Research Analyst/Programme Associate

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Research Analyst, International Cooperation

Terms of Reference 

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. So, if the below description strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!

At CEEW, we build careers in public policy

• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale

• We actively promote leadership by initiative

• We celebrate talent and ambition

• You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow

• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations

• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW

• You will get above-market remuneration

• We provide a safe space for all

• At CEEW, your life is your example for others

Designation offered: Research Analyst

Team/ Focus area: International Cooperation

Reporting to: Programme Associate

Location: New Delhi, India

Duration: Full-time, in the office, 5 days a week, no remote work

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a Research Analyst for the International Cooperation (IC) Team. IC manages most of CEEW’s international government and institutional relationships through partnerships, projects and research. It tracks the geopolitics of energy security and transition; governance and trade of critical resources, sustainable finance and environment and climate; reform of international financial institutions (IFIs) and global perspectives on issues such as industrial decarbonisation, circular economy, prosperity, and multilateralism. IC interacts with high-level officials of the Union government, embassies and diplomatic missions, and senior members of industry and multilateral agencies. The IC Team comprises the Fellow and Lead – International Cooperation, Programme Lead/s and Associate/s, and Research Analyst & Coordinator/s. 

The Research Analyst will support team’s research efforts on major projects related to the global governance of energy and resources, sustainable finance and climate and environment. The candidate should have expertise on a few different fronts – thorough understanding of international policies and regulations governing energy and resource trade and governance, sustainable finance and functioning of international financial institutions, hands-on experience of conducting stakeholder consultations with policymakers (Union government, foreign missions, multilateral organisations, international industry), and understanding of the socio-economic aspects of sustainable development. 

The research will draw from organisational sources as well as government and third-party content, and cover all sectors of CEEW’s work, plus national and international energy, climate and governance policy developments. Occasional national or international travel may arise to support convenings

• This includes: - Primary and secondary research for major projects, and regularly preparing memos/issue briefs/reports on subjects covered by the IC as noted in the Purpose section.

• Customising CEEW’s research for key stakeholders and taking their inputs on how CEEW’s work can inform national and international energy, resource and climate strategies and policies. 

• Working with external stakeholders and internal teams to plan and deliver strategic convenings such as roundtables related to the research.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

Research

• Track political, business and tech-related developments on energy, industry, the environment, and India’s developmental pathways in terms of national priorities, international governance, trade, finance and socioeconomic dimensions. This includes tracking CEEW’s sectoral research and publications to connect the dots between CEEW’s work and the global scenario.

• Track reforms in the international financial architecture at different international fora, as well as MDB and DFI reforms, sovereign debt markets, mechanisms to de-risk finance and more. This focus area will also look at scaling up sustainable finance and business-models that can assist with the same, in India and other developing economies. 

• Track and analyse the impact that multilateral, bilateral and regional reforms and partnerships on environmental and climate governance and its impact on India’s developmental pathways in terms of national priorities, international governance, finance and socioeconomic dimensions. 

• Undertake research for allocated project(s) end-to-end. This includes but is not limited to (i) framing the research questions, (ii) identifying the target audience, (iii) conducting literature review, (iv) collecting data from primary sources, if needed, (v) performing necessary analysis (technical and analytical), (vi) strategic dissemination of the research, and (vii) assessing impact.

• Review large amounts of data using a variety of methodologies and software tools.

• Write policy memos, issue briefs and reports based on primary and official secondary sources, including CEEW’s research, and when required, in consultation with sectoral teams. 

• Prepare briefing notes and minutes of meetings, conduct pre- and post-engagement follow-ups, and build and nurture cordial, mutually rewarding relationships with stakeholders.

Stakeholder coordination

• Sustain and evolve stakeholder relationships with regular communication of CEEW’s activities.

• Develop and manage the delivery of stakeholder interactions such as roundtables and webinars.

• Coordinate with internal teams from a place of thorough research, understanding of the context, and professional poise.

Own work management

• Smart content management using Google mail, calendar, and Drive systems, and CEEW hashtags.

• Strictly follow CEEW’s SOPs for activities and publications and inculcate that in collaborators.

• Meet deadlines, as decided with the manager, on time and in full, i.e. v1 of the work should not require formatting or primary corrections. V2 should need minor content-level edits.

• Arrive for meetings in good time with full preparation, including IT systems and documents.

Programme Assistance

• Support the team in development of overall programme strategy and its implementation.

• Assist the team in preparing applications for research and general donor funding

Desirable Outcomes (first year)

• Build CEEW’s knowledge and database on international agreements, treaties and frameworks on the international financial architecture and environmental and climate governance reforms.

• Successfully complete all assigned research on at least major project and deliver all assigned memos/briefs on time and in full.

• Co-author at least published news or journal article.

• Take up at least institutional responsibility or actively work on institutional initiative.

Education and Key skills

Qualifications

Minimum Master’s degree, with specialisation in energy, climate finance, economics, sustainability, or international relations.

Work experience

At least 2-3 years of relevant work experience.

Main skills

• Strong analytical, research skills and an acumen to understand geopolitics, geoeconomics and international relations

• A good understanding of the interlinkages between climate, environment, security, sustainability, investment, and policy 

• Ability to ‘connect the dots’ between research and real-world developments

• Ability to adapt to new environment and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment

• Responsiveness to evolving situations and ability to look “over the horizon” and anticipate challenges 

• Confidence and poise, with communication skills par excellence 

• Ability to dig deeper into details, while also keeping a sense of the broader objectives and big picture

• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment

• Ability to use MS Office application suite including MS Excel

• Good written and oral communication skills; Good report writing skills

Personality 

• Initiative and ownership with projects and relationships

• Willingness to learn new research and project management skills

• Strong work management and prioritisation skills

• Interest in adding value in conversations, meetings and interactions