Policy Advisor on Energy in India, Energy Program

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 120 people, plus over 150 associates and consultants, come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

The position will support IISD’s Energy Program (www.iisd.org/energy) and its Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI, https://www.iisd.org/gsi/). We are a team of over 40 experts based in the IISD Geneva and Ottawa offices, as well as remotely in India, Indonesia, and other countries.

At an international level, our work program delivers cutting-edge research and practical policy support for energy policy reforms in developed and developing countries, including the reform of fossil fuel subsidies (expected to reach USD 1 trillion in 2022), energy taxation, and implementing commitments to go beyond fossil fuels. This work includes aligning financial flows with safe climate targets and facilitating just transitions to renewable energy, looking at both production and consumption. We work closely with groups such as the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (http://fffsr.org/), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Energy Agency, the UN Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, and many international non-governmental organization partners. Our approach is hands-on, through country-level research and outreach, as well as via international forums such as the G20, G7, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About the position

Applicants should be based out of India, with a strong preference for Delhi NCR. The candidate will receive an indefinite contract with a probation period of 6 months based on performance. The position will be home-based.

The Policy Advisor will principally support four workstreams over the next year: first, IISD’s efforts to build national and state-level datasets on government support to the energy sector, including analysis of clean energy support needed to meet national targets; second, IISD’s efforts to support state-owned energy enterprises in a changing energy system; third, supporting the development of an electric vehicle ecosystem in India; and, fourth, accelerating the implementation of solar irrigation schemes. While principally focused on IISD’s work in India, the candidate will also be given opportunities to contribute to activities in our global workstream.

Key areas of responsibility will include but not be limited to:

• Contributing to the management of research projects and relationships with partners and policy stakeholders.
• Representing IISD and building IISD’s networks among the policy research community in India through engagement and outreach, including meetings, interviews, events, webinars, and outreach on traditional and social media.
• Conducting qualitative and quantitative research on the economic, social, health, and environmental impacts of existing and proposed policies (subsidies, taxes, regulations, and others) related to fossil fuels, renewable energy, and electric vehicles in the form of reports, articles, policy briefs, and blogs
• Establishing and strengthening IISD’s relationships with various national and state government officials, public enterprises, and legislative and industrial bodies.
• Contributing to strategic planning and the design of engagement, research, and communications activities, including through contributions to proposals for fundraising and collaboration with IISD’s communications and design team.

Required skills and qualifications

Qualifications

• A minimum of a master’s degree in energy, economics, social science, politics, environment, or a relevant interdisciplinary program or equivalent.
• Indian nationality, residence, or work permit is required.

Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in energy policy at a national or an international level.

Technical skills

• Ability to demonstrate excellent written and verbal English communication skills through policy publications for a range of different audiences. An ability to work professionally in Hindi and in other regional languages is not required but will be considered an asset.
• Excellent computer skills, including in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and automated referencing software
• Ability to work with data manipulation and visualization tools like Microsoft PowerBI would be considered an asset.

Core competencies

• Familiarity with sustainable development and the policy theory and current agenda on climate and energy.
• Ability to work independently to produce analysis and writing that is “publication-ready” with a limited degree of oversight and editing.
• Confidence in working collaboratively with IISD staff, affiliates, partners, and consultants.
• An entrepreneurial approach to work, taking the initiative within the team, and ready to develop new skills, increase responsibility, and build experience in fundraising.
• Excellent organizational, presentation, and planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, manage workload, and produce deliverables on time and within budget.
• Results-focused, with an ability to prioritize and work quickly and accurately over a range of tasks.
• Availability to travel nationally on a regular basis and potentially internationally as required.

It is not required but will be considered advantageous if candidates can demonstrate the following:

• Strong existing professional networks on energy and/or policy in India.
• Prior experience engaging with state and central government officials on energy, environment, and climate change issues.
• Prior experience working on fiscal, industrial, energy, climate, or health in India, particularly with respect to subsidies, PSUs, public finance, trade agreements, or electric vehicles.
• Practical knowledge of approaches to major economic reforms, including political economy aspects, social protection/safety net reform for lower-income groups, complementary policies, structural adjustment for industries, and just transition.
• Quantitative research methods, such as dataset management, subsidy estimation, household surveys, economic modelling, poverty and social impact assessments, impact analysis, use of statistical software such as R or STATA, and project financing models.
• Qualitative research methods, such as stakeholder mapping, political economy analysis, the design of questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and methods for structuring and facilitating discussions among different ministries or non-government stakeholders.

Location: Delhi NCR, India

Starting salary: Candidates are invited to identify their salary expectations in terms of cost to company in INR lakh per annum.

Closing date: Rolling applications. Candidates are encouraged to apply early.

Start date: April 1, 2023, or whenever a suitable candidate is found.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English. Accommodations for job applicants with disabilities are available on request.

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for India.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR at the following link: https://iisd.bamboohr.com/careers/535

Please include the following:

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A cover letter (one page)
• IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire (optional)

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 year.

IISD has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination policy that requires employees who are required or choose to be at an office or participate in in-person team events or in-person meetings/events to be fully vaccinated. Anyone unable to be fully vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from being fully vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.