Programme Lead- Distributed Renewable Energy

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.