Senior Program Research Associate (Power Sector Modelling)
Senior Program Research Associate (Power Sector Modelling)
About the Organization:
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. WRI India’s 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. 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 300 researchers are working with WRI India in our offices at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Program and Position Overview
WRI, has deep experience in the energy sector and on climate change across several topic areas and is widely recognized as a leader on energy and climate issues. In India, we have a multi-pronged energy strategy that looks strategically at directing our tools, research, expertise, and partnerships to support India’s clean energy transition across varied economic activities like extraction, production, distribution, consumption and waste management; in ensuring universal access to reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity and minimizing energy losses and thereby contributing to energy planning and policy analysis.
The objective of WRI India energy program is to inform and guide India’s clean energy transition. Through strong research, ground-level implementation experience, partnerships with key stakeholders and communicating our work, we seek to achieve impact at scale.
The Energy Program at WRI India is seeking a Senior Program Research Associate (Power Sector Modelling) to work with and support research focused on state’s overall energy transition efforts.
About your role:
The Senior Research Associate (Power Sector Modelling) will be part of a focused team with the following responsibilities:
- Lead efforts in developing, building, scripting and maintaining large datasets related to the energy sector, including data collection, data analyses and data interpretation
- Co-lead the team in building state-specific power sector models
- Setting up the model, running, debugging and analysing scenarios in power sector models
- Design and simulate different dispatch model scenarios and interpret insights that can help inform decision makers at state level
- Conduct literature review and collate information pertaining to energy sector policies and regulations at the state level including power sector planning, resource adequacy, capacity expansion, production cost and power procurement processes
- Be pro-active in researching and pitching ideas, and understanding policy and regulatory processes
- Communicate with various stakeholders especially with electricity utilities, regulators, RE nodal agencies and other state level agencies to received feedback on models
- 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
Qualification and Requirements we seek:
- Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, a related discipline with exposure to the subject area of programming and energy/power sector
- Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in data handling and analysis, coding, and scripting. Exposure to open source energy models would be a plus
- Fluency in English and Hindi
Knowledge & Skills
- Experience with power sector modelling tools and software (e.g., PLEXOS, GridPath, PYPSA, PROMOD) is beneficial
- Coding proficiency in Python, with experience in libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and SciPy for data interpretation and analysis
- Experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI or Python libraries like Matplotlib or Seaborn for creating interactive dashboards and reports
- Ability to write scripts for automating data processing and analysis tasks, and knowledge of MS Excel and libraries interfacing Python and Excel
- Knowledge of SQL for querying and managing relational databases (e.g., MySQL) and familiarity with database engines, such as SQLite
- Willingness to learn new tools and modelling techniques related to the energy sector to contribute to on-going/new research projects is a plus
- Strong research and analytical skills, supported by professional experience in the energy sector with contribution to technical papers and research reports
- Strong ability to brainstorm and think creatively about all elements of their work
- Willingness to travel locally and ability to work cooperatively with others to demonstrate flexibility in fulfilling assignments is essential
Salary & Benefits: INR 15,50,000 to INR 18,00,000 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)
Location: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore
List of Documents to be attached:
- Cover letter explaining how your academic background and skills meet the requirements of this position.
- Curriculum vitae
- Writing samples
- Reports
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India
WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.
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
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.
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.
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