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Job Description: Manager, Urban Leadership Program

 

Position	Manager, Urban Leadership Program
Experience	7 to 8  years
Reporting To	Director Programs, Praja Foundation
Location	Mumbai

 

About Praja

Over the past 25 years, Praja Foundation has worked to enable accountable governance.  We partnered with the Mumbai Corporation to develop its first Citizen Charter, revamping their Citizen Complaint Grievances Mechanism (CGM). Complaint number 1916 remains functional with some enhancements.

Praja conducted a study on urban governance reforms Study to assess the implementation of 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. This pioneering study, led to the development of the Urban Governance Index (UGI) with the goal of creating a network of key influencers, thought leaders and, local government bodies to democratize city governments and improve service delivery.

In 2024, Praja launched the Urban Governance Index 2.0, which maps and ranks the status of urban governance across 31 cities from 28 states, 2 Union Territories, and the NCT of Delhi. The data compiled by UGI is regularly used by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), NITI Aayog, and the National Institute of Urban Affairs for their policy work.

Over the years, Praja has established close collaborations with state governments to facilitate policy changes across four key reforms that aim to strengthen urban governance structures. These reforms will promote structured discussion and deliberation in council and committee meetings, enhance the deliberation and leadership skills of elected representatives, ensure adequate financial resources for efficient public service delivery, and empower citizens to participate actively in local decision-making processes.

 

About Praja’s Urban Leadership (UL) Program

As cities continue to expand and urban challenges become increasingly complex, the need for skilled and visionary leadership at the local level has never been greater. Praja’s Urban Leadership (UL) is a capacity-building initiative designed to enhance the knowledge, capabilities, and leadership skills of key urban stakeholders. These include elected representatives (mayors, deputy mayors, standing committee chairpersons, Mayor-In-Council members), municipal administrators, MLAs, and civic leaders from NGOs, academia, and the business sector.

UL focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of municipal laws, finance, urban planning, governance mechanisms, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Through immersive training, peer learning, and practical engagement, the program aims to empower leaders to drive innovative solutions and foster inclusive governance strategies for a better urban future.

 

The Role

This is a managerial position requiring expertise in conceptualizing, implementing, and scaling programs. The successful candidate will serve as a bridge between urban leaders and knowledge systems, enabling political and civic leaders across cities to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to address complex urban challenges and drive governance transformation.

Key responsibilities include developing program strategies, engaging stakeholders, designing curricula, and implementing capacity-building initiatives for a diverse group of urban leaders—including elected representatives, municipal officials, and civic leaders from NGOs and academia. The manager will oversee the execution of these programs to ensure they remain contextually relevant, impactful, and scalable, thereby fostering inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development.

Additionally, the individual will be responsible for creating a learning ecosystem that integrates policy literacy, practical urban problem-solving, leadership development, and peer-to-peer learning—ultimately strengthening urban democratic governance and institutional responsiveness.

This role also requires extensive and last minute travel across cities in India.

 

Main Responsibilities

Program Design and Strategy

• Lead the design and curriculum development of the Urban Leadership Program.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and stakeholders to tailor modules on urban governance, municipal finance, sustainability, and leadership.
• Ensure alignment of program objectives with real-world urban challenges and national/state urban policies.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with elected urban leaders, municipal officials, academic institutions, NGOs, and government bodies.
• Organise roundtables, consultations, and needs assessments with civic and political leaders to inform program content.

Program Implementation

• Oversee end-to-end planning and execution of training programs, workshops, exposure visits, and learning sessions.
• Ensure timely delivery of modules, manage trainer schedules, and handle logistics for events and sessions.
• Monitor participant engagement and satisfaction.

Capacity Building

• Facilitate leadership and skills development sessions as required.
• Identify and engage domain experts to support ongoing learning for participants.
• Support participants in developing leadership roadmaps and action plans.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop and implement tools to assess program outcomes, leadership development, and city-level impacts.
• Prepare periodic reports, success stories, and case studies to showcase program achievements.

Team and Budget Management

• Manage a small team of coordinators, interns, and consultants as needed.
• Track program budgets, ensure financial accountability, and support resource mobilisation efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Public Policy, Urban Planning, Development Studies, or equivalent disciplines.
• 7 - 8 years of full-time experience in urban development, capacity building, governance, or public policy.
• Strong understanding of urban local governance structures, municipal legislations, municipal finance, urban planning & development, and service delivery mechanisms in India.
• Ability to understand, read and interpret documents such as Municipal Corporation Act, Municipal Budgets.
• Prior experience of working with elected representatives, administration in the government would be an added advantage.
• Experience in end-to-end planning and execution of high-quality training programs, workshops, and stakeholder engagement events.
• Should be proficient in English and Hindi language in both written and oral communication.

Required Competencies

• Passion for working in urban development and driving change at the political leadership level. 
• Ability to adapt quickly to a dynamic work environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-building capabilities.
• Strategic thinking, intellectual curiosity and the ability to filter information and think critically about issues.
• Demonstrate high emotional intelligence, agility and resilience.

 

Kindly send your resume to hr@praja.org