Job Description:
About The Convergence Foundation (TCF)
The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is a philanthropic foundation committed to accelerating Indias economic and developmental journey by fostering inclusive growth and co-creating high-impact non-profit institutions. Over the years, we have incubated and supported 17+ non-profits across three key areas:
- Direct Engines of Economic Growth: Labour-intensive manufacturing, ease of doing business, infrastructure policy, cities as engines of growth, tourism, and innovation and R&D.
- Human Capital Development: Early childhood education, improving learning outcomes in schools, labour mobility and overseas employment, and increasing women's workforce participation.
- Accelerating Development: Strengthening state capacity, promoting better philanthropic giving, and building non-profit capacity.
In the next few years, TCF plans to deepen its work on direct engines of economic growth as we believe this is the single most important priority for India. Currently, there is a gap in institutional capacity to support the government in propelling India to a developed country.
About the Project:
Urban infrastructure is a critical, yet under-leveraged lever for driving long-term economic growth in India. Despite its importance, there is limited clarity on how cities can be structured and supported to serve as engines of productivity, mobility, and opportunity. While many efforts exist at the project or policy level, systemic change interventions those that address underlying institutional, financial, and governance constraints are notably missing. This project aims to explore the intersection of urban development and economic growth, and assess whether there is a compelling case for deeper philanthropic or institutional intervention in this space.
Position Summary:
The role will support an in-depth, first-principles landscape study to understand the systemic constraints, opportunity areas, and potential white spaces within urban infrastructure and governance with a specific lens on their implications for India's economic trajectory.
Key Responsibilities
1. Deep Research
- Conduct secondary research across urban infrastructure domains including land use, mobility, governance, housing, and municipal finance with a focus on their economic impact.
- Study global and domestic models that link urban systems to economic performance.
- Track institutional, regulatory, and structural dynamics that shape infrastructure outcomes.
2. Knowledge Creation
- Go beyond summarizing literature; synthesize insights into clear, original frameworks.
- Develop hypotheses and analytical narratives that can inform strategic choices.
- Produce well-structured memos and presentations for internal use.
3. Identifying the Scope of Work
Map potential white spaces where philanthropic or institutional efforts could be catalytic.
Identify gaps in existing policy, implementation, or institutional capacity.
Help articulate whether there is a viable and strategic role to play in the urban infrastructure space.
4. Ability to Structure the Research
Bring clarity and structure to an open-ended research mandate.
Design workstreams, organize information, and iteratively refine focus areas.
Engage with internal team members and external domain experts to validate and stress-test findings.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Experience: 46 years of experience in urban policy, strategy, or research roles.
- Background: Strong preference for candidates with experience in urban-focused think tanks, consulting firms, or institutions such as WRI, CPR, IDFC Institute, or similar.
- Must-Have: Understanding of urban infrastructure and governance systems from a policy and economic development standpoint, not just sectoral or project implementation roles.
Skills & Attributes:
- Exceptional analytical thinking and synthesis capability
- Ability to structure ambiguous research mandates into clear pathways
- Experience with stakeholder mapping, institutional analysis, or strategy development
- Curiosity, intellectual rigor, and comfort with iterative work
Why This Role Matters
India's urban transformation will shape its economic future yet strategic, system-level approaches remain scarce. This role is an opportunity to help define whether and how a philanthropic platform can play a role in strengthening Indias urban infrastructure as a driver of growth, inclusion, and long-term competitiveness.