Senior Associate - India Program - NGO

Organization: CLASP

Job Title: SENIOR ASSOCIATE, INDIA PROGRAM

Reports to: MANAGER- INDIA OFFICE

Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA

Introduction:

CLASP serves at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and in the global movement for clean energy access, through appliance efficiency. Their mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. They work hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations and others to propel policies and markets toward the highest-quality, lowest resource-intensive appliances possible.

CLASP has worked in more than 100 countries since their inception in 1999. CLASP is headquartered in Washington, DC, with teams in Europe, Kenya, India, China, and Indonesia. They are mission-driven and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, collaboration, and impactful work. See their Team Page to learn more about them.

CLASP Climate Team:

CLASP's Climate program supports ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change through appliance and equipment energy efficiency. They work in partnership with policymakers and other key stakeholders in dozens of countries-from Brazil to Indonesia, the EU to China-with support from a diverse group of funders.

Their team provides world-class technical and policy advisory services directly to governments to develop and implement the most ambitious and cost-effective appliance efficiency policies all over the world. They accelerate the development of energy-efficient product markets through minimum energy performance standards, informative product labeling, and identification and promotion of the most efficient appliances, both on and off the grid. Their programs are designed to maximize impacts by targeting high emitters, raising the bar through ground-breaking policies, and advancing technologies to meet sustainable development aspirations around the world.

In India, CLASP works closely with Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and has supported the expansion of its appliance policy framework to cover a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial energy-using products. This has resulted in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and peak electricity demand, reduced consumer energy costs, and expanded access to high quality appliances. In partnership with key national stakeholders, they advance policy compliance, education and outreach initiatives to foster an ecosystem for resource-efficient appliances and equipment.

CLASP India has recently launched new programs that focus on energy use in agriculture. Their initiatives are targeting promotion of solar water pumps, off grid and on-grid cold chains. A key focus of this position will be to work on the on-grid cold chain initiative, which aims to develop and promote energy efficiency policies for equipment used in cold chain.

Read more about CLASP work at: https://clasp.ngo/

Reason for the hire:

As a Senior Associate the work will be critical to the success of the India program. The incumbent will focus primarily on leading, planning, implementation, and day to day execution of our Cold Chain project, which seeks to enhance energy efficiency policies of cold chain, and they will be expected to contribute technically and managerially to other programs across the portfolio as and when required.

While working closely with other team members, the incumbent will be expected to independently develop and provide technical expertise on agriculture cold chains, support project implementation and project management activities on the Cold Chain project, while also providing broad based support to other projects in the portfolio.

The incumbent will engage with many external partners, including with Government agencies, prepare and review reports, conduct research and analysis, develop and make presentations, and coordinate with other CLASP team members in India and abroad primarily in support of their cold chain project and, as required, on other projects. On several aspects of the program, the incumbent will also contribute to CLASP's programs and projects throughout South Asia, as technical or managerial need arises in programs in other countries.

As Senior Associate, the incumbent will be expected to develop advanced technical expertise in several aspects of the program, most notably and beginning with cold chains. They will represent the expertise within CLASP and engage with external stakeholders on the subject as required. The incumbent will help develop thought leadership on relevant aspects of the project and contribute towards the program's expansion and sustainability through support on proposals and fund-raising.

The Senior Associate will work closely with CLASP's program team members in New Delhi, and in collaboration with national and international partners, and other key stakeholders.

Roles and Responsibilities:

- Program planning and program implementation tasks

- Conduct a variety of tasks in support of program planning and implementation, including client relationships, research, analysis, report writing, and delivering presentations. Initially, this will focus on the cold chain program, and will expand later to include other programs:

- Provide day to day leadership and implementation, preparing work plans, day to day management to ensure that activities and outputs fulfill the goals of the program. Over time, provide leadership or engagement on other programs across the portfolio.

- Lead key aspects of project implementation, coordinate with team members and external partners, as required, and provide day to day project implementation leadership.

- Conduct research and data analysis, prepare reports, briefs, presentations and contribute towards program outputs.

- Ensure quality in all project deliverables by reviewing and editing other reports and material, prepare project forecasts, and lead regular reporting on project status.

- Provide program management support by drafting terms of reference and request for proposal for technical studies, participate in the review and assessment of proposals, track and monitor programmatic activities and outcomes to ensure the highest quality work and outputs.

- Contribute towards the development, expansion, continuity of the program by developing new project ideas, supporting proposal, and fund-raising activities.

- Engaging and collaborating with team members and partners

Represent CLASP in discussions with external stakeholders and represent the project in discussions within CLASP

- Collaborate with various teams within CLASP and external partners in providing technical inputs, preparing reports, conducting research, analysis, preparing presentation and presenting results.

- Assist the team in building, coordinating, and managing relationships with key stakeholders, including industry leaders, industry associations, implementing partners, research institutions, civil societies, government agencies, and donor organizations, and serve as the focal point for many of these relationships primarily focused on the cold chain project.

- Share and discuss program findings and research, preparing thought leadership in terms of papers, articles, and conference presentations.

- Support team in organizing conferences, workshops, and other stakeholder consultations.

Technical and thought leadership

- Draw from project implementation, collect data, and conduct research and analysis to develop thought leadership, prepare insights and enhance CLASP's methodologies and tools

- Draw relevant information from project implementation to develop insights and data

- Collect data from different primary and secondary sources, and conduct quantitative analysis using a relevant tools and methodologies

- Prepare reports, studies, papers, and presentation for CLASP internal knowledge management, partner specific request and for broader thought leadership.

Who you are

- Strong technical expertise: You have a strong understanding of energy efficiency technologies, policies, and markets. You have a demonstrated track record of significant expertise and experience in at least one of the following: agricultural cold chains, cooling and refrigeration appliances, energy efficiency of household / commercial products, or efficiency financing.

- An Effective Collaborator: You've successfully worked across cultural lines on a dispersed team and can operate in complex situations. You can easily gain trust from team members and are known for supporting them to ensure they are set up for success. You're not afraid to ask questions.

- Flexible: You can manage a diverse set of team needs and aren't afraid to step outside your job description or comfort zone to help the team reach its goals. You're comfortable with shifting schedules and don't expect every day to go "as planned."

- A Humble Teammate: Nothing is beneath or above you. You are quick to always lend a hand or two! You are able to earn influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects or large strategic goals.

- An Abundant Thinker: You believe that we are living in a world of abundant capabilities and that the right team of partners can make improbable things happen. You bring relentless curiosity and creativity to every task, project, and engagement.

- Mission-oriented: You believe in the mission of CLASP and are passionate about climate change, energy efficiency, and creating a more sustainable world.

Must Haves:

- Minimum five years of professional experience with progressive growth in energy efficiency, clean energy, economics, public policy, or energy is required.

- Masters' degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, international relations, environmental science, economics, energy studies) required or Bachelors' degree with 8 years of relevant experience.

- Demonstrated expertise or experience in cold chain technologies, markets, financing, or policy though not required, will be an added advantage

- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

- Project management capabilities with demonstrated track record of managing projects

- Ability to handle multiple deadlines, complete assignments independently, and mentor / collaborate with junior staff or peers in developing collaborative work products in a fast-paced work environment.

- Strong analytical skills, including experience with Excel and/or other analytical software and the ability to translate analysis into policy recommendations is highly preferred.

- Strong work ethic and an ability to take initiative; a drive to learn and grow on the job.

- Strong time management and organizational skills with ability to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time

- A commitment to diversity and inclusion. You're always asking: "whose voice is not at the table?" You have experience working with diverse teams and successfully navigating cross-cultural communication in both local and global contexts, and you deeply value creating a workplace that is supportive of difference.

WHY THIS ROLE IS COMPELLING

Your will have an opportunity to shape policy and market outcomes for agricultural cold chains, helping India to deliver on a key aspect of its climate agenda while supporting the initiative to positive impact agricultural productivity and income.

You will be exposed to an unusually wide range of people and issues in the climate and energy sectors, as well as the internal infrastructure and operations of a global NGO.

A successful candidate will develop and lead key aspects of our program, build insights from program implementation, engage with stakeholders (including government) in supporting the development of policy, markets, and technology. You will work with, learn from, and grow alongside a high-performing and diverse team in which everyone is committed to professional development, with a high regard for collaborative approaches.

COMPENSATION AND LOCATION

CLASP offers competitive compensation commensurate with experience, including fully paid health insurance for individuals and their families/dependents, provident fund and includes a collegial office environment that supports wellness and flexible telecommuting options after a certain period of employment. This position will be based in the organization's New Delhi office but is currently virtual. Early morning or evening hours are sometimes necessary to accommodate international collaboration; some travel and weekend hours may also be required. CLASP is an equal opportunity employer.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer. They celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Their goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens they serve. CLASP complies with all federal, state and local employment law in the countries they operate and are committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, disability, political affiliation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, credit information or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law. Each person is evaluated based on personal skill and merit. CLASP's policy regarding equal employment opportunity applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, job assignments, promotions, working conditions, scheduling, benefits, wage and salary administration, disciplinary action, termination, and social, educational and recreational programs.