A Research Analyst at Rystad Energy plays a critical role in shaping the global energy discourse. As an independent energy research and business intelligence company, Rystad Energy relies on its analysts to deliver high-quality, data-driven insights that governments, financial institutions, and major energy corporations depend on to make multi-billion-dollar decisions. In this role, you are not simply writing reports; you are analyzing complex global energy markets, tracking the rapid acceleration of the energy transition, and mapping out the supply chains that will power the future.

The impact of your work is direct and far-reaching. The data you collect, clean, and model feeds directly into Rystad Energy's industry-leading databases and proprietary analytics platforms. Whether you are tracking the global battery supply chain, evaluating renewable energy policies, or estimating future resource capacities, your analysis helps clients navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape. This makes the position both intellectually stimulating and highly strategic, offering you a front-row seat to the global energy transition.

Working within this team requires a unique combination of technical capability, domain curiosity, and analytical rigor. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams of engineers, data scientists, and senior consultants across global offices, including the corporate headquarters in Oslo, Norway. For a professional passionate about energy, technology, and market dynamics, this role offers an unmatched platform to build deep domain expertise and influence global energy strategies.

The questions you will face during the Rystad Energy hiring process are designed to evaluate your analytical structured thinking, domain awareness, and technical aptitude. While the specific questions will vary depending on the team and geography, they consistently follow a pattern of testing how you structure ambiguous problems and how deeply you understand the energy sector.

Domain & Sector Knowledge

These questions assess your understanding of energy markets, key technologies, and the macroeconomic policies driving the industry.

• What are the fundamental components of the battery supply chain, and what challenges does India face in securing these raw materials?
• How do government subsidies and clean energy policies impact the adoption of electric vehicles in developing markets?

Preparing for an interview at Rystad Energy requires a balanced approach. You must demonstrate both a high level of analytical competence and a genuine curiosity about the global energy landscape. The firm values structured thinkers who can look at a massive dataset and extract a clear, actionable narrative.

Analytical Rigor & Guesstimation – You must be comfortable with mental math and structured problem-solving. When presented with a guesstimate, interviewers do not expect a perfect numerical answer; instead, they evaluate your framework, your ability to make reasonable assumptions, and how you sanity-check your final output.

Domain & Market Awareness – You need a solid grasp of energy transition fundamentals, including battery supply chains, renewable energy policies, and global decarbonization targets. Keeping up with recent industry trends, regulatory shifts, and technological breakthroughs is essential.

Technical Competence – You should be ready to demonstrate core capabilities in data manipulation. This includes a strong understanding of database querying, basic scripting for data analysis, and the ability to interpret complex data visualizations accurately.

Communication & Collaboration – As a research analyst, you must translate complex data into clear insights. Your interviewers will look for your ability to communicate your thought process calmly under pressure and collaborate effectively with global teams.

The interview process for the Research Analyst position at Rystad Energy is structured to evaluate both your hard technical skills and your cognitive approach to problem-solving. The company maintains a highly collaborative and supportive interview culture, where panel members frequently guide you through complex problem statements rather than trying to trip you up.

Typically spanning three to four distinct stages, the process moves systematically from automated screening to deep technical evaluations, and finally to strategic conversations with senior leadership. The timeline is designed to ensure that you possess the quantitative baseline required for the role, while also assessing your long-term alignment with the firm's research methodology.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression a candidate experiences during the hiring loop. Understanding this structure allows you to allocate your preparation time effectively, ensuring you focus on technical skills early on before pivoting to case practice and behavioral alignment. While individual timelines can vary based on the specific team and location, the sequence of evaluations remains highly consistent globally.

To succeed in the Rystad Energy interview process, you must understand the specific competencies being evaluated at each stage. The firm looks for a unique blend of structured logical reasoning, sector-specific knowledge, and quantitative capability.

Guesstimates & Analytical Scenarios

This area evaluates your ability to break down highly complex, ambiguous questions into logical, manageable components. Interviewers want to see how you think on your feet and how you structure your assumptions.

Be ready to go over:

• Framework Construction – How you break a large market-sizing problem down into a top-down or bottom-up formula.
• Assumption Justification – Your ability to state and defend realistic proxy numbers (e.g., population sizes, average energy consumption rates, market penetration percentages).
• Sanity Checking – How you review your final calculation to ensure it makes logical sense in a real-world context.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Sensitivity analysis of your guesstimate assumptions and identifying key variables that could drastically alter your final estimate.

Example scenarios:

• "Estimate the total volume of lithium-ion battery waste generated annually in India by 2030."
• "How would you calculate the potential reduction in CO2 emissions if a city transitioned its entire public bus fleet to electric vehicles?"

Energy Domain & Supply Chains

This evaluation area focuses on your understanding of energy markets, technology trends, and policy frameworks. You do not need to know every statistic, but you must understand the core dynamics of the energy transition.

Be ready to go over:

• Battery Supply Chains – Understanding raw materials (lithium, cobalt, nickel), processing bottlenecks, and regional manufacturing capacities.
• Policy Impacts – How regional subsidies, carbon taxes, and import tariffs shape the adoption of clean energy technologies.
• Grid Integration – The challenges of integrating intermittent renewable energy sources into existing electrical grids.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – The economic viability of green hydrogen production and its potential integration into heavy industrial supply chains.

Example scenarios:

• "Explain the geopolitical and economic factors currently influencing the supply of battery-grade lithium."
• "What are the primary barriers to setting up large-scale battery manufacturing gigafactories in developing markets like India?"

Data Interpretation & Technical Skills

This technical assessment ensures you have the hands-on capabilities required to process and clean the data that powers Rystad Energy's research.

Be ready to go over:

• SQL Querying – Writing queries to filter, aggregate, and join complex relational databases.
• Python for Data Analysis – Utilizing libraries such as Pandas and NumPy to manipulate data, handle missing values, and perform basic statistical operations.
• Data Interpretation – Analyzing complex charts, graphs, and tables to extract key trends and identify data anomalies.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Structuring automated ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipelines for recurring public data sources.

Example scenarios:

• "Given a SQL database of global wind farm outputs, write a query to find the top three performing assets in each region for the past fiscal year."
• "Look at this chart showing historical solar module price declines and explain what market forces likely caused the temporary price spikes."

As a Research Analyst at Rystad Energy, your day-to-day work will sit at the intersection of data collection, quantitative modeling, and market reporting. You will be responsible for maintaining the high standards of accuracy that the firm's global clients expect.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Data Gathering and Modeling – Actively collecting, validating, and structuring primary data points related to energy projects, supply chains, and market dynamics. You will build and maintain predictive models that forecast capacity additions, technology costs, and supply-demand balances.
• Market Analysis and Report Writing – Writing insightful, data-backed commentaries and reports on energy market trends, technological advancements, and policy developments. Your written work will be published directly to Rystad Energy's client portals.
• Cross-Border Collaboration – Working closely with international analyst teams, particularly senior analysts and product managers based in Oslo, Norway. You will align your research methodologies with global standards and contribute to joint international research initiatives.
• Client Support and Advisory – Assisting senior consultants and business development teams by providing technical and data support for bespoke client consulting projects, helping to explain complex datasets clearly.