Program Associate - Freight

Overview

Program Associate for the Sustainable Cities and Transport Program at WRI India, supporting research, analysis, stakeholder engagement and project implementation on freight electrification, including medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks.

What you'll do

• Conduct and synthesise research on freight electrification, electric freight vehicles, freight operations, charging infrastructure, fleet transition pathways, financing models, relevant policies, and market developments.
• Analyse freight movement, fleet operations, vehicle performance, charging requirements, infrastructure readiness, and total cost of ownership to assess the feasibility and opportunities for electrification.
• Support spatial and corridor-level analysis, including mapping freight routes, freight hubs, vehicle movement, charging infrastructure, and potential locations or corridors for freight electrification.
• Develop and implement data-collection instruments, including surveys, interview guides, and partner templates; identify alternative datasets and coordinate primary data collection, including field-level activities where required.
• Engage with and gather inputs from relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, fleet operators, shippers, logistics service providers, vehicle manufacturers, charging-point operators, utilities, financiers, and research organisations.
• Support stakeholder consultations, workshops, and meetings by preparing background material, coordinating participation, documenting discussions, tracking action points, and following up on agreed deliverables.
• Undertake quantitative and qualitative analysis and translate findings into actionable recommendations on fleet electrification, charging infrastructure planning, enabling policies, financing, and implementation barriers.
• Prepare high-quality research outputs and project materials, including reports, policy briefs, technical notes, presentations, data visualisations, and communication materials for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Track policy, technology, and market developments relevant to freight electrification; identify emerging challenges, opportunities, and potential partnerships that can inform project strategy and delivery.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to manage defined workstreams, maintain accurate project documentation, and ensure timely delivery of agreed outputs.

What you'll need

• Master's degree in transport planning, transport engineering, urban planning, public policy, energy, logistics, economics, or a related discipline, with 2–4 years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, including the ability to analyse complex datasets, synthesise information from multiple sources, and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong writing, analytical, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to independently manage defined workstreams, coordinate multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and a collaborative approach to working with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Ability to engage professionally with stakeholders across government, industry, research, and civil society; willingness to travel for meetings, consultations, and fieldwork as required.

Nice to have

• Prior experience or a sound understanding of freight transport, logistics, electric mobility, charging infrastructure, transport decarbonisation, or related policy and market issues.
• Experience with data analysis and visualisation tools such as advanced Excel, Power BI, R, Python, or Stata.

Details

• Location: Delhi (ATS line: Mumbai, India)
• Duration: 1 year, extendable based on performance and project requirements
• Start date: As soon as possible
• Salary: INR 9,50,000 to 12,00,000 per annum, commensurate with experience, skills, and internal parity
• Documents required: cover letter and resume; a writing test is conducted with final candidates
• Apply online through the WRI India career section at wri-india.org