Programme Associate GeoAnalytics

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Programme Associate GeoAnalytics- Tech and AI

Terms of reference

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. If the description below resonates with you, we would love to hear from you!

·       We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale

·       We actively promote leadership by initiative

·       We celebrate talent and ambition

·       You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow

·       You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations

·       Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW

·       You will get above-market remuneration

·       We provide a safe space for all

·       At CEEW, your life is your example for others

Designation offered

Programme Associate GeoAnalytics

Focus area

Technology & AI

Duration:

Full- Time

Purpose
CEEW seeks to hire a Programme Associate – GeoAnalytics to lead applied geospatial research and develop analytical tools that support climate resilience, clean air and sustainable urban development. Working within the Tech and AI team and across CEEW’s research programmes, the candidate will combine satellite observations, ground measurements and socioeconomic data to address policy and planning questions at national, state, city and neighbourhood scales.

The role will contribute to climate-intelligence platforms such as CRAVIS and the Climate Risk Atlas, and to mobility initiatives such as BBUS. It will involve developing reproducible geospatial workflows, applying and validating machine-learning models, and translating results into maps, research outputs and decision-support tools for government and other users.

Job duties and accountabilities

·       Lead applied geospatial research using GIS, remote sensing and GeoAI, from framing research questions and selecting methods to validation, interpretation and documentation.

·       Develop scalable workflows in Google Earth Engine and Python to process satellite imagery, climate records, terrain data, infrastructure, population and field observations across geographic scales.

·       Undertake spatial assessments of urban heat, air quality, floods, landslides and environmental exposure, integrating satellite, sensor and ground observations with population and infrastructure data.

·       Apply network analysis, urban morphology, accessibility assessment and multi-criteria methods to sustainable mobility and urban planning, including demand estimation and the identification of potential bus corridors and service gaps.

·       Develop and evaluate statistical and machine-learning models for classification, prediction and prioritisation. Assess data quality, spatial and temporal leakage, uncertainty and transferability through independent validation.

·       Evaluate emerging geospatial datasets and analytical methods for accuracy, coverage, resolution and suitability for Indian policy applications. Document limitations and communicate findings in terms relevant to planning and policy.

·       Develop and maintain documented datasets, indicators and processing pipelines for CRAVIS, the Climate Risk Atlas and other analytical products, ensuring consistency across locations, time periods and updates.

·       Work with software and product colleagues to translate research methods into dashboards, interactive maps, scenario tools and analytical modules. Define data structures and acceptance criteria, and verify displayed results against source analyses.

·       Maintain data dictionaries, standard operating procedures and reproducible outputs. Apply appropriate data licensing, access controls and privacy safeguards.

·       Plan and deliver assigned workstreams, coordinate inputs across teams and partners, and identify data or implementation constraints early. Review outputs and maintain clear documentation for continuity and handover.

·       Prepare research reports, policy briefs, technical notes, presentations and visualisations. Contribute to proposals and concept notes, including methods, data requirements, timelines and resource estimates.

·       Engage with government departments, urban local bodies, research institutions, technology providers and development partners to understand analytical needs, obtain data and validate research findings.

·       Contribute to technical partnerships and assess proposed datasets, platforms and vendor deliverables against programme requirements.

·       Conduct stakeholder consultations, platform demonstrations and training on GIS, remote sensing and geospatial tools. Gather feedback and support the adoption of analytical outputs in planning and decision-making.

·       Build internal capacity through practical training, standard operating procedures and technical guidance for colleagues and interns. Represent CEEW in relevant technical and policy forums.

·       Work with research teams across CEEW to translate programme questions into clearly defined geospatial data requirements, analytical tasks and outputs, agreeing on scope, methods and delivery timelines.

·       Identify, acquire, clean and harmonise suitable geospatial datasets from open sources, government agencies, research partners and other providers. Assess spatial coverage, resolution, completeness and fitness for the intended use.

·       Provide tailored spatial analyses, including overlays, buffers, zonal statistics, hotspot mapping, change detection, network analysis and exposure assessment, to support research across climate resilience, clean air, mobility, water, agriculture and energy.

·       Prepare analysis-ready datasets, maps, indicators and visualisations at the geographic scale required by each study. Support teams in interpreting results and incorporating them accurately into reports, policy briefs and presentations.

·       Maintain a shared catalogue of reusable datasets and analytical workflows with source information, metadata, update schedules and usage limitations to reduce duplication across projects.

·       Review geospatial methods and outputs developed by research teams or external partners, troubleshoot analytical issues, and advise on data gaps, validation needs and appropriate interpretation of findings.

·       A master’s degree in geoinformatics, geomatics, remote sensing and GIS, geography, environmental science, urban or transport planning, engineering, data science, or a related discipline, with substantial applied geospatial work. A relevant PhD is desirable.

·       A minimum of four years of relevant experience in geospatial analytics, remote sensing or applied spatial research, with evidence of independently delivering analytical workstreams and usable outputs.

·       Demonstrated application of geospatial methods to one or more of climate risk, environmental monitoring, air quality, sustainable mobility, urban planning, agriculture or water. The ability to work across disciplines is essential.

·       Experience working with government, research institutions, development organisations or technology partners, and translating technical findings into planning or policy recommendations, is desirable.

·       Strong practical proficiency in Google Earth Engine, Python and at least one desktop GIS platform such as QGIS or ArcGIS. Ability to process large raster and vector datasets and automate repeatable analyses.

·       Sound understanding of coordinate systems, spatial resolution, resampling, raster and vector operations, satellite-image preprocessing, time-series analysis and classification accuracy assessment.

·       Hands-on experience with geospatial Python libraries and statistical or machine-learning tools, such as GeoPandas, Rasterio, GDAL, xarray and scikit-learn, or equivalent libraries suited to the task.

·       Ability to design defensible validation, assess data quality and uncertainty, and explain the limitations of spatial models. Familiarity with open datasets such as Landsat, Sentinel, OpenStreetMap and building or population products.

·       Ability to write clear technical documentation and policy-facing outputs, produce accurate maps, and communicate complex findings to non-technical audiences.

·       Strong project organisation, collaborative working and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage concurrent assignments and maintain research quality under deadlines.

CEEW offers an intellectually challenging work environment focused on research rigour, innovative thinking and strategic outreach. The candidate should be willing to undertake field visits and respond flexibly to evolving programme needs.

Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience and matching the best standards adopted by the industry or similar organisations for comparable roles.

CEEW is an equal-opportunity employer, and the selection process does not discriminate based on age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or caste. Female candidates and those from marginalised backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should submit their CV and a relevant writing sample or technical portfolio through CEEW’s careers portal. Portfolio examples may include geospatial analyses, documented code, maps, dashboards or published research, with the applicant’s contribution clearly identified.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Selection will include a technical or written assessment and interviews. We appreciate your interest.