Senior Economist

Senior Economist - Energy and Sustainable Business Program

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You will be based in our office in WRI Indonesia, Jakarta. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

Program Overview

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. The Energy and Sustainable Business (ESB) program works to advance decarbonization among corporates and accelerate a just transition towards net zero emission in Indonesia, while balancing the need for economic development. In achieving that, WRI introduces two of its flagship products, which are: Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) for emission accounting and Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi) for ambitious and science-aligned emission reduction target setting, within and beyond corporate value chains. By adapting the tools to the national context and pairing them with rigorous policy and economic analysis, WRI Indonesia guides both government and corporates towards a complete net zero journey, aiming to increase Indonesian industry's competitiveness through strengthened standards and climate mitigation/adaptation measures which ultimately contribute significantly to Indonesia's emission reduction.

WRI Indonesia believes that sustainable development highlights the need for integrated approaches to finding solutions that are aligned with the challenge of achieving economic, social, and environmental goals that are often interlinked. This can be a daunting task, as the interlinkages are complex and context specific and depend on the issues under consideration, the geographic and temporal scales, sector of the industry, and the existing technologies. Therefore, the ESB program aims to work across disciplines with the climate, cities, and forest and land use teams to combine decarbonization frameworks, quantitative and economic models, low-carbon technology solutions, and other policy-making decision tools to support and achieve key national commitments, such as Indonesia's net zero ambition.

Green Industrial Policy Package to Enable Industrial Net Zero in Indonesia by 2050

Indonesia's Ministry of Industry, supported by WRI Indonesia and partners, has formulated a roadmap towards a clean and net zero industry sector by 2050 covering nine priority subsectors: cement, iron and steel, fertilizers, chemicals, pulp and paper, textiles, glass and ceramics, automotive, and food and beverages. The roadmap sets out an ambition to reduce emissions by around 66.5 million tCO2e by 2035 and 289.7 million tCO2e by 2050 — a decade ahead of Indonesia's national net zero target — through energy efficiency, fuel substitution, electrification, process and technology upgrades, and carbon capture. Delivering that trajectory, however, depends on an enabling policy and economic environment that does not yet exist in coherent form.

This research develops a Green Industrial Policy Package to Enable Industrial Net Zero in Indonesia by 2050: an integrated set of policy and economic instruments that makes low-carbon production the commercially rational choice for Indonesian industry. The work examines the design and sequencing of three policy design stage mainly: strategic case building, policy package design, and macroeconomic impact analysis. The policy package design will center around three key areas: clean input infrastructure (clean energy, sustainable material, and low carbon technology), market, and financing.

Job Highlight

The Senior Economist will provide technical leadership in conducting and coordinating the economic analysis underpinning WRI Indonesia's clean industry transition work and to raise the analytical standard of the ESB program's policy products. The consultant will contribute substantive economic expertise to the study on “Green Industrial Policy Package to Support Industrial Net Zero by 2050 in Indonesia” including contributing to the development of evidence-based analysis and policy recommendation.

The work spans across empirical trend and cross-country comparative analysis, green demand signal mapping and market sizing, trade and investment exposure analysis including CBAM cost calculations, barrier and market failure diagnosis, industrial and trade policy design, as well as co-development and interpretation of CGD-based macroeconomic scenarios. The work is also highly collaborative, demanding coordination with government, industries, and other think tanks.

The Senior Economist must stay abreast of climate and industrial policy developments, energy transition economics, and macroeconomic trends relevant to Indonesia's industrial landscape. Quantitative rigor, sound economic judgment, critical thinking, stakeholder collaboration, and the ability to translate complex analysis into decision-ready advice are expected and highly rewarded skills for this position. The Senior Economist will work with analysts within WRI Indonesia's ESB team and other teams across the institution.

This position will be based in Jakarta with an office-flex working arrangement. This position will be reporting directly to the Senior Manager for Energy and Sustainable Business, working closely and collaboratively with the Net Zero Senior Analyst and the wider research team within the Energy and Sustainable Business portfolio. In support of WRI's DEI commitment, the role is expected to actively contribute to these collaborative efforts by integrating equity into the work, workplace, and organizational culture.

What You Will Do

Knowledge and Research (70%)

• Conduct the economic analysis to build the strategic case for clean industry transition in Indonesia, including the design of the research framework, selection of methodology, and drafting research output.

• Coordinate the analysis to identify structural barriers and market failures holding back clean industry transition, including validate and prioritize them through structured engagement with industry players, buyers, and market intermediaries. Area of analysis: clean input infrastructure (energy, material, and technology), market, and finance,

• Contribute economic analysis and technical expertise to the development of policy packages to maintain and expand market access of low emission products, in close collaboration with another team and/or think tank.

• Support the development of macroeconomic impact analysis model.

• Provide economic analysis and technical input to the development of policy packages to make clean input infrastructure and sustainable finance available for clean industry transition, in collaboration with another team and/or think tank.

• Ensure consistency between all economic assumption and analysis.

• Translate analytical results into policy report, policy brief, and other knowledge or communication products.

Strategic Management Support (20%)

• Provide strategic support towards the research’s direction, approach, and engagement pipeline for the Senior Analyst and Senior Manager.

• Serve as a technical resource to the project team to inform proposal development, as requested.

Stakeholder Engagement (10%)

• Initiate and maintain engagement with government stakeholder and key research partners to support the research and policy analysis.

• Facilitate technical meetings, consultation, and workshops with key partners from government, NGOs, and private sectors.

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• Drive development of messaging strategy based on data analysis from government being supported.

What You Will Need

• Master's degree in economics, environmental economics, public policy, industrial economics, development economics, or other related field. A doctoral degree is an advantage.

• Minimum of 7 (seven) years of relevant professional work experience in applied economic research and policy analysis, preferably covering industry, energy, climate, or trade policy in Indonesia or comparable emerging economies.

• Demonstrated proficiency in applied quantitative methods, including econometrics and at least one type of economy-wide or sectoral modelling (e.g., input-output, CGE, partial equilibrium, system dynamics, or techno-economic modelling), with proficiency in relevant analytical software (e.g., R, Python, Stata, GAMS, or equivalent).

• Strong working knowledge of carbon pricing design and Indonesia's Nilai Ekonomi Karbon (NEK) framework, and of fiscal and industrial policy instruments used to support decarbonization.

• Familiarity with industrial production processes and abatement technologies in the 9 priority subsectors (cement, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, pulp and paper, textile, glass and ceramics, food and beverages, and automotive) considered an advantage

• Working knowledge of trade policy and border measures relevant to Indonesian exporters (e.g., CBAM, EUDR) and their competitiveness implications is a strong advantage.

• Proven experience in leading discrete research projects end to end with minimal supervision: framing research questions, designing methods, sourcing and cleaning data, conducting analysis, and delivering publication-quality outputs.

• Track record of authoring peer-reviewed papers, working papers, policy reports, or other research outputs that have informed public policy.

• Ability to communicate research approach and findings effectively to technical and non-technical audiences, both in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.

• Legally able to work in Indonesia, preferably based in Jakarta.

Performance Standard

• Knowledge products show rigorous analytical and methodological content that withstands external peer review.

• All deliverables are carried out in a timely, satisfactory fashion with minimal supervision.

• Positively maintained relationships with external and internal stakeholders.

Duration

1 October 2026 – 31 August 2027

Deliverables

1. Economic analysis and knowledge products (e.g., working paper, technical report, policy brief, regulatory impact assessment) produced and delivered to targeted key stakeholders within the agreed timeline.

2. Analytical methods and models documented, reproducible, and transferable to the wider team.

3. Technical inputs provided to government and industry partners and demonstrably reflected in policy processes or partner deliberations.

4. Research collaboration activities and agreed output delivered in coordination with other teams or institutions, and in accordance with the projects workplan and timeline.

5. Regular and substantive involvement in team discussions for project planning, implementation, and monitoring, including mentoring of junior colleagues.

Terms of Payment

Daily rate-based consultant with a maximum of 15 (fifteen) working days per month

How to Apply:

• Please submit a resume with a cover letter by 23 September 2026. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of applications from qualified candidates.

• Must have authorization to work in Indonesia to be eligible for this position.

• Final candidates might be required to take a certain test and/or to produce/share writing samples when needed.

• This is a locally engaged position, Indonesian nationals are encouraged to apply.

What we offer:

• Consultant rate that is commensurate with experience and skill.

• Travel insurance for both domestic and international for any travel duty as assigned by WRI Indonesia

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields.

• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work

• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI

• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours

About Us:

World Resources Institute works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership, and Care.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

Our Human Resources Team carefully reviews all applications.

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