Senior Programme Lead

Location: New Delhi, India

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire an experienced professional with hands-on experience and deep sectoral understanding for its research programme on cooking energy transition under the Energy Access team. The programme is on a mission to support universal transition of Indian households to clean cooking energy fuels, with the objective of mitigating the adverse implications of solid fuel use on human and environmental health. The Council’s past work on energy access clearly lays out the varied challenges to the uptake of clean cooking fuels. In its next phase, the cooking energy transition programme would focus on devising suitable interventions (such as subsidy targeting, devising innovative incentive mechanism for LPG distributors, or strategies to support uptake of electric cooking) to address the persisting barriers and supporting their on-ground implementation. The candidate would be expected to lead and support the research as well policy engagement with stakeholders in the sector.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

Research, Evidence and Engagement

• Develop work plans and research methods (both quantitative and qualitative) to devise and test innovative strategies to address the key barriers hindering clean cooking fuel transition.
• Generate and disseminate knowledge and findings from studies and implementations by way of policy reports, presentations, memos, short reports, opinion pieces, videos, etc., with the help of CEEW’s outreach team. Periodically, publish in high quality peer reviewed national and international journals.
• Build strong networks of trust and relationship with key stakeholders in the sector, including policymakers, OMCs, discoms and civil society organisations, and communicate to convince for the sectoral transition. In short, be the voice of CEEW on all issues concerning cooking energy transition.
• Work with senior researchers on conceptualising new projects (as and when needed) and secure funding for new projects.
• Proactively participate in knowledge-transfer activities, including collaborative meetings, conferences, and training workshops with other research groups and institutions.
• Travel to project sites, when required, for stakeholder engagement or to monitor surveys or supervise data collection

Management and Leadership

• Be responsible for all research activities pertaining to clean cooking energy programme, from conceptualisation to timely execution, generation of diverse knowledge products and strategic outreach.
• Take ownership of the programme, with a focus on management of resources, budgets, timelines and deliverables. Strive for impact, and ensure CEEW maintains its thought leadership on the subject.
• Recruit and lead the team that is suited to deliver on policy analysis as well in working on implementation issues in the sector. Build the team’s capacity on reviewing and commenting on all topical issues concerning clean cooking energy transition.
• Ensure team’s alignment with the programme and institutional objectives and mandates. Guide and help team members in building their careers.

Shortlisting Criteria

Education and Experience

• PhD or Master’s degree in economics, development economics, energy economics, public policy, rural management or related disciplines
• At least seven years of experience, with a minimum of 4-5 years of relevant research experience involving survey design, execution and data analysis 
• A strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods and a track record of research publications
• Strong track record of team and project management including timely delivery of outputs.
• Experience in executing large programmes with significant stakeholder management and regulatory engagement

Key Skills

• A practical understanding of the sectoral issues – body of research and policy positions
• Strong analytic skills and proficiency in conceptualisation, design and implementation of research interventions 
• 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.
• Ability to build and sustain a young team
• Strong networking and interpersonal skills; ability to engage with senior officials and business leaders in the sector – at state as well as national level
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficiency in Hindi and English 

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.

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.

Interested candidates are requested to send their CV and cover letter (in one pdf) to jobs@ceew.in with  ‘Application – Programme Lead – Energy Access (cooking programme)’ as the subject line. Please note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered. The last date to send applications is 6 February 2022. 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.