Strategy Lead - The Urban Climate Resilience Program

About the Organization:

Our Client is an independent Indian philanthropy committed to building a just, inclusive, and climate-resilient future. Rooted in the values of their founder, their mission is to support organizations and innovations that uplift vulnerable communities and improve quality of life. As they deepen their commitment to climate action, they are investing in urban climate resilience, with a particular focus on building adaptive capacity in heat-stressed cities.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a seasoned professional to lead the strategic direction of their urban climate resilience efforts, with Extreme Heat as the anchoring focus area, followed by Solid Waste Management. This role will drive the overall systems strategy, link cross-cutting sectors (e.g. wet waste, water/wastewater), and shape a scalable vision that influences both philanthropy and government action.

This is a high-accountability role for someone with strong climate systems thinking, program design experience, and the ability to build cross-sector collaborations that shift the narrative and unlock catalytic impact.

• Strategy & Design

  • Lead strategic direction for their urban resilience portfolio, using Heat as a focal entry point.

  • Integrate interlinked sectors like wet waste, water/wastewater and public health into a cohesive urban climate strategy.

  • Create pathways for scale, including collaborations with government, philanthropy, and technical partners.

  • Identify future focus areas, innovation opportunities, and white spaces for impact.

• Ecosystem Influence & Partnerships

  • Represent the organization in key state/national/international forums on heat and urban resilience.

  • Forge partnerships with government agencies, urban think tanks, and peer funders.

  • Build the Foundations leadership and influence on urban heat and climate-health linkages.

• Internal Alignment

  • Work closely with the Implementation team to ensure program design translates effectively into field execution and budget allocations.

  • Support leadership in refining their theory of change, metrics, and cross-sector collaboration architecture.

  • Liaise with communications to articulate our strategic narrative.

• Research & Policy Linkages

  • Track global and national developments in urban resilience policy and research.

  • Translate insights into actionable strategy and philanthropic investments.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Personal Attributes:

  • Deep commitment to equity and climate justice.

  • Values-driven, collaborative, and responsive

  • Comfort with ambiguity and eagerness to learn.

  • Strong interpersonal skills, humility, and the ability to work across stakeholders.

  • Flexibility to adapt to changing project demands and dynamic urban conditions

  • Willingness to be hands on for the project execution and close attention to detail

  • Ability to travel and spend time at the project sites, partner / dissemination events, etc.

• Qualifications:

  • Masters Degree or higher: Development Studies, Urban Planning, Public Policy,

  • Environmental Science, Sustainable Development, Urban Studies, or a related field.

  • Additional certifications: Specialized training or certifications in urban climate resilience, sustainable urban development, project management (e.g., PMP) or related areas are advantageous.

  • 10-12 years of experience in urban resilience, disaster management, or heat/ adaptation programs.

  • Experience working with municipal governments, urban planners, NGOs, etc and managing multi-stakeholder partnerships.

  • Experience of designing and building programmes from idea stage to scale is preferred

  • Fluency in English and Hindi.

• Relevant Job Skills:

  • Ability to think and ideate, understand inter-sectionalities within the initiative.

  • Strong analytical skills to look at relevant data impacting urban climate and identify evidence-based solutions tailored to cities.

  • Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with municipal authorities, urban communities and partners

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills