Program Associate

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:

1. A-PAG has worked on several programs in Delhi-NCR. Currently, we are engaged with the

Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Works Department, and Delhi Development

Authority to name few. This covers all 250 wards across the city.

2. In Uttar Pradesh, we are working with the Urban Development Department to implement the

Dispersed Sources Program in Prayagraj, Noida, Agra, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Mathura.

3. 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

A-PAGâs project in Delhi aims to improve air quality by tackling cross-sectoral issues which contribute to air pollution. We work in the 250 wards of Delhi with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Works Department and other important Urban Local Bodies such as DJB, DDA, and DSIIDC.

As a Program Associate in team Delhi, you will be a critical part of the team leading the on-ground implementation and operations of the multiple programs running in Delhi. To do this, you will work closely with the senior and ground-level officers at the ULBs in the zones assigned to you. Implementation of A-PAGâs dispersed sources program would be a priority; in addition to this, you would have the opportunity to devise and devise new interventions which are scalable and target other sources of air pollution in the region.

Key Responsibilities

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

1. Program Strategy and Implementation: Working with officials in your areas, you would need

to ensure all processes are put into place and all planned actions are carried out in a

time-bound manner. 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.

2. Stakeholder Management: Engaging and liaising with officials at the MCD to ensure the

smooth functioning of the program and ensuring that they view A-PAGâs contribution in a

positive light. You will also support the ULBs to coordinate with each other to ensure smooth operations.

3. Monitoring and Review: Putting in place a robust monitoring and review process will be a key

priority. You will be responsible for ensuring structured reviews are held in your area in order

to make progress toward resolving the issues identified on the ground.

4. 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.

5. Process Improvement: While engaging with officials across multiple organisations 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.

6. 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 of new programs.

Eligibility

1. Masterâs degree from a tier-1 institute with a strong track record of outstanding academic

performance

2. 1-3 years of work experience in a role with a client-facing component, project-based assignments, and substantial analytical requirements

3. Have displayed instances of quick thinking and entrepreneurial nature in previous projects/

work assignment

4. Work experience in the space of environment/solid waste management, program implementation or implementation of IT dashboards would be preferred but is not essential â however, passion to solve the air pollution crisis in India is critical

Skill Sets Required

1. Analytical bent of mind is keyâ you will need to think through problems and help the team

arrive at an accurate assessment of the key issues to be addressed.

2. Entrepreneurial abilityâ success in this role depends heavily on your making things happen on

the ground.

3. Ability to work alongside senior Government officials, while being able to convince them to

accept our recommendations.

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

5. Ability to learn quickly and bias to actionâ 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

Full time