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

 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 200 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.  

 

The CSIS Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics aims to unlock the full potential of U.S. partnerships with India and the broader Asia region. While continuing to lead the Center’s work on India, the Chair has expanded to include emerging economies across Asia, fostering U.S. economic security, economic development, and deepening business engagement between these countries and the United States. We remain the leading authority on state-level political-economic issues in India and have spearheaded multiple funded projects to enhance subnational engagement. We work towards building stronger ties between Indian policymakers and other nations in the Global South.  

 

Our work is very action oriented. Our team works in the office Monday-Thursday. Fridays are an optional “work from home” day, though we may shift to 5-day office weeks at some point in the future.  

 

CSIS is seeking a Program Coordinator/Research Assistant (PCRA) for the India Chair, a specialized role requiring expertise in policy research, program management, strategic communications, and engagement with Indian states. Interest/experience in power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility and/or engagement with Indian states in other sectors is desirable. 

 

 The ideal candidate:  

· Has experience in conducting policy research on highly technical topics 

· Has experience in engaging officials in India and maintaining contacts over time

· Has experience managing different workstreams such as event implementation, travel coordination, contact management

· Has the ability to be proactive and can work independently with minimal instruction 

· Have some domain knowledge in power grids, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric mobility in the context of Indian states

· Has experience assisting with fundraising efforts, including but not limited to preparing and editing fundraising proposals and engaging with prospective donors 

· Have excellent executive writing skills 

· Proficiency in Hindi and/or an additional Indian language.

 

The role pays between $55,000 and $62,000, depending on the candidate’s experience. 

 

 

• 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. Strong executive writing skills are essential.

 

• 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. This includes leveraging prior fieldwork experience, multilingual communication skills, and an understanding of both cultural and governmental nuances in these interactions. 

• 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. 

 

 

• Must have a minimum bachelor’s degree in public policy, international relations, or related field.  

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research and analysis skills. 

• Must be very 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 

• Must have strong communication, interpersonal, analytical skills, organizational and project management skills.  

• Must be detail orientated  

• 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   

• Must be eligible to work in Washington, DC, and commit at least 35 hours per week.  

• Must have the ability to work independently with minimal oversight.  

• Must be willing to travel to India for project-related work, including travel to India’s state capitals.  

• Must have demonstrated experience managing competing priorities and multiple projects under tight deadlines.   

 

 

•This position will be based out of our Washington DC headquarters and is expected to be in-office 4+ days per week. The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee working in an office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.  

•Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Equal Opportunity Employer.  

 

 

Medical insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance Life insurance Short-term and long-term disability 403(b) for retirement planning: Tuition Assistance, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Military Leave, 12 Paid Holidays, Sick Leave, Vacation leave  

 

 

•Interested applicants should submit a résumé, cover letter, and college transcript at https://careers.csis.org/.  

 

**Note:** This is a specialized, action-oriented policy research position that requires a high level of professional expertise and cultural knowledge, particularly related to U.S.-India policy and subnational governance structures in India.