Lead - Infrastructure and Climate - Practice Programme

About the School of Systems & Infrastructure (SSI)

The School of Systems & Infrastructure (SSI) at the IIHS (Institution Deemed to be) University focuses on transforming key urban and infrastructure systems to improve equity, well-being and environmental outcomes for citizens and cities in India and the Global South. Its core themes are achieving sustained and equitable economic, social and environmental outcomes via better governance, finance, technology, and infrastructure service delivery. The SSI’s work is firmly rooted in the Indian context, drawing knowledge and experience from other global contexts, and has implications across cities in the Global South. The SSI’s focus spans various interdisciplinary areas of inquiry and avenues of engagement, including water and sanitation, solid waste management, energy, transport and mobility, land and planning, built environment, and information technology-enabled services (IT/ ITES).

About the Practice Programme

The IIHS Practice Programme aims to demonstrate capacity for innovation and change in order to influence and enable urban transformation and translate learning from practice into policy as well as research and teaching-learning material. It provides strategic/ policy advisory, implementation support, and knowledge management services to national and state governments, public, parastatal and municipal agencies, international development agencies, as well as private firms at the interface of human settlements and urbanisation. This work spans a range of areas, including urban governance, water and sanitation, municipal finance, land management, urban infrastructure and services, as well as climate change and risk and resilience.

The Practice team at IIHS is responsible for providing cutting-edge and integrated solutions to India’s urban development challenges by bringing together faculty and experts across diverse domains of knowledge and practice, exposing learners to real life problems and integrating the practice into academics and research.

Job Description

The Lead – Infrastructure and Climate will provide intellectual, strategic, and programme leadership to IIHS’s infrastructure and climate portfolio, with a focus on designing, implementing, and scaling policy, practice, and implementation solutions that address real-world challenges faced by Indian cities.

The role will prioritise hands-on programme leadership and stakeholder engagement for policy development, technical advisory, and implementation support services. Teaching, research, and capacity development will complement the core practice responsibilities, supporting the application and diffusion of impactful approaches across urban settlements.

Activities and Tasks

Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:

Portfolio development and management:

• Developing and implementing a strategic vision and annual work programme for IIHS’s infrastructure and climate portfolio, prioritising clear deliverables and efficient resource allocation;
• Contributing to portfolio planning, financial management, and resource mobilisation and anchoring proposal development processes to ensure programme quality, sustainability, and growth;

Applied research and technical assistance:

• Leading the development of high-impact research, data, and analytical platforms covering issues such as urban infrastructure systems, energy transitions, water security, sanitation, circular economy, climate resilience and adaptation, sustainable mobility, and infrastructure planning, financing, and governance;
• Ensuring rigour and quality assurance across all projects, reports, and knowledge products;

Policy development and stakeholder engagement:

• Engaging with government agencies, financing institutions, regulators, urban planners, industry, civil society groups, and international partners to support the strengthening of infrastructure systems, climate policy, financing mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks;
• Guiding the preparation of policy briefs, reports, and commentaries on infrastructure, climate, financing, and regulatory trends, gaps, and opportunities;
• Leading outreach plans, communication initiatives, and the dissemination of insights through diverse forums and platforms;

Collaboration and partnership development:

• Building strategic partnerships with academic and research institutions, think tanks, financial institutions, regulators, private firms, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen IIHS’s work in the sector;
• Supporting IIHS’s flagship national and international conferences and representing IIHS in forums to drive cross-learning and showcase relevant work;

Education:

• Supporting the design and delivery of courses on urban infrastructure systems, climate resilience and adaptation, and infrastructure planning, financing, and governance;
• Participating in curriculum development and the integration of relevant themes into interdisciplinary programmes of IIHS University;

Capacity development:

• Designing and delivering training programmes on urban infrastructure systems, climate resilience and adaptation, and infrastructure planning, financing and governance;
• Mentoring emerging talent and facilitating the development of course materials and best practice guidelines based on IIHS research and practice;

Institutional contribution:

• Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
• Participating in all activities of Institution-Building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and traveling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.

Structure and Reporting

The Lead – Infrastructure and Climate will report to the Chief – Practice at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of internal teams and external individuals/ organisations, and students.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate should have:

• A Master’s or PhD degree in Planning, Public Policy, Environmental Sciences, Climate Studies, Infrastructure, Management, Economics, or related disciplines;
• At least 15 years of relevant experience, including the leadership of multi-disciplinary teams and large implementation programmes;
• Proven track record in partnership building, policy engagement, and resource mobilisation;
• Familiarity with urban and infrastructure systems, climate policy, infrastructure governance, financing mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English and Hindi; proficiency in at least one other Indian language is desirable;
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Location

This position is based in Bengaluru or Delhi and may entail travel to other locations in India.

Review and Assessment

The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.

Diversity Policy

IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.

Contact

Please write to us at hr@iihs.co.in if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.