Program Head - Urbanist, Economic Development

About your role:
You would be based in New Delhi and will provide your expertise on urban and economic development aspects, and public policy. As a subject matter expert, you will interface with senior officials, provide recommendations with full understanding of cross-organizational impact and needs, engage with external audiences, and lead an internal team. The key skills expected are government engagement, analysis on economics and finance, feasibility and impact studies, and strong team and project management.
Through your knowledge and work experience in domains of economics, urban development and public policy, the selected candidate will contribute towards current and proposed research, management and implementation of efforts under economic development. You will report to Program Director, Urban Development, WRI India.

How your day will unfold:

Provide subject matter expertise to WRI India s initiatives on economic development, urban development and public policy
Coordinate economic development initiatives by coordinating across multiple teams within and outside WRI India and across multiple city-regions.
Offer strategic guidance, methodologies and directions to undertake economic analysis, visioning and opportunity framing, and strategies under the purview of economic development.
Provide technical reviews and analysis for existing and upcoming projects including supervising primary and secondary research and writing, surveys, and on-site project activities including convenings, and stakeholder dialogues.
Oversee logistical processes and provide technical support for all deliverables related to the project activities across multiple city-regions.
Manage overall progress of the project and communicate any gaps/delays if any to both internal and external reporting lines. Support the development of remedial measures for such issues.
Support convenings of multiple partners, experts, mentors, and partners to gather feedback for the study and organising workshops/conferences based on the project need and relevance.
Prepare briefings for the senior team members including director and executive director, to assist with meetings, events, and presentations. Further, help in organizing and administering training and capacity building sessions based on the needs of the project.
Oversee all relevant local financial transactions and disbursals and their reporting following the stipulated WRI India working manual.
Willingness to travel to specific project-based cities for meetings and convenings with project partners.

Qualifications and Requirements we seek:

PhD/ Masters/ Equivalent Postgraduate in management/ MBA with a degree in urban studies/ urban economics/ public policy/ planning and governance or related fields.
Minimum 15 + years of relevant work experience preferably in domains of economics, urban development and public policy; managing all aspects of a project including multi-partner consultations, interactions with government agencies, internal team management and providing strategic expertise.
Specialization or work experience demonstrated in the areas of economics, urban development and public policy. High level knowledge on the state of the practice in Indian urban development and economic development scenarios.
Research and design experience using relevant statistical tools and methods for economic and financial analysis. Demonstrated experience in managing projects and performing quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
Ability to combine and present complex information in a simple manner that is suitable for diverse audiences. This will further support interdisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
Experience of having worked with the Government Ministries/ Departments and other non-government partners such as Business and Industry Associations, and civil society organizations.
Acquaintance with project management tools to manage tasks, resources, and milestones, collaborate with teams to prioritize workflows and tasks.
Strong critical thinking capabilities with an ability to rapidly assess situational needs, develop problem solving strategies, and implement sustainable solutions.
Demonstrate strong report writing and reviewing skills.
Fluency in spoken and written English and Hindi is necessary.
Excellent facilitation for overall team coordination, and ownership of responsibilities.
Detail oriented, able to manage multiple priorities, and ensures highest standards of work outputs, ethics and consistency.
Experience in working effectively and respectfully in diverse teams and communities.