Policy Lead

Position: Policy Lead

Location: New Delhi

Level: Senior Program Manager (SPM)

About The Udaiti Foundation

The Udaiti Foundation is a Delhi-based not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate Womens Workforce Participation in the formal economy in India. Udaiti Foundation is part of the ecosystem of organizations under The Convergence Foundation (TCF). Udaiti works on systems-level change combining data and evidence with institutional engagement to drive scalable and sustainable impact for unlocking the full economic potential of women, thereby advancing Indias vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Over the past decade, India has made significant strides towards increasing opportunities for education, with gross enrolment ratios in many streams having already reached parity. However, the educational gains have not translated into more women working in the formal economy, thus keeping the participation stagnant at 18% of the past five years. Udaiti is working with the government, industry and the ecosystem to shift this reality through the following core pillars:

• Shaping access to quality jobs in the private sector
• Strengthening the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs to become job creators
• Strengthening critical infrastructure enablers such as housing, mobility, and childcare

Position Summary

Womens economic empowerment depends on policies and programs spread across many Ministries, and is held back by constraints in markets, institutions and social norms. The Policy Leads role is to bring these together across Central and State governments to drive change at scale.

We are seeking an exceptional Policy Lead to join Udaiti Foundation at a pivotal moment, as Indias womens workforce participation agenda gains national momentum.

This is a high-impact, entrepreneurial role, offering the opportunity to work closely with senior government stakeholders, policymakers, and gender policy experts, alongside Udaitis program teams, to move proven models from pilots and evidence into durable state policy, scheme design, and monitoring systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Policy Landscape Insight Generation: Develop a deep, evolving understanding of Indias Womens Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy landscape, and identify high-leverage policy mandates that can improve womens economic participation at scale.
• Policy Strategy Prioritisation: Define Udaitis policy priorities across jobs, enterprise, and enabling infrastructure, and identify the specific reforms Udaiti will push for.
• Trend Monitoring Solutioning: Track changes in the political, social, and technological landscape that could impact WEE policy, and translate these shifts into forward-looking policy solutions.
• Government Ecosystem Relationship-Building: Map and build relationships with key government stakeholders and gender policy experts to shape and advance policy mandates that improve womens economic participation.
• Program-Policy Integration: Partner with program teams to build policy pathways into the design of new programs across verticals, ensuring policy and programmatic work reinforce each other.
• Institutionalising Proven Models: Move proven program models into state policy, scheme guidelines, gender budgets, and monitoring systems, translating evidence into lasting institutional change.
• Knowledge Development Policy Communications: Develop policy briefs, position papers, and evidence-based reports that build the case for reform among government and ecosystem stakeholders and represent Udaitis policy positions in external forums.

Required Qualification, Skills Abilities

• Masters degree (or higher) from a Tier-1 institute in Public Policy, Economics, Political Science, Development Studies, or a related field.
• 10-12 years of experience in public policy, with a strong, demonstrated track record of working closely with government - at the central and/or state level - on policy design, advocacy, or implementation.
• Strong understanding of Indias policymaking processes at the central and/or state level, including scheme design, gender budgeting, and monitoring frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with senior government officials and policy stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to distill complex policy landscapes into clear, actionable priorities.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, including the ability to develop policy briefs, position papers, and presentations for varied audiences.
• Ability to work independently in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments, balancing long-term policy strategy with near-term execution.
• Entrepreneurial, self-starter mindset with a strong sense of ownership.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on a bold national agenda to advance womens economic empowerment.
• Opportunity to work with senior government stakeholders, policymakers, and gender policy experts shaping Indias WEE agenda.
• Exposure to high-impact policy research, program design, and systems change strategies.
• A dynamic and collaborative team environment with mentorship from sector leaders.
• Professional growth and learning opportunities across Udaitis partner and foundation network.

Remuneration

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and commensurate with experience.

Disclaimer: This job posting has been aggregated from external source. Role details, content, and availability are subject to change. Applicants are advised to confirm the latest information directly on the company website before applying.