Job Description
Programme Associate – Energy Sector
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Organization
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Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
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Location
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New Delhi, India
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Grade and No. of position
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Associate (1)
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Salary and Benefits
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Competitive
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Contract
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Fixed-term contract (3 years), extendable for up to another 3 years, Full-Time, National Hire.
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Applications Closing date
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Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early submissions during the shortlisting and selection process. The position will remain open until it is filled.
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About CDRI
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
Mission
“To support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.”
Impact (that CDRI aims to achieve)
By 2050, over US$10 trillion of new and existing infrastructure investments and services are resilient to natural hazards and climate change through enhanced capacity, informed policy, planning, and management, leading to improved quality of environment, livelihood, and life of over 3 billion people.
CDRI Mandate & Value Proposition
CDRI has been envisioned and established as a global network to advance the agenda, support coordinated action among stakeholders, and focus on bringing voices from vulnerable geographies and populations to international policy forums. Internationally agreed-upon goals in the SFDRR, the SDGs, and the Paris Climate Agreement provide the foundational framework that guides the Coalition’s vision and mission.
As a global partnership, the Coalition aims to ensure that the investments of its members and partners are aligned and well-coordinated in support of the shared ambition of disaster and climate resilience of new and existing infrastructure. The two unique yet interconnected roles that CDRI shoulders in this direction are:
- A Strong Coalition Driving Collaborative DRI Action: In 2026, CDRI stands as a partnership of 59 member countries and 13 partner organizations. The Coalition enjoys robust political support, which propels its efforts to advance the interests of its members and partners.
- A Solution-Focused Centre of Excellence for DRI: As a Centre of Excellence for DRI, the Coalition strengthens the individual and collective capacities of its members and partners by aggregating and sharing knowledge, brokering need- based partnerships, and strengthening capacities through collaborative learning and action.
Strategic Work Plan 2023-2026
CDRI’s Strategic Work Plan 2023-26 describes the broad contours of its priority actions and planned initiatives in the next four years. The Strategic Work Plan sets out a clear direction for the Coalition to pursue a transformational agenda for DRI in response to a changing risk landscape and evolving on-ground realities of its members. In the next four years, the Coalition will continue to leverage the expertise of its Member Countries and partners to develop context-specific, innovative solutions for resilient infrastructure towards the achievement of national priorities and global commitments of its members.
With the strategic work plan for 2023 – 2026, CDRI has set out the following strategic outcomes.
Strategic Outcome 1: A strong Coalition that has the membership, resources, and global leadership to drive global, national, regional, and local DRI action.
Strategic Outcome 2: Global DRI research, Coalition-led peer engagement, and CDRI-curated and generated knowledge promote risk-informed policy and practice.
Strategic Outcome 3: Enhanced capacities of government, private enterprises, and communities to implement post-disaster recovery and DRI action at scale.
CDRI Headquarters (Secretariat)
CDRI headquarters is based in New Delhi, India, and serves as the Coalition Secretariat. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and the Executive Committee to implement the programmes of CDRI.
Objective of this position:
CDRI seeks a Programme Associate, Energy to provide hands-on technical and coordination support for the Energy Sector Programme across country projects, research pilots, and partner engagement. The incumbent will work closely with the Lead Specialist and Senior Specialist to deliver technical assistance, research outputs and partnership engagements that strengthen the disaster resilience of energy infrastructure across CDRI member countries, gaining exposure to a genuinely global portfolio from day one.
Role and Responsibilities:
The Programme Associate - Energy will be required to provide technical inputs related, but not limited to:
Projects & Country Support (40%):
- Support risk and vulnerability assessments, rapid diagnostics, and design-standard reform activities for country engagements (e.g., Chile Power Project, Odisha Methodology Scaling, Vietnam coastal grid assessment) under the guidance of senior technical staff.
- Compile, clean and maintain project data (hazard exposure datasets, grid topology inputs, stakeholder trackers) to support technical assessments.
- Assist with basic grid/power system data analysis and preparation of inputs for contingency and scenario analysis, under supervision of the Senior Specialist.
- Support logistics and documentation for missions, workshops and stakeholder consultations.
Research, Innovation & Technology (35%):
- Conduct literature reviews and desk research to support knowledge products, technical standards and the resilience metric/toolkit workstreams (e.g., IRAX Probabilistic Planning Toolkit, Resilience Metric White Paper).
- Support the development of a Multi-Sector Risk assessment and resilience enhancement framework.
- Support data preparation, basic coding/scripting tasks and documentation for digital tools and pilots (e.g., Digital Twin proof-of-concept).
- Draft summaries, case studies and briefing notes on disaster and climate resilience of energy infrastructure.
Partnerships & Co-Development (25%):
- Support coordination with development partners, MDBs and technical agencies (IEA, World Bank, ADB, Gates Foundation) including scheduling, meeting documentation and follow-up tracking.
- Assist in drafting position papers, concept notes and correspondence for partner engagements.
- Maintain partner-engagement records, flagging status updates and action items to the Lead Specialist.
Skills:
Essential
- Foundational understanding of power/energy infrastructure systems, including generation, transmission, and distribution.
- Working knowledge of, or strong aptitude for, basic power system data analysis; exposure to grid modeling or contingency-analysis concepts is an advantage.
- Strong research, analytical writing and documentation skills.
- Proficiency in MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint; working knowledge of a scripting/analysis language (e.g., Python) is an advantage.
- Familiarity with international frameworks such as the SDGs, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement.
- Ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams and coordinate across multiple stakeholders.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Desirable:
- Prior exposure to renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) or battery storage projects.
- Experience in policy or sustainability research, or in preparing donor/stakeholder-facing documentation.
- Exposure to project coordination in an international or development-sector setting.
Qualifications:
Educational Criteria:
- A master's degree in a related field (energy systems, energy policy, environmental/sustainability engineering) is required.
- Candidates who do not meet the minimum academic qualification requirements, such as a master’s degree or equivalent, may be considered eligible (with a bachelor’s degree) if they possess at least two (02) additional years of relevant professional experience beyond the required years of experience for the position.
Experience Criteria:
- 0-3 years of relevant experience, inclusive of full-time roles, in power/energy infrastructure, engineering, or related sustainability/policy research.
Reporting Line:
- The incumbent shall report to the Lead Specialist, Energy Sector Resilience Expert.
Language Proficiency:
- Fluency in English, both oral and written.
- Proficiency in International (UN) languages other than English will be an asset.
How to Apply:
If you have experience working in a similar capacity and want to make an active and lasting contribution to a global initiative spearheaded by India, please apply through the online application form only on or before the last Date.
CDRI is committed to achieving workforce diversity in gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with strict confidence.
CDRI has ZERO Tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and gender / racial discrimination. Any selection, therefore, will be subject to satisfactory reference and background checks.
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.