Job Opportunity for Operations Director – Special Projects 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. A-PAG works with Government on a pro-bono basis; we have made significant progress with programs at the National as well as State level. Some of our projects are as follows:

1. 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.

2. In Uttar Pradesh (UP) we have a program running in coordination with the Smart City Integrated Control & Command Centre in Lucknow. We have recently expanded our presence to include Var cities across the state.

3. 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.

4. We work in Gurgaon in partnership with the Municipal Corporation. Starting with a pilot currently being run in a limited area, the program is scheduled to be rolled out across the entire city within the next 120 days.

5. 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.

6. We have a PMU based at the Central Pollution Control Board, which is helping CPCB drive effectiveness of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP).

About the Role A-PAG is seeking a person to drive our program in the states of Bihar & UP. We are engaged with the PCBs to support the states in mitigation of air pollution. Seen as a multi-year engagement, the program has 2 key facets:

1. Focus on cities identified as non-attainment under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP). These cities are expected to achieve the air pollution reduction targets by 2025, as specified under NCAP. The program starts with a focus on Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mathura in UP, and Patna., Muzaffarpur, Gaya in Bihar.

2. The program is also expected to expand to cover the entire state. Our ambition is to identify & address air pollution sources beyond the non-attainment cities such that our efforts can impact the state as a whole.

As part of this program, we place multiple Project Management Units (PMUs) that work closely with Government departments to ensure success against air pollution. Currently, we have state leads based in Patna & Lucknow, who are supported by PMU teams in each of the cities mentioned above. Further, we partner with the relevant organization to bring in technical expertise/advice as may be required to find the right solution for each source of air pollution.

The Associate Director will lead our efforts in these states. You will have the opportunity to scale our presence in the states over a course of 3-4 years to achieve NCAPs objectives. This is a dynamic opportunity where you will work closely with A-PAG senior leadership, Government officials, State Pollution Control Boards and other partners to have a direct impact on solving the air pollution crisis in Bihar & UP.

Essentially, as Associate Director, you need to make things happen – your primary responsibilities would be as follows:

1. Developing the right strategy: Based on an understanding of air pollution issues, you would need to devise & recommend the strategy to be followed in Bihar & UP. City Action Plans will be a key input, as will be mitigation actions for sources that impact pollution state wide. Our challenge is to have a set of priority actions that we focus on implementing effectively. Working closely with the strategy team in Delhi is a key priority.

2. Ensuring effective project management: All our programs need to be backed by strong project management to ensure timely & effective implementation. You need to instill a discipline of good project management among our team. You need to control delivery through your support team based in Delhi; as well as though the state and city teams.

3. Leading the team: We have a 9-member team in UP, as well as 5-member team in Bihar. Leading this team effectively is a key expectation of this role. This including scaling up the team in line with our growth.

4. Driving Government engagement: Ranging from Chief Secretary to Secretary Environment to Municipal Commissioners etc, 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 ensures that A-PAG is recognized as a professional & effective partner.

5. 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 reports directly into the senior management team at A-PAG.

Eligibility

1. Masters degree in relevant fields, including business or development sector management, environmental studies or public policy with a strong track record of good academic performance

2. 10-12 years of work experience with managerial responsibilities, demonstrating excellent project delivery and relationship development skills. Previous experience working alongside Government would be helpful, but is not essential.

3. Experience working in the space of environment/air pollution would be preferred again it is not essential however, passion to solve the air pollution crisis in India is critical.

Skill Sets Required

1. Entrepreneurship success in this role depends heavily on your making things happen on the ground.

2. Ability to work alongside senior Government officials, while being able to convince them to accept our recommendations.

3. Team management is key you will need to lead a fairly large team and keep them motivated & excited.

4. Project Management skills are needed to ensure programs are delivered against agreed timelines with requisite quality.

5. 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.

Location: Delhi but the role requires regular travel to the cities we work in.

Compensation: Will be commensurate with the best among social sector norm