Program Consultant

About the Organisation

Our partner organisation is an impact-driven, evidence-based nonprofit working to address environmental toxin-related health risks affecting vulnerable populations.

The organisation focuses on reducing exposure to harmful substances through:

• Policy and regulatory engagement
• Industry collaboration
• Technical assistance to governments
• Cross-sector partnerships

The organisation operates across multiple countries and works closely with government agencies, industry stakeholders, civil society, and research institutions to drive scalable and sustainable impact.

About the Role

The Program Consultant will lead and support a new environmental health pilot across various Indian states. You'll have real ownership over how the program takes shape. The role may include:

• engaging constructively with industry (including SME and informal manufacturers)
• collaborating with central and state governments to support prioritisation of the issue;
• providing technical assistance on regulatory implementation;
• conducting studies to generate country-specific data;
• leading public awareness and behaviour-change campaigns; and
• building partnerships with civil-society organisations.

This role requires a high-agency individual, comfortable operating in dynamic environments, managing diverse stakeholders, and balancing strategy with execution. This is ideal for someone who loves hands-on program work and building relationships, and who is excited to help design and test the best strategies for engaging manufacturers and government stakeholders, learning quickly from on-the-ground experience, adapting approaches, and feeding those insights into the organization's broader strategy on the pilot..

Key Responsibilities

Industry assistance

• Build relationships with key manufacturers, particularly those responsible for products containing toxic substances
• Make the case for toxin-removal and help manufacturers understand how the organization can support them practically
• Work to find solutions to manufacturers' requirements to help them reformulate products which contain high levels of toxins

Collaborating with government counterparts and providing technical assistance on the implementation of regulations.

• Engage with policy-makers across relevant ministries, agencies, and levels of government (central and state) and maintain regular communication.
• Prepare informational materials, technical briefs, and educational resources to support evidence-based decision-making
• Participate in government meetings and presenting at stakeholder workshops as a subject-matter contributor
• Coordinate project planning activities with government partners

Media campaigns and coalition building

• Develop and execute strategic media campaigns to highlight successes by government and encourage action by industry
• Potentially design consumer behavioural change interventions based on local cultural context
• Build coalitions with local NGOs, think tanks, academics, medical associations, and other civil society organisations

Strategy and planning

• Develop a program plan to achieve the organization's goals while considering stakeholders' requirements
• Use data to inform and refine program strategy
• Troubleshoot any program blockers and identify creative solutions
• Share learnings with the team and constantly improve our programs.

Candidate Profile

We don't expect candidates to tick every box – we're looking for people who are strong across most of these and exceptional in a few:

• Passion for the organization's mission and a strong commitment to achieving meaningful, scalable impact
• More than 5 years of relevant work experience
• Demonstrated ability to build trust with and persuade senior stakeholders in the private sector in India, ideally in contexts involving commercial trade-offs or behaviour change
• Experience working with or in government in India (central or state)
• Strong interpersonal skills – you're genuinely good at understanding where different stakeholders are coming from and finding paths to shared goals
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, including the ability to explain unfamiliar material clearly and persuasively
• Experience developing strategic plans and managing projects that align with organisational goals
• Strong analytical skills and ability to use data to evaluate progress and adapt program approaches
• Fluent in English and Hindi
• (Desirable, not essential) Experience working on media or public awareness campaigns

The kind of person who will thrive in this role:

• High-agency and entrepreneurial – you're comfortable taking initiative and don't need a detailed roadmap to get started
• A quick learner and creative problem-solver who stays solution-focused under pressure
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to prioritise effectively across a wide range of tasks
• Able to navigate resistance constructively - you listen well, build trust, and help stakeholders move toward meaningful changes even when they are difficult
• Willing to travel for at least 8-12 weeks per year

Originally posted on