Job Opportunity for Program Associate Delhi at A-PAG in Delhi

Job Description: Program Associate

(Supporting ULBs 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 the strategic implementation of solutions to combat air pollution and has created a niche for itself within the broader ecosystem in the last 4 years. During this time, A-PAG has made significant progress in its quest with a focus on supporting the Governments at the national & state level. Some of the major projects A-PAG is driving are:

A-PAG has worked on several programs in Delhi. Currently, we are engaged with the MCD and the New Delhi Municipal Council on a massive program aimed at dispersed sources. This covers all 250 wards across the city as well as the area under NDMC.

In Uttar Pradesh we are working with the Urban Development Department to implement the Dispersed Sources Program in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Mathura. A-PAG has just launched an initiative covering Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya. This is part of our program with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BPSCB) to address air pollution across the state.

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

About the Role

Key Responsibilities

• A-PAGs project in Delhi aims at improving air quality by tackling road-dust causing issues which contribute to air pollution. We work in the 250 wards of Delhi with Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other important Urban Local Bodies like (DJB, DDA, PWD, etc.).
• As one of the Program Associates working in Delhi, you will be a critical part of the team leading the on-ground implementation and operations of the dispersed source program. To do this, you will work closely with the leadership and ground-level officers at the ULBs in the zones assigned to you. Implementation of A-PAGs dispersed sources program would be a priority; in addition to this, you would have the opportunity to devise and pilot new interventions which are scalable and target other sources of air pollution in the region.

The critical functions to manage your area successfully will include the following

• Program Strategy and Implementation: Working with ULBs in your zones, you would need to ensure all processes are put into place and all planned actions are carried out in a time-bound manner. This involves planning for an on-ground survey, creating route maps, ensuring IT systems are ready, etc. You will need to engage very closely with the management within the ULBs to identify any problem areas, share recommendations and ensure corrective action is implemented.
  Stakeholder Management: You will be expected to build relationships with officials ranging from the operational levels of these organizations (Eg. Junior Engineers, Sanitary Inspectors) to the leadership (Eg. Municipal Commissioners) and drive these engagements to ensure success. You will also support the ULBs in coordinating with each other. This is a key deliverable for ensuring the programs success.
• Monitoring and Review: Putting in place a robust monitoring and review process will be a key priority. You will be responsible to ensure structured reviews are held in your area in order to make progress toward resolving the issues identified on the ground.
• Vendor Management: The project is supported by third parties at multiple levels. You will be responsible to guide and oversee the functioning of these third-party vendors. These include survey agencies, IT vendors, etc.
• Process Improvement: While engaging with officials across multiple organizations you would be in a key position with visibility to understand problem areas and develop insights and solutions for them. You would be expected to translate these insights into action in order to improve the processes undertaken throughout the program.
• Support New Project Development: As a growing organisation we constantly work on developing new projects and work streams. You would be expected to actively participate in ideation as well as implementation.

Eligibility

• Masters degree from a tier-1 institute with a strong track record of outstanding academic performance
• 2-years of work experience in a role with a client-facing component, project-based assignments, and substantial analytical requirements
• Have displayed instances of quick thinking and entrepreneurial nature in previous projects/ work assignment
• Work experience in the space of environment/solid waste management, program implementation or implementation of IT dashboards would be preferred but is not essential however, passion to solve the air pollution crisis in India is critical
• Exceptional graduates will be considered with a 4-years of work experience

Skill Sets Required

1. Bias to action

2. Analytical bent of mind is key you will need to think through problems and help the team arrive at an accurate assessment of the key issues to be addressed.

3. Entrepreneurial ability success in this role depends heavily on your making things happen on the ground.

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

5. Program management skills are needed to ensure programs are delivered against agreed timelines with requisite quality.

6. 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: New Delhi

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