Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi

Senior Programme Lead – Sustainable Food Systems

Terms of Reference

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don't stand for!) as an employer. We are proud to build careers in public policy and social impact.

- We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale
- We actively promote leadership by initiative
- We celebrate talent and ambition
- You will be surrounded by smart, ambitious people who will challenge you and help you grow
- You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations
- Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW
- You will get above-market remuneration
- We provide a safe space for all
- At CEEW, your life is your example for others

Designation offered: Senior Programme Lead – Sustainable Food Systems

We are hiring for two roles under this ToR: (A) Senior Programme Lead – Political Economy and (B) Senior Programme Lead – Private Sector Action. Candidates may be considered for either position based on fit.

Focus Area: Sustainable Food Systems

Location: New Delhi, India

Purpose

We seek to hire Senior Programme Leads to expand the Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme’s work on systems change in food systems reform, across two distinct but complementary levers – political economy and private sector action. Both positions will build and lead a team, advance the Council’s research, policy engagement, and impact, identify the team’s strengths and niche, and develop thought leadership.

Across both roles, we are looking for leaders who can connect the dots across sectors, are comfortable working with diverse stakeholders, and enjoy solving complex problems through a systems lens.

A. Senior Programme Lead – Political Economy

Purpose

Systems change in food systems reform is impeded by entrenched political economy dynamics. We are looking for a leader who can not only navigate this political economy, but also orchestrate difficult, real change – rewriting political economy equations and enabling systemic transformation.

They will build and lead a team working at the interface of political economy, public policy, and institutions, and will advance the Council’s research, policy engagement, and impact by helping the programme understand and navigate political economy while actively orchestrating systems-level change in India’s food systems.

Responsibilities and Duties:-

Strategy

- Co-evolve the strategy for the programme’s political economy work, building on existing in-house thinking, the political economy landscape across food systems reform, our skillset and niche, the evolving sectoral narrative, and emerging government priorities.
- Work closely with the team to bring alignment within the team on the strategy.
- Build a network of contacts across government, political leadership, and public institutions to create sustained pathways for policy and institutional change.
- Spearhead coalition building with public institutions, political leadership, and civil society partners, in coordination with internal project streams, creating a high-leverage venue for catalytic action on political economy transitions.
- Lead the thinking on how policy, institutions, and narratives shape decision-making in food systems; scope and develop new ideas and programmes to shift this political economy towards sustainability transitions.

Research
- Lead research and intelligence-gathering on the political economy of food systems reform, including the role of institutions, regulatory environments, incentives, and narratives in shaping decision-making.
- Develop intelligence and strategies to shape the political economy of food systems towards sustainability transitions, and identify levers and entry points for orchestrating change.
- Map stakeholders, interests, and power structures across government, political leadership, and public institutions relevant to food systems reform, ensuring alignment and collaborative execution.
- Lead research in the programme area as a principal investigator. Guide and provide relevant inputs to the wider research agenda.
- Assess and improve existing methodologies and frameworks employed by SFS relevant to political economy analysis,



and build institutional capacity on such methodologies.
- Keep a tab on policy and political developments in agriculture and food systems.
- Strong writing skills with the ability to write coherently and concisely: emails, opinion pieces, policy briefs, and reports

Leadership and Mentoring
- Take end-to-end ownership of the programme. Ideate new research concepts with team members, develop project proposals and budgets, build relationships with donors that align with the institution’s interests, secure resources for building and expanding the work programme, deliver high-quality, timely outputs, engage with sectoral stakeholders, strive for impact, and develop CEEW’s thought leadership.
- Build and lead your team. Hone the team members to the best of their abilities. Stretch and strive and set leadership by initiative.
- Lead the strategic outreach of the programme. Lead external meetings, conferences, and seminars with government, political leadership, and public institutions, and be the face of CEEW in your programme area, while also creating platforms for your team for public engagement. Strategise the communication and outreach of research outputs along with the outreach team. Build strong relationships based on trust and credibility with key policymakers, political leadership, and sector stakeholders.

Selection Criteria and Key Skills:- Education: PhD or Master’s degree in public policy/political science/international relations/agriculture/rural development/food systems/public affairs/mass communication/journalism or any other relevant field relevant to food systems transformation.

Professional experience: At least 10 years of relevant experience in undertaking and leading research, policy engagement, and project management, in one or more of the following areas. Candidates who have prior experience in the following fields will be given a strong preference:

- Political economy and public policy
- Working in or with governments, political leadership, or public institutions
- Agriculture, rural development, or food systems
- Public affairs, strategic communications, or journalism, with an understanding of how policy, institutions, and narratives shape decision-making
- Ability to navigate diverse stakeholders and strategise systems-level change
- Proven track record in building relationships and coalitions with government, political leadership, and public institutions
- Experience in designing and leading interdisciplinary and inter-programmatic work
- Strong track record of team management and project management, including timely delivery of outputs
- Have demonstrated thought leadership in the areas relevant to the ToR

B. Senior Programme Lead – Private Sector Action

Purpose

Private-sector procurement shapes demand from farmers and represents a significant portion of overall demand; it also shapes the aspirations and choices of Indian consumers through marketing strategies and product portfolios implemented at scale. The food and beverage (F&B;) sector therefore has an important role to play in food systems transformation. Collective public commitment and action by the private sector – towards sustainable sourcing, sustainably produced food, responsible and nutritious product design, and responsible marketing – is an essential lever of food systems transformation.

We are looking for a leader who can orchestrate public commitment and action by the private sector towards this transformation. They will build and lead a team, advance the Council’s research, policy engagement, and impact, and develop thought leadership on private sector action in food systems.

Responsibilities and Duties:-

Strategy

- Co-evolve the strategy for the programme’s private sector engagement work, building on existing in-house thinking, assessment of private sector action across the food and agriculture sector, our skillset niche, evolving sectoral narrative, and emerging industry priorities.




- Work closely with the team to bring alignment within the team on the strategy.
- Build a network of private sector partners – including CXOs, senior leadership, and industry coalitions such as CII and FICCI – to secure sustained public commitment and action.
- Spearhead private sector coalition building in collaboration with external partners, in coordination with internal project streams, creating a high-leverage venue for catalytic action on private sector-led transitions to sustainable food systems.
- Lead the thinking on consumption-side shifts, including how private sector marketing strategies and product portfolios shape the aspirations and choices of Indian consumers; scope and develop new ideas and programmes to catalyse consumption-side transitions.

Research
- Map the intent, willingness, and capacity of private sector players to transition to sustainable sourcing and nutrition, and identify levers for action and public commitments.
- Lead research on private sector procurement models, responsible and nutritious product design, and marketing strategies, and their influence on farmer-level demand and consumer choice.
- Lead stakeholder management with private sector players across the value chain – FMCG companies, agri-business, private sector retail, and industry coalitions – ensuring alignment and collaborative execution.
- Lead research in the programme area as a principal investigator. Guide and provide relevant inputs to the wider research agenda.
- Assess and improve existing methodologies and frameworks employed by SFS relevant to private sector engagement, and build institutional capacity on such methodologies.
- Keep a tab on policy, market, and industry developments relevant to sustainable sourcing, responsible marketing, and food systems.
- Strong writing skills with the ability to write coherently and concisely: emails, opinion pieces, policy briefs, and reports

Leadership and Mentoring
- Take end-to-end ownership of the programme. Ideate new research concepts with team members, develop project proposals and budgets, build relationships with donors and private sector partners that align with the institution’s interests, secure resources for building and expanding the work programme, deliver high-quality, timely outputs, engage with sectoral stakeholders, strive for impact, and develop CEEW’s thought leadership.
- Build and lead your team. Hone the team members to the best of their abilities. Stretch and strive and set leadership by example.
- Lead the strategic outreach of the programme. Lead external meetings, conferences, and seminars with CXOs, senior private sector leadership, and industry coalitions, and be the face of CEEW in your programme area, while also creating platforms for your team for public engagement. Strategise the communication and outreach of research outputs along with the outreach team. Build strong relationships based on trust and credibility with private sector leaders and sector stakeholders.

Selection Criteria and Key Skills:- Education: MBA/PhD/Master’s degree in business administration/management/agriculture/food systems/marketing or any other relevant field relevant to food systems transformation.

Professional experience: At least 10 years of relevant experience in one or more of the following areas. Candidates who have prior experience in the following fields will be given a robust preference:

- Sustainability, agri-business, FMCG, or private sector retail
- Corporate strategy, partnerships, corporate procurement, corporate sustainability, or business development
- Branding, consumer insights, or market transformation
- Experience working with CXOs and senior leadership, or closely with them
- Experience working within private sector coalitions such as CII/FICCI
- Experience in building multi-functional and cross-functional partnerships
- Ability to build partnerships across industry, and think strategically about scaling impact
- Strong track record of team management and project management, including timely delivery of outputs
- Have demonstrated thought leadership in the areas relevant to the ToR

Compensation Competitive compensation – commensurate with experience and matching the best standards adopted by industry or other organisations for similar roles.

📌 Senior Programme Lead- Sustainable Food Systems (New Delhi)
🏢 Council On Energy Environment And Water
📍 New Delhi