India Lead

About us

Riding Sunbeams is a UK-based startup pioneering the connection of solar generators directly to rail traction power systems to supply traction electricity to railways via private wire and long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). India is the best place in the world for the solar-traction value proposition and this role will be key to developing a pipeline of new solar traction farms to help decarbonise the electricity demand of electrified railways in India, which are currently the biggest users of electricity nationally.

http://www.ridingsunbeams.org

About the role

This role is to lead the development of Riding Sunbeams' business in India, and to advance the solar-rail agenda there more broadly.

The India Lead of Riding Sunbeams will have a strong understanding of the structure and operations of Indian Railways and its various agencies, and will hold existing professional relationships with senior figures within the sector, for instance the Railway Board, Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), RITES Ltd, and Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). The successful candidate will also have experience and working familiarity with renewable power project development in the Indian market.

The initial one-year contract period for this role will focus on developing a viable business model for Riding Sunbeams in India and around the world. There may be a requirement to travel to other locations (company, client, office, or site) within India and overseas occasionally, including the UK. 

You will be responsible for establishing and running Riding Sunbeams’ Liaison Office or Joint Vehicle in India, and for evolving this corporate structure in the future as the business grows. You may also manage a postgraduate engineer and oversee the production of technical work packages on a wide range of Riding Sunbeams projects in India and beyond. 

Responsibilities

The principal areas of work include, but are not limited to:

• Developing a viable business model for Riding Sunbeams in relation to the Indian rail and renewable energy sectors, and wider efforts to supply railways with renewable energy around the world
• Managing day to day running of Riding Sunbeams’ Liaison Office or Joint Vehicle in India, and evolving this corporate structure in future as the business grows 
• Building relationships and conducting commercial negotiations with Indian rail, solar and power electronics manufacturing clients, partners and key stakeholders as part of our business development work
• Close collaboration with our consultancy partners in New Delhi, En-genuity ( www.linkedin.com/company/en-genuity-advisory )
• Developing one or more pilot solar-to-rail private wire supply projects in India
• Market research into Indian solar inverters, traction converters and manufacturers of both, and Indian solar EPCs and developers already providing services to Indian rail clients 
• Developing understanding of regulatory compliance protocols for power electronics equipment on Indian Railways
• Supporting applications for safety case approval for solar-to-rail converter design
• Developing delivery models and turnkey full system solutions for Indian Railways clients, in dialogue with our UK team
• Visits to railway and renewable energy sites on occasion
• Involvement with bids and production of proposals to satisfy client tender requirements
• Production of polished consultancy reports
• Contribution to ongoing development of tools and processes
• Leading client facing meetings
• Contribution to team meetings and other team events
• Supporting with travel arrangements for business trips to India by the UK team
• TBD: Coordinating the delivery of work packages being undertaken by our solar traction power engineer
• TBD: Line management, active collaboration with and technical oversight of our India solar traction power systems engineer

Expected person attributes

The India Lead must be highly organised, self-starting, and entrepreneurial, fully able to demonstrate very good time management and communication skills as well as the ability to work to deadlines both independently and as part of a team. High standards of written and spoken English, a curious mind, and an appetite for learning are essential for thriving at Riding Sunbeams, as is passion and drive to help solve the world’s pressing environmental problems.

Qualifications

• Graduate engineering degree from a top-tier university/college in the field of Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. A Master’s Degree in the same or related field will be an advantage
• A Master’s degree or equivalent diploma in Business Management from a top tier university/ college
• Certified training received on solar PV project designing using software packages like PVsyst, OpenSolar, HelioScope or PV Sol.

Desirable skills and experience

As the leader of Riding Sunbeams’ work in India, the India Lead should have experience and skills throughout various stages of solar project development and a good grasp of how solar integration with Indian Railways systems would work in practice. These include the following.

• Strong experience in solar PV project design and development with an EPC company or developer. At least 10 years of industry experience is required
• Experience in leading/coordinating the delivery of packages of work
• In-depth knowledge of the Indian power sector regulatory environment, including open access power procurement, regulations governing decentralized power generation and use behind the meter
• Strong understanding of the Indian Railways power procurement and use scenarios and its strategy for becoming Net Zero by 2030
• Understanding of challenges and opportunities of solar PV integration with Indian Railway systems, including managing interfaces and reliability, system assurance and safety issues
• Well-rounded experience of working in a government set-up
• At least five years experience in procurement and contract management, right from conceptualisation to execution
• Expertise in training delivery and setting up an organisation from the ground up.

Job outline and selection process

• Duration: 12 months, starting in summer 2025, with the possibility of extension to a permanent contract
• Contract type: Fixed term, full time, renewed subsequently on appraisal of performance
• Location: Work will be centred around New Delhi, but based remotely to begin with - you must be able to work from home and travel easily into New Delhi regulalry
• Salary: competitive; on enquiry; depending on experience

The first round of interviews will be conducted using Zoom/Google Meet. Post-interview, the candidate may have to write a one-pager on a topic related to the job description. A second round of interviews may be organised after the assessment of the note. 

Riding Sunbeams will undertake a reference check and encourages the candidate to furnish the sector experts as references who can vouch for his/ her credentials and skills.