Head - Programme - Air Quality & Solid Waste Management

Purpose

The multi-disciplinary Clean Air team at THE ORGANIZATION generates data and evidence to drive scalable action and strengthen the capacity of governments and industries through institutional collaborations towards improving India's air quality. The CA team works across seven different verticals: crop residue management, clean cooking, solid waste management, industrial pollution management, clean construction, air quality governance, and air quality data analytics & forecasting. The team's research work is supported by five levers of change: building the capacity of government agencies, generating transparent and credible data, developing innovative solutions, demonstrating industrial leadership, and raising public demand for clean air.

The Clean air team seeks to hire a driven and passionate Programme Lead to build and expand our work on air quality governance and data analytics at the national, state, and city levels. The candidate should also be required to support work in other verticals as needed. This role involves a mix of managerial, technical and networking skills. The ideal candidate should have a deep understanding of the air quality policy frameworks and data infrastructure in India, as well as technical skills to do a deep dive into air quality and meteorology data. Further, the candidate should have excellent oral and written communication skills. An ideal candidate would have the capacity and experience to drive government engagements independently and can draft briefing notes and policy documents under tight deadlines.

Job Duties and Support the Senior Programme Lead in the development of strategy and plan for the Clean Air programme at THE ORGANIZATION that aligns with institutional and national priorities.

- Engage with current and potential funders and stakeholders (relevant central/ state/ city level entities, other policy/ academic research institutions) for partnerships and resource mobilisation.

- Develop and maintain networks within all key government ministries to drive the clean air agenda.

Research

- End-to-end ownership of a few flagship team projects/products and lead at least two proposals under competitive grants.

- Generate and pursue independent and original research ideas that are both policy-relevant and align with the team's vision and mission

- Lead at least one flagship team product and at least two proposals under competitive grants

- Evaluate the quality of draft data analyses and reports prepared by direct reports as well as all research products under the air quality governance and data analytics & forecasting verticals

- Travel to project sites, when required, to conduct interviews or collect data for different research projects

Project and people management

- Manage a team of multi-disciplinary team of Programme Associates and Research Analysts on a day-to-day basis

- Expand the Clean Air team by assisting in hiring the right set of people at a Research Analyst and Programme Associate level to drive the strategy and execute the plan

- Ensure that project deliverables are submitted on time

- Present results of research at national and international conferences, meetings, seminars and workshops and through personal contacts and networks

- Assist Research Fellows and other Senior Researchers with financial reporting and budgeting for specific projects

- Perform other duties occasionally, which are not included above but which would be consistent with the role

Selection PhD or master's degree in environmental studies, environmental engineering or other related fields.

- Sound understanding of India's air quality policy and regulatory environment

- Strong research background with an adequate understanding of research methods and quantitative skills

Work experience

- 10-15 years of experience in the air quality domain, especially in data analytics and policy governance.

- Prior experience working on projects focussing on air quality management, air pollution and urban governance.

- Proven track record of publications in high-impact journals, policy memos and reports.

Key skills

- Excellent project management skills.

- Excellent written and oral communication skills.

- Competent in using statistical and spatial analytical tools. Knowledge of languages such as R/Python will be an advantage.

- Demonstrated abilities to manage multiple priorities, projects and internal/external resources in a fast-paced environment while meeting deadlines and quality standards.

- Striving for rigour in research and quality in work output.

- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment and being able to independently drive research with minimum assistance.

- The candidate should be willing to travel frequently.