We are looking for a Senior Associate (Built Environment Specialist) to lead research on Karnataka’s and India’s buildings sector, with a focus on affordable housing and developing scalable low-carbon pathways. The role involves driving systemic transformation through robust scientific approaches—from on-site data collection and digital twin development to life-cycle assessments—and translating research insights into actionable policies through close engagement with government agencies, industry partners, and other stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Lead research activities, including data collection, literature reviews, and quantitative analyses, to assess energy demand, thermal comfort, and emissions in the buildings sector.
- Develop and apply life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies to quantify embodied and operational carbon in building prototypes.
- Oversee on-site performance monitoring to establish real-world energy and comfort baselines.
- Synthesise research findings to create scalable models projecting energy use and emissions across affordable housing schemes.
- Track emerging trends in urban and buildings sector policies, construction technologies, and sustainability standards.
- Engage with experts, government stakeholders, contractors, and communities to co-create practical, evidence-based solutions.
- Organise and facilitate stakeholder consultations, workshops, and roundtables to ensure research relevance and policy impact.
- Disseminate research outcomes through technical reports, policy briefs, journal publications, and interactive dashboards.
Qualifications
Master's degree in architecture, urban planning/design, civil engineering, building science, or a related sustainability field, with 5-8 years professional experience in sustainable built environments, building performance analysis, construction materials, and/or policy research.
Skill Set
- Hands-on experience with building energy modelling software and/or life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools, with the ability to apply these for low-carbon building design and analysis.
- Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, fieldwork, and translating technical research into actionable insights for policy and implementation.
- Applied understanding of the buildings sector, including construction materials, energy demand, and thermal comfort principles.
- Strong quantitative, analytical, and critical-thinking abilities, with proficiency in technical analysis such as energy modelling, LCA, or data science.
- Experience with data analysis and scripting tools (e.g., Python, R) will be an advantage.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders across government, industry, and academia.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work both independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.
- Familiarity with India’s urban development and affordable housing ecosystem, and awareness of relevant policies and standards.
- Experience or interest in system dynamics, policy modelling, or on-site building performance monitoring will be beneficial.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and standard analytical tools.
- Proficiency in spoken Kannada will be considered an asset.
