Research Associate – Renewable Energy & Land Systems

Nutgraph; New Delhi; On-site; INR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Nutgraph Social Data Lab in New Delhi seeks a Research Associate to advance research at the intersection of renewable energy deployment and land-resource dynamics. You will build datasets on social, environmental, and financial aspects and conduct field-based research with diverse stakeholders.

The role offers opportunities to collaborate with leading academic institutions and contributes to policy-relevant analysis for sustainable energy planning.

Qualifications

• PhD focused on renewable energy, land governance, or related areas.
• Postgraduate degree in social sciences, environmental studies, economics, development economics, public policy, planning, geography, or allied disciplines, with 3–6 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute research on renewable energy, land use, and infrastructure development.
• Build and manage structured datasets using in-house tools and public sources.
• Analyse project-level impacts including time delays, cost overruns, and financial exposure tied to land/regulatory issues.
• Conduct field-based research with communities and stakeholders.
• Engage with developers, policymakers, and civil-society groups.
• Integrate spatial and geospatial datasets to analyse land use and landscape changes.
• Contribute to risk-informed and policy-relevant analysis.

Skills

Qualitative research

Geospatial analysis

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Field research

Education

PhD in renewable energy or related

Postgraduate degree in social sciences/economics/public policy/geography

Job description

Research Associate - Renewable Energy & Land Systems

NATURE OF JOB: Full-time
LOCATION: New Delhi
DURATION OF CONTRACT: 12 months (renewable based on organisational needs and performance)

Researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of renewable energy and land systems. This includes areas such as land and natural resource governance, energy transition, social and environmental impact assessments of energy infrastructure, and economic analysis of projects (including cost estimation, investment risk, or development finance).

The role is suited for those comfortable working across field-based qualitative research, economic and data analysis, and geospatial approaches.

REMUNERATION: Competitive within the sector and commensurate with experience, skills, and aptitude.

DEADLINE: Rolling

WHO WE ARE

Nutgraph Social Data Lab is a research and data analytics organization that focuses on land governance, infrastructure development, and resource-use transitions in India. Backed by a network of interdisciplinary researchers spread across geographies, it produces data-driven insights from the ground, using innovative research methods, to help organisations and institutions drive social change. Its flagship and award-winning initiative, Land Conflict Watch (LCW), maintains India's largest database on land-related disputes, documenting and tracking 1,500+ verified cases across sectors, including renewable energy. LCW's work is widely cited by academia, policymakers, media, and civil society, and has shaped national and international conversations on land use, commons, and development planning.

JOB PURPOSE

This role will contribute to NutGraph's growing body of research at the intersection of renewable energy deployment and land-resource dynamics. It involves building robust datasets on social, environmental and financial aspects of renewable energy projects, conducting field-based research and geospatial analysis to generate insights that support more informed, risk-aware, and sustainable energy infrastructure planning.

The role offers an opportunity to work on projects undertaken in collaboration with some of the world’s leading academic institutions and research groups, with exposure to cutting-edge, interdisciplinary work within international research environments.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Contribute to the design and execution of research on renewable energy, land use, and infrastructure development
• Build and manage structured datasets using Nutgraph's in-house research tools and frameworks, drawing from public records, policy documents, project reports, and secondary literature
• Analyse project-level impacts including time delays, cost overruns, and financial exposure linked to land and regulatory challenges
• Design and conduct field-based research with communities and other stakeholders affected by large-scale infrastructure projects
• Engage with a range of stakeholders including developers, policymakers, community organisations, and civil-society groups
• Work with and integrate spatial and geospatial datasets to analyse land use, project siting, and landscape-level changes
• Contribute to risk-informed and policy-relevant analysis

APPLY IF THIS IS YOU

• Have completed a PhD focused on renewable energy, land governance, or related areas
• Have a postgraduate degree in social sciences, environmental studies, economics, development economics, public policy, planning, geography, or allied disciplines, with 3-6 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated ability to work with both qualitative field data and quantitative analysis
• Exposure to geospatial analysis, or working with satellite/remote sensing datasets (directly or in collaboration with technical teams)
• Willingness to travel and work closely with diverse stakeholders

SKILLS THAT WILL BOOST YOUR CHANCES

• Familiarity with project finance, investment risk assessment, or cost-benefit analysis in infrastructure or energy sectors
• Familiarity with India's renewable energy sector, land governance frameworks, or infrastructure policy landscape
• You are self-driven, organised, and able to independently manage projects, research timelines, and coordination
• Comfort working in a multidisciplinary, fast-paced research environment

NutGraph Social Data Lab is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, or class. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.