Program Coordinator & Research Assistant - Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)•Washington, DC

11d•$55,000 - $62,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962. The CSIS Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics focuses on unlocking the potential of U.S. partnerships with India and the broader Asia region, fostering U.S. economic security, economic development, and deepening business engagement. The team works in the office Monday-Thursday, with Fridays as an optional work-from-home day. CSIS is seeking a Program Coordinator/Research Assistant (PCRA) for the India Chair, requiring expertise in policy research, program management, strategic communications, and engagement with Indian states. Interest or experience in power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility, and/or engagement with Indian states in other sectors is desirable. The role involves conducting policy research on technical topics, engaging with Indian officials, managing workstreams like event implementation and travel coordination, proactive work with minimal instruction, domain knowledge in specific energy sectors within Indian states, assisting with fundraising, excellent executive writing skills, and proficiency in Hindi and/or another Indian language.

Requirements

Minimum bachelor’s degree in public policy, international relations, or related field.
Strong qualitative and quantitative research and analysis skills.
Comfortable consistently engaging stakeholders in India outside of traditional work hours, including early mornings and late nights.
Proficiency in Hindi (required) and/or other Indian language is highly preferred.
Knowledge of subnational and national governance structures in India and the U.S. is required.
Prior fieldwork in India and experience engaging Indian states stakeholders is preferred.
Interest/comfort in working on policy issues related to the energy sector.
Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical skills, organizational and project management skills.
Detail oriented.
Software proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams), Salesforce, Pardot, Concur, and Asana.
Computer and mobile phone/technology sufficient to work from home.
Experience with research tasks.
Eligible to work in Washington, DC, and commit at least 35 hours per week.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight.
Willing to travel to India for project-related work, including travel to India’s state capitals.
Demonstrated experience managing competing priorities and multiple projects under tight deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Interest/experience in power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility and/or engagement with Indian states in other sectors.
Experience in conducting policy research on highly technical topics.
Experience in engaging officials in India and maintaining contacts over time.
Experience managing different workstreams such as event implementation, travel coordination, contact management.
Ability to be proactive and can work independently with minimal instruction.
Some domain knowledge in power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility in the context of Indian states.
Experience assisting with fundraising efforts, including but not limited to preparing and editing fundraising proposals and engaging with prospective donors.
Excellent executive writing skills.
Proficiency in Hindi and/or an additional Indian language.

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth policy research and gap analysis on power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility in the context of Indian state policies.
Co-author reports and assist with policy research and report writing, contributing directly to the development of actionable policy recommendations.
Draft and contribute to research publications, articles, and reports that reflect a deep understanding of Indian state-level policy issues and are intended for distribution to policymakers and donors.
Lead the planning and execution of high-level public events, climate leader forums, roundtables, workshops, and smaller strategic meetings, including in-person and virtual engagements between Indian and U.S. officials hosted by the India Chair.
Manage travel logistics for delegation visits (6-10 people).
Cultivate and maintain relationships with U.S. and Indian state-level policymakers, leveraging prior fieldwork experience, multilingual communication skills, and an understanding of cultural and governmental nuances.
Engage in cold outreach and follow-up with foundations, NGOs, and Indian and U.S. officials to expand the program's network.
Assist with fundraising and developing outreach strategies to procure funding for new initiatives and broaden the India Chair’s influence.
Assist with the coordination of MOU signings, drafting donor reports, preparing and submitting grant renewal documents and funding proposals, and preparing expense reports to ensure compliance with donor policies.
Manage competing priorities and provide administrative support to multiple India Chair current and upcoming projects.
Track project deliverables and inform the project lead/Chair of upcoming deadlines.