Senior Research Associate (Chennai)

Job Description

Who we are and what we do?

WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in 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 candidates need 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.

Program overview and about the Role

WRI India is seeking a Senior Research Associate to join the Climate Resilience Practice (CRP) team in India. The Associate will support the vision of CRP to help different tiers of the government, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders to mainstream climate change into development planning and policies for the state of Tamil Nadu.

WRI’s CRP team engages in a diverse body of work. The current projects build on a foundation of almost 10 years of work on climate change adaptation, much of which was conducted by a prior incarnation known as the Vulnerability & Adaptation Initiative. CRP has developed path-setting knowledge products to assess national institutional capacity and support civil society to enhance resilience efforts at the scale required.

This position is a unique opportunity for those wishing to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research and implementation in the field of climate change planning, institutional capacity building and mobilizing finance for climate action. The Associate will join a team of highly motivated individuals at CRP and work closely with key government stakeholders in the state to train and build institutional capacity to mainstream climate change (adaptation and mitigation) into the state’s overall development planning. The candidate will be located in Chennai to liaise and coordinate work with the department of Environment Climate Change & Forests (DoECC&F) with the TN government, and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)

Qualifications and Requirements we seek.

The candidate’s main areas of responsibility will include the following:

Research & Knowledge

• Support the team in developing the feasibility reports for the climate smart villages programme
• Support in the baseline, midline and endline assessment of the climate smart village programme
• Support the development of key climate change strategies and investment plans for states
• Support research on climate finance and mobilizing resources for adaptation and mitigation activities at the city and state level
• Work very closely with the GCC on developing a practical blended financing model for their climate action priorities
• Support the conceptualization and development of concept notes for funding climate change projects for states
• Helping pilot test frameworks and tools that help states prioritise climate actions to be mainstreaming with development budgets
• Undertake field visits as necessary to the relevant priority districts for gathering information and feedback from diverse stakeholders both within the city and across the states that the team is working in currently
• Support the team in liaising with relevant representatives of the NABARD (State and district level)
• Providing technical support to states in developing and evaluating nature based solutions for climate action
• Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data
• Contribute to knowledge products and working papers
• Providing support to other CRP projects as and when required

Administrative

• Liaising with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders (state, city, district, block and GP level) as well as other key identified partners
• Planning and implementing state level training programmes for key stakeholders.
• Organizing internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences and other dissemination activities.
• Supporting the state DoECC&F and GCC in developing relevant government orders. Notifications as per their demand, with support from the team

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Economics, Environment, Natural Resource Economics, Climate Change, Development Studies or related discipline.
• Between 5-7 years of relevant fulltime research work experience in related domains
• Expert knowledge of international, national and sub-national climate change policy landscape (SAPCC, NAPCC, NDC, NAP) especially related to adaptation and resilience building
• A good understanding of the government budget planning process and public finance management, blended financing mechanisms and prior experience in working on financing frameworks
• Prior work experience at the sub-national level and liaising with state governments
• Prior work experience in the state of Tamil Nadu
• Ability to undertake complex quantitative and qualitative analysis of large data sets
• Willingness to travel for work and conduct field visits on a regular basis and on short notice
• Ability to work independently and shoulder responsibility
• An analytical and creative mind who can come up with innovative solutions to tackle complex problems
• Fluency in English and Hindi required, fluency in speaking Tamil is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in writing reports and publishing papers on climate change policy, especially adaptation and resilience
• Strong, proven track record on climate finance research, in particular a firm grasp on public budgetary processes across different sectors at national and sub-national levels and blended financing models
• Prior work experience with research organizations, particularly field level experience
• Prior experience in engaging and interacting with governmental agencies and sectors, and networking with other key stakeholders from the environmental and developmental space.
• Prior experience with building and reviewing concept notes/proposals for Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and other avenues of climate finance.

Salary and Benefits: 11,00,000 INR to 13,00,000 INR CTC Per annumSalary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Duration: 1 years as term hire (extendable based on performance and project requirements)

Location: Chennai, India

Start date: As soon as possible.

List of Documents to be attached:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose.

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 centre 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:

Term Insurance: Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member

Employee Assistance program: Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance.

Digital healthcare service: Online doctor consultations for your primary healthcare needs

Flexible work schedule: Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job

Learning culture: Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities

Rest and Recharge weeks: We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.

Our leave policy: Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.

Click here to know more about our benefits 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 preference, parental status, or disability.