Job Description
| Location | Delhi, India |
| Reports to | Country Head |
| Amount of Travel Required | 20% |
| On-site Requirement | Hybrid |
ABOUT NRDC INDIA
NRDC India Private Limited is an independent organization based in New Delhi founded to build a healthier and more prosperous future for all Indians.
To attain a healthier and more prosperous future, NRDC India and its partners work with governments and stakeholders at all levels to deliver transformative solutions across the organization’s focus areas. The approach is to collaborate on pilot projects that offer the potential for tangible environmental and public health benefits. NRDC India has a strong proof of concept to bring solutions to scale at the state level – with the goal of informing national policies and unlocking the public investments needed to implement them.
NRDC India also partners alongside Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in the United States, a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. NRDC was founded in 1970 and their people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. NRDC uses law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. In India for over 10 years now, NRDC has been a thought leader and trusted adviser to the partners within the country to tackle climate change and implement energy solution. Since 2009, the India Initiative has combined scientific research and policy acumen to produce game-changing results.
POSITION SUMMARY
NRDC is seeking a highly motivated and collaborative individual to join our India team. In this role, the individual will support execution of our energy efficiency and cooling projects in India.
The Specialist will work closely with the rest of the India Program team, as well as our experts in the US and China. The individual will conduct research, data analysis, and other tasks to prepare high quality outputs such as reports, memos, and presentations that support the advancement of India’s transition to a climate friendly, sustainable, and affordable cooling solutions. The individual should have technical and analytical experience in urban planning and building design.
The position involves working closely with civil society partners, government officials, and other stakeholders and will be on a full-time basis.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a qualified individual with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:
- Coordinate, supervise, and occasionally lead targeted, policy-relevant applied research efforts to develop, support, and evaluate NRDC India policy goals related to climate, energy, transportation, and public health.
- Contributing to the advancement of internal and external strategic initiatives relating to areas of expertise.
- Manage multiple complex technical projects and serve as primary scientific resource for staff and partner consultations.
- Conduct, analyze, and distill technical research across a range of climate and environmental subject matter for different kinds of audiences.
- Stay current on, analyze, and synthesize current relevant research and science-policy issues;
- Establish contact, communicate, coordinate, and partner with other researchers and stakeholders.
- Draft and edit reports, analyses, fact sheets, blogs, and other materials incorporating key scientific findings relevant to our programmatic priorities.
- Work closely with staff at partnering organizations to advance scientific and technical elements of shared projects.
- Working collaboratively with NRDC’s Science Office.
- Participating as an active member of NRDC’s broader scientific community.
The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under the position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.
REQUIREMENTS Minimum Education & Experience
Required
- 5-7 years of experience in.
- Master’s degree in relevant scientific field.
- Experience and demonstrated proficiency in scientific writing for different audiences (e.g., literature reviews, blogs, research manuscripts, summary briefings).
- Experience with quantitative data analysis related to our primary work areas (climate and environment, energy, transportation, public health).
- Ability to effectively manage technical documents, analyze data and the available scientific literature, and distill key findings from complex datasets.
- Ability to communicate scientific research effectively to non-scientific audiences.
- Effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills, including technical and non-technical writing proficiency.
- Ability to conduct multi-criteria and cross-disciplinary analysis.
- Ability to apply technical analysis to public policy issues.
- Proficient English writing and editing skills.
- Ability to work independently and problem solve and collaborate with others, especially as part of a team.
- Commitment to NRDC’s mission and values.
Preferred
- Experience and demonstrated proficiency with qualitative data analysis and survey design methodology.
- Experience and demonstrated proficiency with reference management software.
- Experience and demonstrated proficiency with data visualization and design.
- Experience with climate and environmental science linkages to public policy in India at the national, state, and city level.
- Interest in supporting scientific capacity building in India.
Skills, Abilities, Competencies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Research and analytical skills, including the ability to gather, synthesize, and interpret data from various sources.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects successfully, problem solve, take proactive approaches to project management, collaborate effectively, and deliver high quality work products.
- Capability to handle multiple tasks, work well under pressure and be detail oriented.
- Ability to work independently as well as with a team.
- A strong interest in climate and environmental health and a curiosity to learn.
- Knowledge of the Indian political system, economic structures, and socio-cultural landscape, and a network of professional contacts in India.
- High degree of proficiency with Microsoft office including Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point.
- Ability to stay updated with the latest developments in buildings and urban cooling, technological advancements, and policy changes, both nationally and internationally.
- Experience with any data analysis software (such as Python) and social media tools is a plus.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally for meetings and conferences while adhering to the prevailing local and international public health guidelines.
- Ability to communicate by video calls, emails, and meetings with teams in various international locations.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within the described work environment.
Frequently:
Perform desk-based computer tasks
Frequently:
Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessary
Occasionally:
Ability to attend events and activities in the office or offsite
Work is sometimes performed primarily in the office. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations. Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters.
This job description is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and NRDC India expressly reserves the right to change this position description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as NRDC India may deem appropriate.
NRDC India is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by National, state, or local laws. We offer competitive compensation and a pleasant working environment. Compensation for the Research Scientist is on a non-profit scale and commensurate with experience.
We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Compensation for the Research Scientist is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience.
Please send your latest curriculum vitae and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and working with NRDC India at monica@themerakkizone.com recruitment@nrdcindia.org. Kindly send your application by October 3, 2024. Please include ‘Application for position of Research Scientist’ in the subject line of the email.