Senior Fellow – India Urbanization

Job Summary

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity.

The Chair in India and Emerging Asia Economics (India Chair) serves as CSIS's focal point for policy-relevant work on India. As India undergoes rapid and uneven urbanization, the Chair seeks to launch a dedicated urbanization and urban governance workstream.

CSIS seeks a senior, part-time leader to design, build, and lead this workstream. This is a temporary role with the potential for extension, contingent on performance and the successful development of a sustainable fundraising pipeline.

• Design and lead a new India urbanization and urban governance policy workstream.
• Identify priority policy themes, including urban planning, municipal governance, infrastructure, municipal finance, and center-state-city coordination.
• Translate urban challenges into clear policy frameworks and actionable recommendations.

• Produce and guide policy-relevant outputs (commentaries, briefs, memos) emphasizing actionable recommendations.
• Engage senior stakeholders across U.S., Indian, and partner-country governments, the private sector, and civil society.
• Organize events to elevate key policy issues.
• Represent CSIS and the India Chair in high-level meetings and workshops.

• Identify and cultivate partnerships with key potential donors (foundations, high-net-worth individuals, companies).
• Establish a pipeline of funded projects to sustain and grow the workstream.
• Prepare and pitch proposals that comply with CSIS project standards.

• Cultivate partnerships with Indian urban institutions, reform-minded city leaders, development banks, and practitioners.
• Position CSIS as a trusted platform for linking Indian urban reform priorities with global best practices and financing.

• Approximately 10+ years of professional experience in urban planning, urban policy, development, governance, or a related field.
• Demonstrated understanding of Indian urban governance structures and challenges.
• Ability to connect technical urban issues to policy and political economy realities.
• Proven ability to engage senior policymakers, practitioners, and funders.
• Comfort working independently and setting strategic direction in a part-time role.
• Proven network in India with policymakers, foundations, and companies.
• Ability to work at CSIS HQ for 14 hours per week.

• Direct professional experience working in or with Indian cities or state governments.
• Direct experience with successful fundraising for a nonprofit.
• Familiarity with India's major urban reform initiatives and financing mechanisms.
• Experience working with multilateral development banks, donors, or private-sector infrastructure actors.
• Prior experience in a think tank, government, international organization, or policy-facing advisory role.

• Occasional travel (domestic and international, including to India) may be required.
• CSIS operates on a hybrid work model, with in-office collaboration expected.
• The role is a part-time term appointment with an hourly rate of $.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Equal Opportunity Employer.