Senior Associate - Urban Policy

About Janaagraha

At Janaagraha, we believe that India's future will play out in our cities. Cities have the critical task of propelling our country's economic growth while mitigating pervasive inequities and grappling with complex challenges of climate change, all while looking to reinvigorate a spirit of citizenship. We are a 23 year-old non-profit working towards this urban future by ensuring that the right systems are in place for urban India. Systems that enable us to plan, design, build, govern, fund and manage our cities, and thereby transform the quality of life in India's cities and towns.

We partner extensively with union and state governments, and the broader civil society ecosystem to translate our ideas into action. We have a track-record of large-scale change using the "city systems" approach across all our focus areas and our current partners include key union government agencies (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, NITI Aayog, Finance Commission) and the state governments of Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. We publish reports such as the Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS), which captures the status of laws and rules pertaining to urban governance across the states and union territories in India, besides the constitutional and national level governance framework. Our observations from our deep work across the sub-sectors of urban governance and development, position us to identify key reforms and measures to shape better cities for future, even while addressing the current challenges.

We also firmly believe that our journey is as important as our destination, and have crystallised our organizational values into our Culture Codes, which guide our approach and our behaviours.

About the Policy & Insights (P&I) Team

The Policy & Insights (P&I) team forms the core thought leadership backbone for Janaagraha, bringing insights from research into public domain and advising the programmatic activities of various teams within the organization. We ensure that Janaagraha's urban governance reform agenda is grounded in rigorous research, evidence-based analysis, and strategic stakeholder engagement. Our approach combines deep research and analysis to understand urban governance challenges and identify reform opportunities, with a practitioner mindset to translate the same into action and outcomes. We shape public discourse on urban governance through flagship publications, convenings, and build and nurture relationships with key decision-makers across government, civil society, and the broader urban development ecosystem.

Position Summary

The Associate/Senior Associate Urban Policy will be a valued member of the P&I Team with responsibilities as detailed below -

• Undertake research studies on urban governance, municipal law and policy, decentralization, and city-systems reforms across India, including contributing to the research and writing of Janaagraha's flagship thought-leadership properties such as the Annual Survey of City-Systems
• Undertake targeted policy research and analysis on emerging urban challenges including urbanization and economic growth and intersectional issues (climate, gender, health)
• Monitor and analyse policy developments, trends and opportunities in urban governance, and help calibrate organizational strategy accordingly
• Part of the core team which will execute the flagship Urban Conclave event
• Contribute across different formats and platforms to amplify P&I team's work and Janaagraha's policy positions, with guidance
• Support organizational narrative development and customize policy communications for different audiences including government, donors, media, and civil society including creating well-written quick policy briefs and concept notes

What would make you a good fit for the role

• Strong Academic Foundation: Master's degree in Public Policy, Urban Governance, Economics, Law, Development Studies, Public Administration, Political Science, or related field from reputed institutions alongside 2+ years of relevant experience
• Research & Analytical Skills: Strong secondary research capabilities, and basic knowledge of tools like GIS, urban simulations, or participatory planning methods would be a bonus.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to synthesize complex information, develop informed perspectives, and translate research insights into actionable policy recommendations
• Communication Excellence: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with proven ability to create high-quality policy outputs including research reports, policy briefs, advocacy materials, and presentations.
• Agility: Comfort working and delivering in dynamic, ambiguous environments while managing multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Mission Commitment: Deep intrinsic motivation to contribute to solving urban governance challenges at scale and desire to build a career in impact-oriented work

Language Requirements: Excellent command over written and spoken English is essential; proficiency in additional Indian languages is desirable.

Remuneration

Janaagraha is an equal opportunity employer and offers a highly dynamic and enabling work environment. We provide competitive remuneration commensurate with relevant experience, skill-sets and background.