Director- Public Policy & Government Engagement

Pahlé India Foundation (PIF); Mumbai; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Pahle India Foundation (PIF) in Mumbai seeks a senior professional to lead public policy and government engagement from its Mumbai office. The role focuses on building relationships with Maharashtra government entities and translating research into policy outcomes and mandates.

The candidate should have deep knowledge of Maharashtra's governance, a strong senior government network, and fluency in Marathi, with 20+ years of experience preferred. This is a senior stakeholder-facing role in Mumbai.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Economics, Political Science, Public Administration, Law or related field.
• 15–20 years of relevant work in public policy or government relations, including ≥10 years in a senior leadership role.
• At least 8–10 years of direct engagement with state government departments, preferably Maharashtra.

Responsibilities

• Government Engagement & Stakeholder Management: build relationships with Ministers, bureaucrats, and local bodies.
• Policy Research & Advisory: identify state priorities and develop policy papers and roadmaps.
• Partnerships & Mandate Development: create government mandates, MoUs, and partnerships in Maharashtra.
• Thought Leadership & Outreach: convene roundtables and engage with media on state policy issues.

Skills

Marathi fluency

English proficiency

Public policy

Governance knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree in Public Policy / related field

Job description

Pahle India Foundation (PIF) is looking for a senior professional with 20+ years of experience to lead its public policy and government engagement work from our Mumbai office. This is a senior, stakeholder-facing role responsible for building PIF's relationships with the Government of Maharashtra, urban local bodies and Mumbai's wider policy ecosystem, and for translating PIF's research into policy outcomes and government mandates in the state.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience of Maharashtra's governance and policy processes, a strong network at senior levels of government, and fluency in Marathi.

Key Responsibilities

Government Engagement & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain working relationships with Ministers, senior bureaucrats and departmental secretaries in the Government of Maharashtra, BMC and other urban local bodies.
• Represent PIF in government meetings, consultations, committees and task forces.
• Track the state's policy, budget and legislative developments and brief PIF leadership on opportunities and risks.

Policy Research & Advisory

• Identify state-level policy priorities where PIF's research can add value, and shape them into research and advisory proposals.
• Lead policy papers, briefs, submissions and implementation roadmaps for state departments.
• Translate research findings into concise, actionable recommendations for decision-makers.

Partnerships & Mandate Development

• Develop a pipeline of government mandates, MoUs and knowledge partnerships in Maharashtra and western India.
• Prepare proposals, concept notes and budgets in coordination with PIF verticals and Finance.
• Build partnerships with industry bodies, academic institutions, multilaterals and civil society organisations based in Mumbai.

Thought Leadership & Outreach

• Convene roundtables, policy dialogues and conferences in Mumbai, in collaboration with the Communications & Partnerships team.
• Represent PIF at external forums and engage with media on state policy issues.

Candidate Profile

Education & Experience

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Economics, Political Science, Public Administration, Law or a related field; a PhD or published body of policy work is desirable.
• 15-20 years of relevant work experience in public policy, government relations, policy advisory or development consulting, including at least 10 years in a senior leadership role.
• At least 8-10 years of direct engagement with state government departments, preferably the Government of Maharashtra.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong spoken and written proficiency in Marathi is strongly preferred, alongside excellent English and working Hindi.
• Deep understanding of Maharashtra's governance structures, policy-making processes and political economy.
• An established network across Mantralaya, state departments, urban local bodies and Mumbai's policy ecosystem.
• Demonstrated record of influencing policy decisions or securing government mandates.
• Excellent written communication; able to produce crisp policy briefs and proposals for senior decision-makers.