Job Title

Programme Director, Clean Energy The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST), is looking for an experienced, dynamic and entrepreneurial professional to lead and grow the organization's Clean Energy Programme. This is a leadership position, wherein the successful candidate will be expected to take complete responsibility for delivering the existing Programme and driving its future growth. She/he would also be expected to contribute to institutional growth, with support in finetuning policies and establishing best practices.The Role The Programme Director for the Clean Energy Programme will be responsible for the delivery of research and engagement outputs pertaining to the Clean Energy Programme. This would entail designing, guiding and conducting impactful research and multi-stakeholder engagement, with the support of a dedicated team, to enable the growth of RE resources in eastern region states. In addition, they would also be expected to identify new areas of work to support institutional growth, as well as contribute substantially to institutional strengthening and brand building. Specific tasks to be undertaken by the Programme Director are highlighted below:Lead research initiatives of the Clean Energy Programme. Take complete responsibility of the ongoing and planned projects under the programme. Thus, take complete accountability for high quality and timely execution of all committed activities and deliverables. Design comprehensive plans for executing research and engagement assignments. This would include developing the overall strategy and methodology, as well as identifying the specific scope of work (activities and tasks) for the research team members. Assign the research plan to the team, and monitor its execution during the project cycle through timely interventions (in the form of review, guidance and course correction). Build, guide and manage research teams in executing in-depth primary and secondary research, and quantitative and qualitative assessments. Conceptualize new research ideas that are aligned with programme objectives. Extensively write and review research documents, including analytical reports, policy briefs, factsheets, peer-reviewed journal articles etc. Be responsible for programme budget and spending. Engage with existing funders for technical and financial progress reporting, and other required communications.Build the profile of the Clean Energy Programme. Coordinate with the CEO to shape the overall strategy for the programme, aligned with institutional priorities, sector-specific issues and ongoing work of partner/non-partner institutions. Independently develop new concept notes, proposals, theory of change and budgets for projects/interventions that further institutional objectives. Budget programmatic fund requirement and raise required funds by developing relationships with new and existing donors. Identify new pathways, initiatives and partnerships that contribute to programmatic goals.Develop strong relationships with stakeholders and lead the programme outreach. Build deep and leverageable networks of stakeholders across segments (government, industry, CSOs, media etc.) and geographies (national, sub-national and international). Be iFOREST’s senior representative in important meetings and conversations (at internal and external events) to present institutional perspectives and insights. Build the individual as well as institutional profile as a thought leader in the clean energy sector. Design and manage a comprehensive outreach strategy for effective communication of research outputs. Enable the constructive policy-research partnerships with government, industry and other stakeholders. Author and review articles and other forms of communication materials suitable for the public, government stakeholders, and donors. Design and guide execution of roundtables, convenings, and report release meetings with government, industry, CSOs, media, etc.Build and manage an effective programme team. Take responsibility of managing a large, regionally-spread out programme team. Mentor, advise and guide them to achieve programme objectives. Engage in timely reviews of performance to track the progress and professional growth of team members. Coordinate staffing decisions, including identifying right candidates for the institution to hire across roles. Identify training requirements and support capacity development of team members.Contribute to institutional decisions and growth. Be part of iFOREST’s senior leadership, and contribute to policy decisions that help shape a strong and resilient institution. Contribute to decisions for that ensure efficiency in organizational structure, culture and philosophy. Adopt an entrepreneurial approach and action orientation to identify challenges, establish priorities, and implement viable solutions for the institution. Support the CEO in taking important decisions, and in preparing for important external meetings. Collaborate with the CEO to identify and develop new areas of work (in other programme themes as well). Contribute to the institution’s brand building by representing iFOREST on various high-level public platforms. Motivate, guide, catalyse and mentor the staff to deliver their best.Additional duties. Execute any related assignments that may arise in relation to the aforementioned tasks or for the further enhancement of the Clean Energy programme.Qualification & Work Experience Master’s degree (minimum)from a recognised institution in a relevant field, including management, economics, public policy, energy policy, renewable energy technology etc. Over 15 years of extensive and rich experience inresearch, strategy consulting or advisory-related fields, focusing specifically on the renewable energy sector.Required competencies In line with the listed responsibilities, the Programme Director is expected to have the following competencies: Comprehensive understanding of India’s clean energy sector and a passion for sustainability pathways. Deep knowledge of India’s energy policies, programmes, regulations, initiatives, and actors at the national and sub-national levels. Informed about ongoing discussions around challenges and solutions for clean energy sector growth at the international and national levels. Passionate towards contributing to India’s low-carbon future, and delivering impact on the ground. Technical knowledge of the power sector is preferred.Proficiency in research and writing. Demonstrated experience in authoring research publications (or any form of outputs) related to clean energy sector. Demonstrated experience of conducting qualitative and quantitative methods of research, utilising various software such as Excel, R and QGIS. Experience in managing research teams, including building research methodologies and organising structured data collection. Strong analytic skills, and excellent communication skills. Awareness of latest tools and techniques for executing qualitative and quantitative research, and data visualizationsProficiency in stakeholder engagement and information dissemination. Capacity to be a senior representative, with the required gravitas, in meetings/convenings. This requires an ability to understand the subject matter, listen actively to perspectives, assess scenarios and audience, and accordingly share knowledge and information. Capacity to lead presentations and convene discussions to communicate institutional perspectives and research findings, to a diverse set of stakeholders.Aptitude and interest in programme development and execution. Demonstrated interest and ability to lead teams, guide researchers and creating a high-performance environment. Proven track record of leadership and strategic management at middle/senior level. Experience with programme/programme planning, tracking progress, and timely delivery of outputs and goals. Proven track record of delivering impact.Maturity and sincerity to take up a leadership role. Confident, collegial, and passionate about clean energy growth in India. A thought leader with intellectual curiosity, strategic orientation and critical thinking skills. Clear understanding and appreciation of the role of think tanks in shaping policies and programmes. Ability to manage time and priorities, and ensure the completion of research in keeping with tight policy windows. Motivated to build the institutional profile, drawing on priorities and emerging sector issues. Willingness to travel as per requirement.Interested candidates can apply on LinkedIn or can share the resumes to .