Senior Research Associate (Power Sector)

Senior Program Associate (Power Sector), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

About us World Resources Institute (WRI) India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being. We are inspired by and associated with WRI, a research organization. Currently over 250 researchers are working with WRI India in our offices at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Our mission and values:
Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.
Our culture:
We are committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status
Program overview for Energy
The objective of the WRI India energy program is to inform and guide India’s transition to cleaner energy. The program focuses on three inter-related aspects of this energy transition: enhancing energy access, scaling renewables among specific consumer categories, and achieving higher levels of energy and buildings efficiency. Our energy access work is specifically aimed at ensuring access to affordable and clean energy so as to improve socio-economic development in rural and remote regions of India. Through strong research, ground-level implementation experience, partnerships with key stakeholders and communicating our work, we seek to achieve impact at scale.

What you will do:
The Senior Research Associate (Power Sector) will be part of a focused team with the following responsibilities:
• Co-lead the state-specific IRP process by guiding the modelling team in setting up the state-level model, reviewing the input data and assumptions, helping in designing the modelling scenarios, and analysing the outcomes
• Help the team design and simulate different scenarios and interpret the results to draw insights that can help inform the regulatory and policy decision-making at the state level
• Conduct literature review and collate information about energy sector policies and regulations at the state level, including power sector planning, resource adequacy, capacity expansion, production cost and power procurement processes
• Be proactive in researching and pitching ideas, and understanding policy and regulatory processes at both the state and national levels
• Communicate with various stakeholders, especially with the state electricity utilities, regulators, RE nodal agencies, donors, partners, and other state-level agencies, for effective collaboration to ensure a comprehensive IRP process
• Lead or co-lead capacity building efforts to effectively communicate findings of the research with identified stakeholders and build knowledge of the ecosystem thereof
• Participate in research projects to produce knowledge products, reports, articles and communication products
• Lead or co-lead specific modules in the project as identified by the Energy Lead
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Energy lead, including support on research and analysis

What will you need:

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Engineering, Economics, Public Policy, or a related discipline
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in electricity sector policy and regulatory analysis. Exposure to open-source energy models would be a plus
• Fluency in English and Hindi

Knowledge and Skills:
• Sound understanding of the legal and regulatory framework of the Indian electricity sector in general and of the Madhya Pradesh power sector in particular.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and summarise complex legal and regulatory documents.
• Familiarity with basic financial analysis and techno-economic analysis relevant for the power sector.
• Exposure to power sector modelling tools and software (e.g., PLEXOS, GridPath, PYPSA, PROMOD) is beneficial
• Willingness to learn new tools and modelling techniques related to the energy sector to contribute to ongoing/new research projects is a plus
• Strong research and analytical skills, supported by professional experience in the energy sector with contributions to technical papers and research reports
• Strong ability to brainstorm and think creatively about all elements of their work
• Willingness to travel and ability to work cooperatively with others to demonstrate flexibility in fulfilling assignments is essential
Potential Salary & Benefits: 1400000-1800000 INR CTC Per annum Salary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package. Duration: 1 year as term hire (extendable based on performance and project requirements) List of Documents to be attached:

People-centric to the core:We keep our people at the centre of everything we do - from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing. Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:

Health benefits: We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs Term Insurance: Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member Employee Assistance program: Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance Health & Nutrition: Personalized diet recommendation from a certified dietitian based on the physical health condition and lifestyle Flexible work schedule: Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job Learning culture: Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities Rest and Recharge weeks: We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests. Our leave policy: Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves. Click here to know more about our benefits Careers | WRI INDIA (wri-india.org) Equal employment @WRI India We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, or disability.