Senior Programme Associate – Climate Policy & Advocacy (Assam)

About the programme

The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) is supporting the Government of Assam to operationalise the Assam Climate Roadmap 2055. The Policy Operationalisation Programme translates the roadmap’s sectoral recommendations into adopted policies, regulations and institutional reforms -working through various government line departments, and the offices of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

The Senior Programme Associate will be a central member of the Climate team, driving the engagement, analysis and convening that move reforms from recommendation to adoption.

About iFOREST

The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) is an independent, not-for-profit research and innovation organisation working to accelerate sustainable development and climate action in India and other developing regions. iFOREST combines research, policy advisory, stakeholder engagement, and implementation support to help governments and industries address critical environment-development challenges. A key focus of iFOREST’s work is supporting subnational climate action through long-term partnerships with state governments, enabling the translation of climate and sustainability goals into actionable policies, programmes, and investments.

Purpose of the role

To lead day-to-day policy advocacy and government engagement for the programme -analysing policy gaps, drafting policy briefs and reform packages, organising departmental consultations and closed-door roundtables, building reform coalitions, and shepherding priority reforms toward formal adoption across the roadmap’s sectors.

Position -Senior Programme Associate -Climate Policy & Advocacy

Location -Guwahati, Assam (with travel within the state and occasional travel within India)

Reports to -Regional Director -Assam

Duration -Two years (renewable, subject to performance and funding)

Team -Works within the climate team but also cross-functionally with clean-energy, industries and air pollution teams

Key responsibilities

Policy analysis and development

• Analyse existing state policies and instruments, identify and prioritise reform gaps, and frame each as an actionable policy unit (objective, instrument, owner).
• Draft high-quality policy briefs, reform notes, strategy packages and institutional roadmaps for priority sectors.
• Track the live status of state policies, rules, notifications and schemes, and maintain the programme’s policy-and-instrument knowledge base.

Government and stakeholder engagement

• Build and maintain working relationships with line departments, regulators and the CMO/CS offices.
• Prepare briefing material, talking points and follow-up notes for senior engagements and bilateral meetings.
• Conduct institutional and stakeholder mapping for each reform and maintain engagement plans.

Convening and advocacy

• Organise and facilitate sectoral technical working groups, workshops, closed-door reform roundtables, and the annual Assam Climate Roadmap Conference.
• Build and sustain reform coalitions across government, industry, civil society and development partners.

Knowledge, communications and reporting

• Produce knowledge products, presentations and case studies; contribute to the programme’s communications.
• Support donor reporting and consortium coordination, including progress tracking against the results framework.

Key deliverables

• Sectoral policy briefs and co-developed reform/strategy packages for assigned sectors.
• Stakeholder maps and engagement plans; meeting briefs and follow-up records.
• Well-run working groups, roundtables and at least one annual conference per year.

Qualifications and experience

• Education. A postgraduate degree in public policy, economics, law, environmental policy, climate, development studies, or a related field.
• Experience. At least 8–10 years in policy analysis, government advisory, climate/energy policy, or development programmes, including demonstrable experience engaging government stakeholders.
• Domain. Familiarity with climate, energy, or environmental policy; understanding of Indian -and ideally Assam / North-East -governance and the state policy-making process and actors is a strong advantage.

Skills and competencies

• Excellent policy analysis and writing – able to turn complex evidence into crisp briefs and reform packages.
• Strong stakeholder management and the maturity to engage senior government officials credibly.
• Facilitation and convening skills for workshops and high-level roundtables.
• Self-direction, organisation, and the ability to manage multiple sectoral threads at once.
• Proficiency in English; working knowledge of Assamese and Hindi is highly desirable.

What We Offer

At iFOREST, we provide an inclusive and supportive work environment and are committed to professional development through continuous learning, training, and leadership opportunities.

• Opportunity to shape and drive one of India’s most ambitious state-level sustainability and climate action portfolios.
• Direct engagement with senior policymakers, industry leaders, and development partners.
• Leadership role in a fast-growing and mission-driven organisation.
• Exposure to cutting-edge work across energy transition, industrial decarbonisation, climate resilience, just transition, and sustainable development.
• Competitive compensation aligned with experience and organisational norms.

Remuneration

We offer a competitive compensation package commensurate with qualifications, experience, and leadership responsibilities. The final designation and compensation will be based on the profile of the selected candidate.

Application Instructions

• We prefer that candidates apply from LinkedIn or submit online applications at https://iforest.global/careers/. If you encounter any issues, you may send your application to [email protected]. Please mention reference code (SPA/AS-04-06/26) in the subject line.
• Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.