Junior Research & Engagement Manager

✈️ About Smart Freight Centre

Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a globally active non-profit driving climate action in the freight and logistics sector. We work with multinational corporations, freight forwarders, carriers, NGOs, technology providers, governments and global partners to help organizations measure, report and reduce logistics greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Our ambition is to guide industry efforts to reduce freight emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030 and support the transition to zero-emission logistics by 2050 or earlier.

⚓ About SFC India

SFC India is building a platform to decarbonize India's freight ecosystem across road, rail, maritime and aviation. We convene government ministries and regulators, industry leaders, research institutions and global climate actors to build India's most credible and scalable green freight platform.

⏰ Employment Type: Full-time

⚓ Location: New Delhi, India

⌛ Contract Type: Fixed-term contract

⭐ The Role

We are looking for an analytical, detail-oriented professional with 3-5 years of experience to support SFC India's research, stakeholder engagement and program delivery work. This role is suited to someone who can combine quantitative analysis, technical writing and practical stakeholder coordination in freight decarbonization.

You will work under the guidance of the Research & Engagement Manager and Principal Technical, collaborating with SFC global teams, local partners and external stakeholders. The role focuses on zero-emission freight research, TCO and techno-economic analysis, financing models, charging infrastructure assessment, policy research and development of technical reports, briefs and program materials.

⭐ Why This Role Is Different

India is one of the world's fastest-growing freight markets and one of the most consequential for global emissions. Decisions made this decade will shape how India's supply chains decarbonize, how charging infrastructure scales and how policy frameworks evolve. At SFC India, you will contribute directly to the models, reports and stakeholder platforms that inform policy, investment and deployment decisions.

✏️ What You Will Support

1. Technical Research & Data Analysis

This is the primary focus of the role. You will:

• Build and maintain quantitative models for zero-emission truck adoption, including total cost of ownership comparisons, financing structure scenarios and sensitivity analysis on fuel prices, capex, utilization and subsidy levels.
• Support TCO modelling and compare financing models for zero-emission truck adoption in India.
• Review and synthesize policies, scientific literature and best practices related to zero-emission freight, emissions standards and freight decarbonization.
• Support modelling across freight electrification use cases, including demand estimation, deployment scenarios, corridor analysis and infrastructure planning.
• Support emissions accounting analysis aligned with global freight decarbonization methodologies and reporting frameworks.
• Analyze innovative financing approaches such as credit guarantees, blended finance mechanisms, concessional lending structures and fund economics for ZET adoption programs.
• Produce structured outputs including technical reports, briefing notes, dashboards and data summaries.

2. Stakeholder & Partner Support

You will support engagement with external partners and stakeholders, including:

• Coordinating with academic institutions, NGOs, industry partners and government bodies.
• Engaging with regulatory and utility bodies, including state electricity DISCOMs, the Ministry of Power and BEE, on charging infrastructure and grid planning work.
• Working with port operators, terminal operators and logistics service providers on port electrification and drayage decarbonization programs.
• Supporting corridor development and demand aggregation through stakeholder coordination and technical engagement.
• Conducting market research, preparing value propositions and developing sector-specific engagement materials for SFC India's community platform.
• Preparing briefing materials, presentations and consultation summaries for stakeholder meetings and workshops.
• Tracking market, policy and industry developments and summarizing key implications for the internal team.

3. Knowledge Development & Communication

You will contribute to SFC India's thought leadership and program outputs by:

• Drafting technical reports, working papers and policy briefs under senior guidance.
• Preparing presentations for workshops, conferences and stakeholder briefings.
• Supporting tools and communication materials that promote emissions accounting and freight electrification.
• Contributing to internal knowledge sharing and alignment with SFC global methodologies.
• Supporting inputs to funding proposals, research applications, webinars and outreach events when needed.

Experience & Background

• 3-5 years of relevant experience, ideally including 1-2 years in freight, energy, transport, sustainability, financial analysis or implementation-oriented projects.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, environmental science, economics or a related field; master's degree in supply chain, sustainability, public policy or finance preferred.
• Familiarity with freight decarbonization topics such as electric trucks, charging infrastructure, freight corridors, supply chains or emissions accounting.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders across industry, government, research or civil society is an advantage.

Technical Skills

• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the ability to work with data and translate it into structured insights.
• Advanced Excel skills, including building multi-scenario financial models from scratch and stress-testing assumptions.
• Experience with financial or economic modelling, TCO analysis, forecasting or techno-economic assessments is a plus.
• Exposure to blended finance, development finance or financial instrument design, including credit guarantees or concessional lending, is a plus.
• Familiarity with freight corridor or infrastructure analysis; experience with QGIS or similar geospatial tools is a plus.
• Familiarity with data analysis, visualization tools, emissions calculation tools or LCA frameworks is an added advantage.
• Strong written English and ability to produce clear reports, briefs and presentations for industry, government and policy audiences.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and Word

Who You Are

You are structured, analytical and results-oriented. You can move between a port logistics assessment, a financing scenario and a grid infrastructure discussion with curiosity and rigor. You are comfortable working in a small, fast-moving team, managing multiple work streams with guidance, engaging stakeholders professionally and turning technical analysis into practical program outputs.

You are genuinely motivated to accelerate sustainable freight and climate action in India.

What You Will Gain

• Exposure to government ministries, industry leaders, utilities, global policymakers and multilateral institutions.
• Experience in national and international freight, climate and infrastructure initiatives.
• Opportunity to shape emissions transparency, freight electrification and green freight frameworks in India.
• Collaboration with global logistics, sustainability and climate experts.

❤️ What We Offer

SFC offers a collaborative, inclusive and sustainability-driven work environment, with 27 days of holiday, 10 public holidays, learning opportunities, access to OpenUp mental health support and regular team-building activities.