Job Opportunity for Research Fellow/Lead (Policy and Governance), Energy Program at WRI in New Delhi

About the Organization

WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet people’s essential needs; to protect and restore nature; and to stabilize the climate and build resilient communities. We aim to fundamentally transform the way the world produces and uses food and energy and designs its cities to create a better future for all.

Job Description

WRI India is seeking a research fellow/ lead to focus on issues of policy and governance for its Energy Program. The program aims to inform and guide India’s energy transition through research and analysis on equitable Energy Access and more broadly India’s energy transition across utilities, industry, cities and other aspects of energy governance.

Our energy governance work focuses on key themes around legal, policy and regulatory enablers and barriers to promoting clean energy and energy efficiency on the supply and demand-side. Our work is across multiple scales of governance and involves diverse stakeholder groups. We engage with electricity regulators and utilities in identifying and implementing strategies to promote renewable energy through innovative tariff mechanisms, and other approaches.

The ideal candidate for this role should have a background in law and have the interest and aptitude to navigate the legal, regulatory and policy landscape of the energy sector. The primary responsibility of the role will be to serve as the go-to person in the team for understanding nuances in energy law, regulations, and policies. He/she must be able to apply their knowledge and research to identify emerging challenges in the sector, for example- geopolitical issues in energy transition, the supply and demand for critical minerals, promotion of new clean energy generation technologies like green hydrogen, decarbonization of demand-side sectors like industries and buildings and others.

The candidate is also expected to contribute their expertise on topics related to energy governance more broadly to assess the issues of reliability and affordability of energy for developmental needs and opportunities for equitable energy transition.

Job Responsibilities

Research and program delivery (50%)

• Conduct in-depth research and analysis on legal, policy, regulatory, institutional reforms and market-based mechanisms to increase supply and demand for renewable energy, integrating energy storage, electric mobility, promotion of green hydrogen, end-use decarbonisation and other topics as determined by program leadership.
• Conduct in-depth research (qualitative and quantitative) to understand the linkages between reliable electricity and socio-economic development, multidimensional consequences of renewable energy, governance of electricity and allied sectors and its impact on the acceleration to clean energy, distributive impacts of the clean energy transition on various socio-economic groups and institutions.
• Through high quality research, analysis and critical thinking help the program develop a position on policy issues, how these issues will impact the different stakeholders the program engages.
• Develop templates and frameworks for analysing and studying electricity regulations, tariff orders, and simplified approaches for understanding contracts, procurement orders and similar documents related to the energy sector.
• Collaborate with colleagues from the Energy Program, across WRI and our partners for research and project execution.

Writing (30%)

• Reading and creating the summary of policy and regulatory documents (including important regulatory petitions, filings and reports), knowledge papers and reports produced by other think tanks, consulting organizations and associations to share and disseminate within the team.
• Write about present and anticipated legal, policy and regulatory challenges facing the energy transition in India.
• Support the team with disseminating key messages from our research findings to audiences in the most appropriate manner.
• Identify relevant topics for knowledge products. Lead and write knowledge products, particularly flagship reports for the program on energy policy and governance.

Training and building team capacity (20%)

• Train program staff in reviewing and understanding regulations, including regulatory filings, petitions and orders.
• Serves as a technical resource to program staff by promoting knowledge transfer and learning opportunities.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Post graduate degree in law (environmental or energy) and / or energy policy. 
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in environmental and or energy policy.

Key skills:

• Knowledge of energy sector in India and the region. Prior experience and background in working in energy law, regulatory and policy landscape is necessary.
• Intellectual curiosity. Stay on the top of current on legal and regulatory issues related to the energy transition in India and come up with new ways to think about and address these issues.
• Analytical skills. Use qualitative and quantitative research methods. Apply analytical skills when they collect, evaluate and interpret data and research.
• Critical-thinking skills. Ability to examine and process available information and research on key policy and regulatory reforms (present and anticipated) and draw logical conclusions from their findings.
• Communication skills. Expertise in clearly explaining policies, policy impacts, and recommendations in both spoken and written formats to many different audiences, including colleagues in the program, external stakeholders, team members and policy makers.