Location: Okhla, New Delhi

Department: Isaac Centre for Public Policy (ICPP), Ashoka University – States, Cities and Digital Government Programme

Reports To: Director, ICPP

Role Type: Full time, Contractual, Renewable · On-site

Experience: 6 - 12 years

ABOUT THE ROLE The Programme Lead will run the day-to-day delivery of ICPP’s States, Cities and Digital Government Programme, working with the Senior Visiting Fellow, faculty co-lead, research associate, consultants and external partners. The role combines policy delivery, programme management and technical literacy, with responsibility for turning research into high-quality policy outputs. In the first six months, success will mean reliable delivery against plan, advancing state partnerships and convenings, and publishable programme outputs.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own the programme’s delivery calendar, flagship annual report, working papers and policy briefs from commissioning through to publication and dissemination.
- Design and run the mid-career practitioners’ roundtable and subsequent convenings end to end, from participant curation to published output.
- Build and manage state-government partnerships at the operational level, including scheduling, data-sharing agreements, workshop logistics and follow-through on commitments.
- Manage the research associate and any consultants or fellows by scoping technical work, supervising delivery and quality-checking outputs before publication.
- Maintain working-level relationships with partner institutions, including state administrative training institutes and research partners.
- Track budgets, deliverables and programme performance against plan, and prepare periodic reporting for ICPP.
- Draft and edit programme outputs to a publishable standard, commissioning specialist input where needed.

ABOUT ISAAC CENTRE FOR PUBLIC POLICY (ICPP)

Supported by a generous endowment and building on Ashoka University’s esteemed reputation, the Isaac Centre for Public Policy (ICPP) aspires to become India’s premier public policy centre, dedicated to generating ground-breaking ideas and research on key public policy issues. The ICPP is committed to fostering accelerated, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in India. ICPP believes that transformative economic policies cannot simply be transplanted from other contexts; they require careful, strategic efforts tailored to the unique challenges and conditions in India.

ICPP’s current research verticals include Macroeconomics, International Trade, Agriculture and Rural Economy, Employment and Labour, Financial Markets and Public Policy, Tax Policy and Indian Regulators.

Check out the ICPP Website to know more: https://icpp.ashoka.edu.in/





WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Qualifications

- 6 - 12 years of experience in public policy, development, research management, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated ability to build and manage working relationships with senior officials in state and national government on urban development, city and municipal, land, and digital or geospatial issues; existing relationships across relevant government institutions are an advantage
- Demonstrated ability to run a programme or substantial workstream independently, to deadline and with minimal supervision.
- Strong policy-writing and editing ability, with the ability to translate technical analysis into working papers, model procurement clauses and briefings for officials.
- Technical literacy sufficient to assess data analysis, evaluate whether methods fit the policy question, assess the suitability of spatial or administrative datasets, and interrogate technical or vendor performance claims.
- Working familiarity with geospatial data and GIS concepts, sufficient to scope parcel-level or service-mapping tasks, brief and supervise research associates, and sense-check outputs.
- Working command of the programme’s subject matter, including government procurement and governance of algorithmic and digital systems, municipal finance and property-tax data, and the distinction between delivery of a system and its effective functioning.
- Experience operating credibly across academic, technical and government settings, including with senior government officials.

Who You Are

- You take ownership of delivery and build systems that keep the programme running to a high standard without depending on any one individual.
- You build trust quickly with government, academic and research stakeholders and understand how to sustain working relationships across institutional settings.
- You hold outputs to a high standard and remain focused on whether policy interventions work in practice, not only whether they are delivered.
- You are intellectually curious about subnational governance, state capability, and digital and AI systems in the public sector.
- You bring sound judgement to ambiguous, multi-stakeholder work, balancing strategic priorities with the operational follow-through needed to turn ideas into credible policy outputs.

APPLICATION PROCESS





Please submit your application through the portal below. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early applications are encouraged. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview and technical assessment.

Please submit the following documents through the portal:

-Resume

-Cover letter

Application Deadline: Please submit your application by 12 October 2026. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

We look forward to receiving your application.

ABOUT ASHOKA UNIVERSITY

Ashoka University is India's premier interdisciplinary higher education and research-focused institution, offering world-class opportunities in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Established in 2014 by leaders, thinkers, academics, and philanthropists from diverse fields, it operates on a unique model of collective philanthropy, integrating exemplary governance standards with cutting-edge pedagogy and a faculty body of international acclaim.

Today, the University has a community of 3000+ students and operates seven Schools imparting industry-oriented education, professional skills, and values-based learning to prepare students for global careers. The University espouses principles of inclusivity and diversity, having more than 57% women, 4% international scholars, 100+ students with disabilities, and over 47% students on scholarships. Since its inception, Rs 723 crores have been awarded in scholarships with over 2,000 students receiving full-tuition fee waivers cumulatively and 5400+ students being supported through scholarships.

In addition, nearly 5500 of Ashoka's alumni are pursuing careers of their choice in reputed organisations and leading universities across the world.

Ashoka University continues to reaffirm its commitment to building an inclusive institution of excellence in teaching and research, nurturing responsible leaders for India and the world. In 2025, Ashoka University was honoured with the 'University of the Year (Emerging)' award at the 20th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2025 - one of India's notable industry platforms celebrating excellence in academia and innovation. The University also secured the first position in the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) 2025 in two prestigious categories.

The Ashoka advantage will continue to equip its students with the skills to see the big picture - to critically analyse, question, interpret, craft compelling arguments, and find sustainable solutions. It is a collective effort towards nation-building. This is where tomorrow's leaders are born.

Check out the Ashoka Website to know more : https://www.ashoka.edu.in/

📌 Programme Lead - Isaac Centre for Public Policy (Delhi)
🏢 Global MBA Programs With ACCA u0026 CIMA Coaching
📍 Delhi