Job Opportunity for Director of Operations at A-PAG in Delhi

About the Organization

Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG) was set up in 2019 by Ashish Dhawan (Founder and Chairperson, Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation), Vijay Chadda (previously CEO of Bharti Foundation) and Mohit Beotra (previously Chief Brand Officer of Airtel). Ashish is a member of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining regions.

A-PAG is focused on strategic implementation of solutions to combat air pollution and has created a niche for itself within the broader ecosystem in the last 2 years. In this time, A-PAG has made significant progress in its quest with a focus on supporting Government at the national & state level. Some of the major projects A-PAG is driving are as follows:

A-PAG works closely with the Punjab Government to combat stubble burning. Our efforts are focused on convincing farmers to adopt alternative solutions. These efforts include mass media & social media campaigns, mobile first initiatives as well as tech enabled solutions to ease hiring of implements.
In Delhi, we have worked on multiple programs. Currently, we are engaged with the Municipal Corporation on a massive program aimed at dispersed sources. This covers all ~300 wards across the city.

• In Uttar Pradesh (UP) we are retained by the UP-Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to help reduce air pollution in the state. Our team is working on a program in coordination with the Smart City Integrated Control & Command Centre in Lucknow.
• As part of our program with Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BPSCB), we are active in Patna, Muzaffarpur & Gaya. Various initiatives are underway to address air pollution across the state of Bihar.
• We are about to start a program in Gurgaon; this is in partnership with the Municipal Corporation and is being developed for implementation.
• We have a PMU based at the Central Pollution Control Board, which is helping CPCB drive effectiveness of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP).

All our support to Government is offered on a pro-bono basis.

About the Role

Our strategy is based on 2 pillars:

We work alongside Government, at the national, state & city levels. This is implemented through the setting up of Project Management Units (PMU) that work closely with the relevant authority to roll out initiatives.

Our focus is on implementing pilot programs, with the intention of codifying learning which can then be scaled across cities. These programs can target any of the key sources of pollution.

A-PAG is now seeking an Operations Director to lead our operations country wide. You will have direct oversight over all our programs, with a focus on 3 key objectives:

• Drive operational excellence in our current projects with a view to maximizing the effectiveness and impact of our work.
• Dramatically enhance our presence in the states we currently operate in by creating new programs aimed at (i) different sources of pollution (ii) different geographies within the state.
• Finally, lead our expansion by establishing programs in states beyond the ones we currently operate in.

This is a 3–5-year opportunity for a dynamic individual to make a massive impact on air pollution. Your primary responsibilities would be as follows:

• Developing the right strategy: Based on an understanding of air pollution issues, you would need to devise & recommend the strategy to be followed in each geography. City & State Action Plans will be a key input, as will be mitigation actions for sources that impact pollution. Our challenge is to have a set of priority actions that we focus on implementing effectively.
• Focus on execution: Our strategy requires relentless focus on high quality execution, coupled with a premium on speed. This is a key part of your role. It will depend on your ability to lead our PMU’s to ensure they operate with maximum efficiency. You will also need to scale these teams to act on new opportunities as & when they emerge.
• Driving Government engagement: Ranging from Secretary Environment to Municipal Commissioners to Member Secretary of State Pollution Boards, our work requires us to deal with Government officials at very senior levels. You would be expected to manage these & myriad other Government relationships in a manner that helps deliver our objectives.
• Internal liaison: As a member of the A-PAG leadership team, you will need to interact closely with various teams within the organization. Ensuring that there is strong alignment with your priorities would be essential. People across other teams must also recognize you as a leader.
• Managing partnerships: Our strategy involves banking on partners for their technical expertise.
• You would be expected to play a key role in partnerships that are triggered to drive action in the states.
• The role exists to make things happen; and is a part of the leadership team at A-PAG.

Eligibility

• Masters’ degree in business management with a strong track record of good academic performance
• 18+ years of work experience with managerial responsibilities while demonstrating excellent project delivery
• Experience of working in the space of environment/ air pollution is not essential – however, passion to solve the air pollution crisis in India is critical.

Skill Sets Required

• Entrepreneurship – success in this role depends heavily on your making things happen on the ground.
• Ability to work alongside senior Government officials, while being able to convince them to accept our recommendations.
• Team management is key – you will need to lead a very large dispersed team and keep them motivated & excited.
• Project Management skills are needed to ensure programs are delivered against agreed timelines with requisite quality.
• Ability to learn quickly – air pollution is a relatively nascent space and new knowledge is constantly emerging which we need to understand & utilize to our benefit.