Associate Climate Lead

About the role:

We are hiring a strategic and vision-driven Associate Climate Lead for a prominent multidisciplinary research and civic-tech organization advancing data, technology, and AI for public good.

This role bridges technical domain expertise, strategic partnership building, institutional growth, and people leadership to guide and scale the organization's Climate Action & Disaster Risk Reduction portfolio.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping climate strategy, nurturing high-level relationships with senior government officials, international donors, and academic institutions, while leading a multi-disciplinary implementation team (managing State Leads and Fellows across target geographies).

Roles & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership &Portfolio Growth:

• Define, shape, and drive the strategic vision for open climate action and disaster risk reduction initiatives.
• Identify strategic growth opportunities, contribute to grant proposals, and lead fundraising and institutional engagement strategies.
• Represent the organization at national and international climate, resilience, and digital public infrastructure forum.

Ecosystem Partnerships & Government Engagement:

• Build and sustain high-level strategic partnerships with state/central government departments, research institutions, international development agencies, and donors.
• Lead stakeholder convenings and knowledge-sharing initiatives to advance data-driven climate action and public-interest technology

Programme Oversight & Quality Assurance:

• Provide high-level domain guidance to ensure project outputs align with climate science, public policy objectives, and overall institutional goals.
• Collaborate with the Project Manager to ensure strategic alignment and high-quality deliverable standards across all climate initiatives

Team Leadership & Mentorship:

• Direct and mentor a multidisciplinary field and technical team of ~8–10 people, including State Leads and Fellows operating across target implementation states.
• Foster a collaborative, growth-oriented environment across research, data science, technology, and policy team members.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• 5–8+ years of professional experience in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate finance, public policy, or sustainability ecosystem building.
• Proven experience in a leadership or senior-expert role, with demonstrated success managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong track record of high-level stakeholder engagement, including senior government departments, bilateral funding agencies, and academic/research institutions.
• Deep technical understanding of climate resilience frameworks, public data ecosystems, or climate policy in India.
• Excellent communication, proposal-writing, and strategic presentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex environmental data and policy objectives into actionable programs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Postgraduate degree (Master’s or Doctorate) in Public Policy, Climate & Sustainability Studies, Environmental Sciences, Disaster Risk Management, Development Studies, or related disciplines.