Subject Matter Expert for Automotive Industry

Consultant as Subject Matter Expert for Automotive Industry - Energy and Sustainable Business Program

This is a remote position. 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.

Creating Lead Market for Low-Emission Steel in Indonesia: Choosing the Right Sectoral Starting Point

Indonesia's iron and steel industry contributes approximately 5% of manufacturing GDP across 195 companies and underpins infrastructure development, urbanization, transport networks, and industrial manufacturing. Steel production is projected to rise from 44.5 million tons to nearly 100 million tons by 2050, and sectoral emissions from about 34 million tCO2e to approximately 71.9 million tCO2e under a business-as-usual scenario. Indonesia is actively pursuing industrial decarbonization as part of its broader climate & development agenda. The steel sector plays a strategic role in this transition, as it is both emissions-intensive & foundational to infrastructure development, housing provision, & automotive manufacturing. Around 65% of Indonesia's steel is consumed domestically, and within that market, basic infrastructure accounts for about 40% of demand, buildings for about 38%, and automotive manufacturing for about 12%, making these three the focus of the analysis.

However, transitioning from conventional to low-emission steel presents significant structural challenges. While initial policy attention has focused on encouraging or mandating the supply of low-emission steel, comparatively limited efforts have been directed toward building a robust domestic market that can sustainably absorb such supply. The long-term viability of low-emission steel production depends fundamentally on the existence of credible & scalable demand. Without a functioning market willing to uptake low-emission steel at scale, supply-side mandates alone risk creating economic inefficiencies or stalled investments.

This study addresses that gap by focusing on the demand side of the transition. It aims to generate empirical evidence to support the strategic prioritization & development of a lead market for low-emission steel in Indonesia by analyzing demand volume of key stakeholders, cost implication dynamics, & buyers’ capacity to absorb incremental costs to balance potential impact with feasibility of accelerating low-emission steel adoption in the country. A lead market is defined as a market that is created or supported by dedicated public policies to spur innovation by encouraging a leading share of market participants to adopt a certain type of product, material, or a new design. More specifically, this research will Identify the landscape of Indonesia’s steel demand, including the steel type, consumption volume, & key actors in domestic & export market, assess the incremental cost implications of adopting low emission steel to various final products (with initial specific focus on basic infrastructure, buildings, & automotive sectors); assess consumers’ willingness to pay for low emission steel & final products containing low emission steel, & the factors that could influence purchasing decisions; and identify at least one end-use sector to prioritize, based on those three metrics mentioned above..

Job Highlight

The Subject Matter Expert for Automotive Industry is expected to provide technical reference on steel use and production cost in Indonesia's vehicle manufacturing sector, contributing to the study "Creating Lead Market for Low Emission Steel in Indonesia: Choosing the Right Sectoral Starting Point". The work is based on the SME's existing working experience and knowledge, translated into reference figures, and coordinated with industry practitioners through a focus group discussion (FGD) to validate the results.

The Subject Matter Expert for Automotive Industry must already be familiar with bills of materials and bills of quantities (BOM/BOQ) for typical car and motorcycle production, along with the steel quantities and grades typically involved, as well as the cost structures behind this production. Strong technical judgment, being clear about the assumptions behind each figure, awareness of how practice varies across manufacturers and models, and the ability to engage with industry practitioners are expected and highly valued skills for this position.

This is a remote-working position with requirement to attend offline activities in Jakarta as needed. Reporting directly to the Net Zero Senior Analyst, this position will be working collaboratively with the 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

Subject Matter Expertise (80%)

Complete the product portfolio section in the worksheet provided by the research team by selecting the vehicle product types (refer to the KBLI 2025) that represent typical product.

Fill in the steel bill of materials and quantities (BOM/BOQ) for each selected product type with figures reflecting actual production practice: steel form, steel type, quantity in tonnes per unit, material origin (domestic or imported), applicable grade or standard where a specific technical specification applies, and any environmental specification.

Fill in the cost breakdown for each selected product type with figures reflecting actual production practice, across the standard cost categories: raw materials, direct labor, equipment/machinery, subcontractors/specialist workers, overhead, and design/engineering.

Fill in typical steel procurement prices by steel type, based on actual prices, including reference market price, contract type, and price period.

Document the assumptions and product specifications behind each figure, noting where the figures may vary meaningfully depending on vehicle type or specification.

Program Management S