Program Associate - Freight

About us

WRI India, an independent knowledge organisation registered as India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being. Know more: wri-india.org

Program Overview

WRI India’s Integrated Transport Program supports India’s decarbonization journey through effective, equitable, and inclusive mobility solutions. The program focuses on advancing sustainable urban transport, including electrification of public transport, clean air initiatives, and hydrogen economy. It emphasizes strategic research, policy support, and capacity building to enable systemic changes at the sub-national level and accelerate electric mobility adoption.

Job Highlig ht

WRI India is seeking a Program Associate for the Sustainable Cities and Transport Program to support its work on freight electrification. The candidate will contribute to research, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and project implementation aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric freight vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The role will examine the operational, financial, policy, and infrastructure conditions required to enable freight electrification, and will support the development of practical, evidence-based approaches in collaboration with government, industry, and other stakeholders. The candidate will be expected to independently manage defined workstreams and translate evidence and stakeholder inputs into actionable insights and project outputs.

What You will 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 will nee d:

· 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, is essential.

· Strong writing, analytical, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely to non-technical audiences.

· Prior experience or a sound understanding of freight transport, logistics, electric mobility, charging infrastructure, transport decarbonisation, or related policy and market issues is desirable.

· Experience with data analysis and visualisation tools such as advanced Excel, Power BI, R, Python, or Stata is an advantage.

· 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.

Potential Salary and Benefits: INR 9,50,000 to 12,00,000 Per Annum

“Salary shall be commensurate with experience, skills, and internal parity. WRI India offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.”

Location: Delhi

Duration: 1 Year (Extendable based on performance and project requirements)

Start date: As soon as possible

List of Documents to be attached:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose.

How to Apply

Qualified applicants should apply online at wri-india.org career section. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered. Only select applicants will be contacted for interview. There will be a writing test conducted with final candidates. Please do not contact program staff directly for this position.

Kindly note that WRI India’s recruitment process does not involve any payment at any stage. Applicants will never be asked to share bank account or financial information as part of the application. All official communication and offer letters are issued only through authorised WRI India email IDs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India

WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.

Learn more about WRI India’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).Click Here

People-centric to the core:

We keep our people at the center of everything we do - from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing.

Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:

Health benefits: We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs

Term Insurance: Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member

Employee Assistance program: Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance

Health & Nutrition: Personalized diet recommendation from a certified dietitian based on the physical health condition and lifestyle

Flexible work schedule: Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job

Learning culture: Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities

Rest and Recharge weeks: We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.

Our leave policy: Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.

Equal employment @WRI India

We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, or disability.