Heavy Industry Decarbonization Analyst

Heavy Industry Decarbonization Analyst - 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
WRI Indonesia is a national research organization that works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. 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. Within the Energy and Sustainable Business program, the Heavy Industry Decarbonization portfolio focuses on the hard-to-abate industrial sectors — cement, iron and steel, and chemicals — which together account for the largest share of Indonesia’s industrial energy use and process emissions, and which face rising pressure from both domestic carbon pricing and green trade measures in export markets.
The portfolio works across several connected lines of work. On sector pathways, we build techno-economic analysis of abatement options and their levelized cost implications under different energy price and scenarios under a sectoral emission reduction pathway. On policy architecture, we support the design of enabling conditions for an industrial decarbonization roadmap, including green industrial policy packages design and the development of Indonesia’s emissions trading system (ETS) for the industry sector. On market creation, we conduct research on demand-side landscape and measures that can establish a lead market for low-emission industrial materials in Indonesia. On trade and competitiveness, we analyze the exposure of Indonesian industrial exports to carbon border measures and other green trade policies, and what producers and regulators need to prepare for them.
Job Highlight
The Heavy Industry Decarbonization Analyst will contribute to the portfolio by generating robust sectoral, technical, techno-economic, and policy analysis to support the decarbonization and competitiveness of Indonesia’s heavy industries. The role will focus on one or more priority sub-sector, including cement, iron and steel, and chemical (fertilizer, methanol, and other petrochemicals), and will examine both pathways to reduce industrial emission and the policy and market conditions needed to support a competitive transition.
The role will conduct sector and techno-economic assessment, analyze policy and regulatory and climate-related trade measure, collect and assess primary data from industry to understand sector readiness and transition challenges. The analysis will be translated into actionable research and policy recommendations, knowledge product, and technical inputs for engagement with government counterparts and partner institutions.
Reporting to the Industrial Transition Senior Research Lead, this position will be based in Jakarta with office-flex working arrangement. In support of WRI's DEI commitment, this role are responsible for actively participating in these collaborative efforts by integrating equity into the work, workplace, and the organizational culture.
What You Will Do
Sector Analysis and Techno-Economic Assessment (35%)
Maintain and update emission baselines and production profiles for the assigned heavy industry sub-sector, using primary data from company disclosures, government statistics, and industry association sources.
Assess decarbonization options for the sub-sector — energy and material efficiency, fuel and feedstock switching, electrification, carbon capture, and circularity measures — including technical readiness, applicability to the Indonesian asset base, and abatement potential.
Build and run scenario and cost models (marginal abatement cost curves, levelized cost of production, and/or cost-gap analysis against import or conventional parity) under alternative energy price, carbon price, and policy assumptions.
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Policy, Regulatory, and Green Trade Analysis (25%)
Analyze supply-side policy instruments (fiscal and tax incentives, capital and operating subsidies, concessional and blended finance, industrial energy and feedstock pricing, technology and innovation support, and enabling infrastructure such as grid, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage) relevant to heavy industry decarbonization.
Analyze demand-side and market-creation instruments (green public procurement, product carbon standards, labelling, offtake and contract-for-difference mechanisms) and their feasibility in the Indonesian context.
Analyze climate-related trade measures affecting Indonesian industrial exports (carbon border adjustment mechanisms, emissions reporting and verification requirements, sustainability and traceability standards, certification schemes, and other non-tariff measures) and identify what producers, regulators, and national quality and data infrastructure need in order to respond.
Benchmark international green industrial and green trade policy (including the EU, China, India, and other relevant economies) and draw out implications for Indonesian policy design.
Translate analysis into actionable policy recommendations, including policy matrices that set out sequenced actions, indicative timelines, and the division of responsibility across ministries and agencies.
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Primary Data Collection and Industry Readiness Assessment (15%)
Design and refine assessment frameworks and indices used to measure industry readiness or maturity — defining dimensions and indicators, scoring logic, and interpretation of results.
Develop survey instruments, pre-interview data sheets, and interview protocols, and define survey scope and company coverage for each sector.
Conduct and coordinate primary data collection with companies and industry associations, including moderating one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions in Bahasa Indonesia.
Process and analyze collected data, compute and interpret scores, and develop sector-level findings and recommendations from the results.
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Knowledge Products, Stakeholder Engagement, and Capacity Building (20%)
Draft research reports, policy briefs, technical notes, and one-pagers in Bahasa Indonesia and English, with clear data visualization and slide materials, and support peer review of portfolio outputs.
Support engagement with line ministries and agencies through briefing materials, technical inputs to draft regulation, and responses to counterpart requests.
Prepare for and conduct focus group discussions, dissemination events, and training/workshop with counterparts in industry, associations, and partner research institutions.
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Management and Strategic Support (5%)
Support project planning and tracking by maintaining assigned activities and deliverables, and providing relevant inputs for donor and counterpart reporting and project documentation.
Provide research findings, data, and analysis from assigned work to support proposal development and concept notes for the Energy and Sustainable Business program as needed.
What You Will Need
Bachelor’s degree in chemical, industrial, metallurgical, materials, environmental, energy engineering, economics, public policy, or a closely related field; a Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage.
Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in industrial decarbonization, process or production engineering in heavy industry, or a comparable research or consulting role. A Master’s degree in a relevant field may be considered in lieu of up to 2 years of professional experience.
Deep technical knowledge of at least one heavy industry sub-sector — cement, iron and steel, or chemicals (fertilizer, petrochemical, or methanol) — covering process routes and production technology, energy and feedstock profile, plant configuration and operating constraints, cost structure, and principal emission sources. This is the core requirement of the role.
Sound understanding of GHG accounting principles and the GHG Protocol; industrial abatement technologies and their maturity; energy systems relevant to industry; and carbon pricing and carbon market mechanisms, including Indonesia’s NEK/ETS.
Proven ability to design and carry out quantitative analysis, build scenario or cost models in Excel or an equivalent tool, work with incomplete primary data and state assumptions transparently, and trace figures back to primary sources.
Experience engaging government, industry, or association counterparts on technical subjects, including preparing for and facilitating technical discussions.
Strong written and oral communication, with a track record of co-producing analytical writing for policy or industry audiences and of presenting technical findings to non-technical decision makers.
Full professional proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia and English, both written and spoken.
Well organized, detail-oriented, and have the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines; comfortable working independently with appropria