Director, Centre For Policy Design Job in Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology And The Environment

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), ranked one of the top environmental think-tanks globally, seeks a Director for its new Centre for Policy Design. The incumbent will be based in Bengaluru and report to the Director of ATREE.

About ATREE and the Centre for Policy Design

For the last two decades, ATREE has been engaged in generating rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge to inform policy and practice towards conservation and sustainability. Sustaining India s landscapes and ecosystem services while addressing chronic poverty and inequality, requires rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge about how these interconnected socio-environmental systems work; but we also need translation of the knowledge to spur implementation of innovative solutions.

Scaling transformative solutions will require innovative policy instruments, and improved governance at multiple levels. To achieve this, ATREE has set up a new Centre for Policy Design (CPD) that will work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to tackle ecological and developmental problems such as invasive species, climate change, water scarcity and access, water pollution and degraded land restoration. The Centre will build new capabilities in regulatory, innovative financing, and institutional design at ATREE, as well as augment existing capabilities in capacity building, stakeholder-led environmental governance, data visualisation and story-telling, and decision-support systems.

Position Summary:

We are looking to hire a Director for the Centre for Policy Design, ideally a professional with 15-20 years of experience, who has comprehensive knowledge of environmental policy and is networked with key players in the areas of biodiversity, water and climate changein India and globally. The Director will have hands-on experience in policy making, specifically in its design and implementation.

The Director of CPD will develop, expand, and drive the growth of the Centre to deliver concrete policy outcomes. The incumbent will do this by building strategic relationships and for ensuring that the teams within the Centre have the direction, resources, and mentorship needed to achieve the Centre s objectives. This includes ensuring program effectiveness, fiduciary oversight of large grants, and integration with ATREE s world-class researchers.

Vision and strategy:

• Serve as a leader and visible influencer in the conservation and sustainability space;
• Lead the development of strategies and initiatives that result ATREE in being viewed as a thought leader on conservation and sustainability issues, and becoming a trusted resource for leaders, policymakers, and influencers.
• Develop a cohesive approach to achieving policy impact by leveraging both internal programmatic efforts and building key external partnerships with scientists, industry, government, and NGO partners.

Knowledge Management and Communication:

• Initiate strategic analysis of conservation and sustainability and develop/recommend suitable policies.
• Build and manage an in-house communications team for the centre.

Partnerships and Coalitions:

• Develop and lead strategic partnerships and coalitions with other organizations and the government to design progressive initiatives and policies in the conservation and sustainability space.
• Build an internal team that is capable of responding to policy windows including providing legislative input, engaging in public consultation, liaising with legislator s aides, testifying in court and regulatory authority hearings.

Development and Fundraising

• Represent ATREE and CPD at key international and domestic fora and raise its profile and visibility to funders, partners, policymakers, and the public.
• Work closely with the ATREE Director and development team to lead fundraising efforts for the new centre.

The idea candidate will have:

• A master s or PhD degree in a field related to conservation, water or climate science, economics and/or policy;
• Knowledge of finance, especially a nuanced understanding of innovative financing models for conservation and livelihood generation;
• A track record of achievement in fundraising and donor stewardship;
• Intimate knowledge of state and national legislative and political processes;
• Ability to deal effectively with individuals including top officials in government;
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, persuade, learn, act on new approaches and build coalitions and partnerships;
• Demonstrated leadership ability to build, lead and manage a team;
• Ability to institute and execute goal-oriented strategies, partnerships and programs without an existing framework;
• Demonstrated ability to write and present information in a clear, concise, and compelling manner;
• Experience in dealing with print and TV media;
• Skills to use current tools such as social media, podcasts, infographics, etc., for communications is a plus;
• Ability to travel approximately 25-30% of the time.

In addition to a value based, informal and collegial work culture, ATREE provides competitive compensation geared to attract the best talent.ATREE s recruitment and employment policies are inclusive. We respect both the spirit and letter of the laws of equal employment opportunity.

Application process:
Interested candidates should email their CV to:

The HR Manager
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064.
Tel: +91 (80) 2363-5555, Fax: 2353-0070
E-mail: hr@atree.org