Grids of the Future Director, India

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Global Energy Alliance) The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Global Energy Alliance) works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives. Our Alliance builds transformative public, private, philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, we design innovative projects/programs, unlock finance, strengthen institutions and transform markets, delivering progress anchored in deep community engagement. By uniting actors across the value chain, from households to heads of state, we go beyond individual projects to drive lasting systems change. With work in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, our Alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions and create or improve 150 million jobs. 

 

Position Overview

About the Global Energy Alliance

The Global Energy Alliance (GEA) works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity. We build transformative public-private-philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic growth. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, GEA designs innovative programmes, unlocks catalytic finance, strengthens institutions, and transforms markets — anchored in community engagement. Operating in 30+ countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, our targets: 1 billion people with clean electricity, 4 billion tons of emissions prevented, 150 million jobs created or improved.

About the role

The Grids of the Future (GOTF) India Lead is a senior country-level role responsible for shaping, leading, and delivering GEA’s grid modernisation portfolio in India. Working closely with the VP, India and the Global GOTF team, this role translates GEA’s global strategy into an India-specific programme anchored in utility transformation, grid digitalisation, renewable energy integration, battery energy storage (BESS), and demand-side flexibility.

The role demands deep familiarity with India’s power sector — DISCOMs, regulatory frameworks at state and central levels (SERCs/CERC, MoP etc), smart metering, grid modernisation technologies (ADMS, DERMS, GIS, SCADA, digital twins, AI analytics), and blended finance models — alongside the ability to build coalitions across government, utilities, private sector, and philanthropies. The GOTF India Lead will build and manage a portfolio of projects and partnerships, oversee grantees and delivery partners, and anchor GEA’s thought leadership on grid modernisation in India.

Accountabilities

1. Strategy & Portfolio Development

• Translate GEA’s global GOTF priorities into an India-specific portfolio strategy aligned with national and state-level goals on grid modernisation, RE integration, BESS, and utility digitalisation.
• Build and manage a pipeline of projects and partnerships with DISCOMs, state/central agencies, MDBs, development partners, philanthropies, and private sector actors.
• Lead portfolio budgeting, planning, and prioritisation; author concept notes, terms of reference, and briefing memos for scoping, approval, and fundraising.
• Support the VP, India and Partnerships teams in shaping funding strategies, articulating the India GOTF opportunity, and cultivating new donor and DFI relationships.

Utility & Government Engagement

• Serve as GEA’s senior point of contact with DISCOMs, SERCs, CERC, MoP and relevant state and central agencies.
• Lead utilities in identifying priority use cases: grid digitalisation, BESS, DERMS, smart metering/AMI, outage management, loss reduction, and RE integration.
• Lead or commission techno-commercial assessments for BESS and grid modernisation — evaluating tariff structures, demand profiles, ancillary services (peak shaving, arbitrage), and revenue-stacking opportunities.
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops and consultations to validate needs, shape project designs, and secure alignment on implementation priorities.
• Negotiate and support development of MoUs, data-sharing protocols, and NDAs; represent GEA at external forums and industry events.

1. Project Design & Delivery

• Oversee end-to-end project delivery: from scoping and partner selection through implementation, monitoring, and institutional capacity building.
• Select and onboard local delivery partners through competitive processes; supervise grantees, consultants, and contractors against agreed workplans, budgets, and risk plans.
• Manage grant lifecycle — compliance, milestone tracking, budget monitoring, reporting, and course corrections — in coordination with GEA’s Finance and Operations teams.
• Ensure projects move beyond assessments toward implementable pilots, scale-up pathways, and lasting institutional change.
• Collaborate with the Impact team to track progress, collect data, and refine programme strategy.

1. Digital Transformation & Data Innovation

• Lead GEA India’s work on grid digitalisation: GIS mapping, smart meter/AMI data, feeder analytics, asset digitalisation, digital twins, DERMS, ADMS, and AI-enabled grid analytics.
• Coordinate data exchange with utilities; ensure compliance with NDAs, data protocols, and applicable cybersecurity and privacy requirements.
• Identify practical applications of AI, analytics, and digital tools to improve utility planning, operations, RE integration, and investment decision-making.
• Document lessons from digital pilots and identify models replicable across Indian utilities.

1. Knowledge, Learning & Internal Coordination

• Author knowledge products — policy briefs, case studies, technical reports — for GEA, policymakers, donors, and the broader ecosystem.
• Coordinate with the Global GOTF team to channel global expertise into India and share India learnings with other GEA markets.
• Work closely with other India Directors to ensure coherence between GOTF and GEA India’s broader energy access, productive use, and demand-side programmes.
• Provide regular updates to VP, India and global teams on pipeline, partnerships, progress, risks, and emerging priorities.
• Responsible for managing a lean GOTF implementation team on ground to drive implementation

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Energy Economics, Engineering, International Development, Public Policy, or a related field.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in India’s energy/power sector, spanning at least two of: utility/DISCOM operations or reform, RE project development, grid modernisation, energy policy, or development finance.
• Deep understanding of India’s power sector: DISCOM reform, distribution grid modernisation, smart/AMI metering, SCADA, open access, RPOs, ISTS, and RE procurement frameworks.
• Experience with BESS: techno-commercial evaluation, tariff design, ancillary services, and revenue-stacking models.
• Familiarity with grid modernisation technologies: ADMS, DERMS, GIS, digital twins, AI/ML-based grid analytics.
• Strong understanding of India’s regulatory and political economy landscape at state level (SERCs) and central level (CERC, MoP, CEA).
• Proven ability to design, manage, and deliver complex, multi-partner programmes end-to-end.
• Grant and programme management experience: budgeting, compliance, milestone tracking, and reporting.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication in English and Hindi; strong author of technical and policy documents.
• Well-established network with MoP/state agencies, DISCOMs, MDBs, and/or energy-sector donors.

Desirable

• Direct experience working within a utility, DISCOM, IPP, grid operator, or energy regulator.
• Working knowledge of blended/catalytic finance structures, MDB engagement models, and development partnership instruments.
• Familiarity with open access, corporate PPAs, and the C&I renewable market in India.
• Exposure to just transition principles, community engagement, and equity dimensions in energy programmes.
• Experience in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial organisation; comfort navigating ambiguity.

We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members' diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all Global Energy Alliance employees to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.  

Global Energy Alliance is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the organization ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status, or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.  

Global Energy Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.