Senior Program Associate - Energy for Equitable Development

About us

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 World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organization. Currently over 450 researchers are working with WRI India in our offices at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Program Overview for Energy

Our Energy Program seeks to inform and catalyse India’s equitable transition to low-carbon energy pathways by driving the shift to renewable sources, improving the efficiency of energy solutions, ensuring reliable and affordable energy access, and reducing the negative externalities of energy transition pathways on energy minerals. We also bring a keen impetus to the central role of finance, equity, governance, and circularity in ensuring an inclusive, fair, and equitable energy transition in India. We undertake research, ground-level implementation, stakeholder engagement partnerships, and effective communication across four key pillars of work: Clean Energy Demand, Clean Energy Supply, Energy Minerals and Circularity, and Energy for Equitable Development.

Our mission is to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development, supporting India’s climate and developmental goals. We collaborate closely with governments, utilities, industry, financiers, civil society and communities to advance an inclusive and scalable energy transition across India.

Job Highlight

WRI India is seeking a Senior Program Associate for the Energy for Equitable Development Pillar to support partners in implementing decentralized renewable energy (DRE) projects in multiple states. They will apply their knowledge of equity issues, energy and development issues, access and poverty issues to support the vision of WRI India to improve access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all.

What you will do:

The Senior Program Associate will undertake and oversee a range of responsibilities for the energy for equitable development team as are listed below.

• Play an integral role in designing and implementing clean-energy interventions across healthcare, agriculture, education, disaster relief, and rural development sectors, ensuring technically robust solutions that strengthen equitable socio-economic outcomes.
• Develop and improve new and existing tools on energy demand assessments, solar PV and battery storage sizing, and energy efficiency integration - aligned with service-delivery requirements and energy system resilience needs.
• Translate complex engineering and technical insights into social change on the ground for government departments and grassroot partners.
• Prepare detailed technical design documents, Request for Proposals (RfPs), concept notes, and cost–benefit analyses for implementation of DRE solutions.
• Review and validate technical submissions from partners and energy enterprises to ensure compliance with industry and government standards, and long-term sustainability considerations.
• Travel to key project sites to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer from technology providers to on-ground partners, ensuring smooth adoption, capacity building, and effective troubleshooting of DRE solutions.
• Write material including blog posts, op-eds, articles and other compelling communications that serves to translate technical material for various audiences.
• Support communications team to organize webinars, workshops, conferences and other dissemination activities as required
• Stay updated on the policy landscape, sectoral developments, and industry trends in relation to DRE related issues.

You will report to Program Manager for Energy for Equitable Development and work closely with the Pillar lead for Energy for Equitable Development. The position requires moderate amount of travel within India.

What you will need:

Qualifications:

• Post graduate in science, engineering, development studies, renewable energy or energy-related discipline.
• At least 4 – 7 years of relevant experience in supporting DRE project design, procurement, implementation and monitoring.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Prior experience working on DRE projects is non-negotiable.
• Strong passion and commitment to solving the problem at hand - ensuring reliable access to electricity to the most vulnerable communities and regions.
• Experience working at the state level, particularly rural settings, engaging with state government agencies, distribution utilities, grassroot organisations, CSOs, and/or the project developers is necessary.
• State-level expertise in Assam, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Nagaland, or Odisha is a plus.
• Experience of conducting energy need assessments, doing energy system sizing, and implementation of decentralized energy solutions.
• Self-motivated, having confidence and independence to take initiatives, with the awareness and judgement to seek help when needed.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities, learn quickly and multitask in a rapid response environment, including the ability to manage concurrent short-term and long-term deadlines.
• Ability to organise demanding schedules and logistics around travel for work.
• Fluency in English and Hindi is necessary. Proficiency in regional languages of Northeast India is an added advantage.

Potential Salary and Benefits:

Salary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI India offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Location

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.

Learn more about WRI India’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).Click Here

People-centric to the core:

We keep our people at the center 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:

Term Insurance:

Employee Assistance program:

Health & Nutrition:

Flexible work schedule:

Learning culture

Rest and Recharge weeks:

Our leave policy:

Careers | WRI INDIA (wri-india.org)

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.