Senior Project Associate : Energy Access, WRI India
Program: Energy
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India. And will be required to work from Ranchi, Jharkhand for 3-4 months or as required.
Institution Overview:
WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in the Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey and the United States. Our more than 450 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resources—the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being.
WRI was recently voted the #1 Environmental Think Tank in the world and is consistently recommended by staff as one of the "most desired organizations to work for." In 2014, WRI was ranked one of the Top Workplaces by the Washington Post. World Resources Institute India (WRII) is a wholly owned subsidiary of WRI established in India.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Foreign candidate needs to have a valid work permit for India. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis.
Position Overview:
WRI India is seeking a Project Associate for the Energy Access Mapping work housed in the Energy Program in India for an initial period of 1 year (extendable). The Project Associate will support the vision of WRI for the provision of reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all through data and mapping.
WRI globally, has deep experience in the energy sector and is widely recognized as a leader on energy issues. In India, we have a multi-pronged energy strategy that looks strategically at directing our tools, research, expertise, and partnerships in ensuring universal access to reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity. The energy access mapping work seeks to expand the access to energy in states where there continues to be unserved and under-served demand, while linking access to development outcomes within these states.
To visualize the energy access and development situation, WRI India will create a set of energy access maps that will show the electrification data for health, education and select livelihood sub-sectors and overlay that with socio-economic conditions of the states. The maps will use primary and secondary data that can have multiple use-cases for investors, planners, policy makers and energy enterprises.
This position is a unique opportunity to learn from one of WRI’s high impact initiatives to improve how we create, publish, visualize, and share data to advance sustainable development. The Project Associate will join a team of highly motivated individuals across multiple continents, including members of WRI’s senior leadership, to support the development of energy access maps. The Project Associate will work closely with the energy access team and the global energy access mapping lead to collect and analyze geographic data related to demographics, socio-economic activities, energy resource availability and infrastructure and help build an online, open, collaborative platform of actionable data (Energy Access Explorer) to facilitate access to energy in unserved or underserved areas.
Key Responsibilities:
The Project Associate’s main areas of responsibility will include the following:
Research & Knowledge
• Discovering and researching relevant geographic datasets
• Collecting the relevant geographic datasets through stakeholder consultations and existing databases
• Handling, analyzing and visualizing geographic datasets
• Documenting geographic datasets and the process of collecting these datasets
• Creating data standards to facilitate data sharing and its reuse
• Supporting the management, design, and development of Energy Access Maps and the Energy Access Explorer, WRI’s new energy access mapping platform
• Helping to write up short blogs and technical notes
Administrative
• Liaising with external partners and WRI colleagues across programs and countries
• Organizing internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences and other dissemination activities
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
• Master’s Degree in Energy Engineering, Development Economics, Human Geography, Geoinformatics or a related field.
• Minimum 3-5 years of relevant fulltime work experience
• Proficiency in GIS software including ArcGIS Desktop 10.x, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Online
• Experience in spatial analysis (e.g., use of ArcGIS Spatial Analyst tools, Model Builder, Python scripting, or equivalent)
• Experience in handling publicly available GIS datasets, from international and national databases, crowd-sourcing platforms such as Open Street Maps and from remote-sensing databases.
• Demonstrated experience in handling energy related geographic datasets
• Strong statistical and analytical skills and knowledge on using Excel and/or other data analysis tools
• Experience in multi-criteria decision analysis
• Exceptional research skills and experience in evaluating research methodologies
• Good communications skills including presentation experience
• Willingness to engage with the team members in India and globally with a strong sense of respect for the team
• Excellent written skills with the ability to express complex concepts clearly and concisely
• Commitment to and understanding of the energy access and development space
• Ability to organize demanding schedules and logistics around travel for work
• Attention to details and ability to analyse these details under pressure
• Willingness to travel for work to different states in India on a regular basis and on short notice
• Fluency in English and Hindi is a must
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience working with the Google Suite of tools (i.e. Google Earth Engine, Google Maps, Google Maps Engine)
• Programming and coding experience with Open Source software packages including Q-GIS, CartoDB
• Experience with cloud services such as GCS or AWS
• International work experience and good cross-cultural and interpersonal skills
• Confidence and independence to take initiative, with the awareness and judgement to seek help when needed
Relocation reimbursement not available for this position.
Duration
1 year (extendable)
How to Apply:
Qualified applicants should apply online at www.wri.org/careers. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose. Finalized candidate may be required to take a writing/analytical test.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.
