Designation : Program Director – Central Government Partnerships
Location: New Delhi
No. of Vacancies : 1
Role Overview:
The Program Director – Central Government Partnerships will be responsible for building and managing strategic relationships with government stakeholders and supporting the Foundation’s engagement with Central Ministries. The role will work closely with senior government officials, internal leadership and programme teams to identify opportunities for collaboration, strengthen institutional partnerships, and enable effective implementation of large-scale social impact programmes.
The role requires strong understanding of government systems, policy processes and programme implementation, along with the ability to operate effectively across multiple stakeholders and geographies.
The ideal candidate would be a strategic and relationship-oriented professional who can operate comfortably at both senior stakeholder and programme implementation levels. The candidate should be able to understand government priorities, build trust with senior stakeholders, translate strategic conversations into actionable programmes, and work collaboratively with internal teams to deliver sustained impact.
This role will be responsible for but not limited to the following:
Key Responsibilities:
1. Government Relations & Strategic Engagement
• Build and nurture strategic relationships with key stakeholders across Central and State Governments, including Ministries, Departments, Government institutions and senior officials.
• Represent Piramal Foundation in high-level government engagements, consultations, meetings and forums.
• Develop a strong understanding of government priorities, policies, programmes and emerging areas of collaboration.
• Facilitate senior-level engagement between government stakeholders and Piramal Foundation leadership.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that align government priorities with the Foundation’s programmes and institutional objectives.
2. Policy Engagement & Government Advisory
• Track and analyse relevant government policies, schemes, guidelines and regulatory developments.
• Support the Foundation’s engagement in policy discussions and consultations relevant to its thematic areas.
• Develop policy briefs, concept notes, presentations, briefing notes and other strategic documents for senior leadership and government stakeholders.
• Provide inputs to programme teams on government policy and institutional requirements.
• Facilitate consultations with policymakers, domain experts and ecosystem stakeholders.
3. Partnership Development & Institutional Collaboration
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with Ministries, State Governments, government institutions and other public-sector ecosystem stakeholders.
• Lead the partnership lifecycle from initial engagement and proposal development through approvals, agreements and implementation.
• Support development of MoUs, partnership frameworks, proposals and implementation plans.
• Build an ecosystem of relevant institutions, knowledge partners and implementation stakeholders to strengthen programme outcomes.
4. Programme Strategy & Implementation
• Work closely with programme leadership to translate government priorities into actionable programme strategies.
• Provide strategic oversight and support for large-scale government-led or government-partnered initiatives.
• Ensure effective coordination between government stakeholders and internal programme teams for smooth implementation.
• Monitor programme progress, identify implementation challenges and facilitate resolution through appropriate stakeholder engagement.
• Support development of annual plans, budgets, programme frameworks and implementation roadmaps.
5. Stakeholder Management & Governance
• Manage a complex stakeholder ecosystem involving government officials, programme teams, donors, knowledge partners and implementation agencies.
• Establish effective governance mechanisms for strategic partnerships and programmes.
• Facilitate regular reviews with government and internal stakeholders and ensure timely follow-up on agreed actions.
• Build consensus across diverse stakeholders and manage competing priorities in a collaborative manner.
6. Knowledge, Evidence & Thought Leadership
• Generate insights from programme implementation, government engagement and sector developments to inform organisational strategy.
• Support development of research studies, policy papers, knowledge products and evidence-based recommendations.
• Represent the Foundation in relevant conferences, consultations, workshops and sector forums.
• Contribute to thought leadership on issues relevant to the Foundation’s areas of work.
7. Team Leadership
• Lead and mentor teams working on government relations, partnerships and programme management.
• Build a culture of collaboration, accountability and learning within the team.
• Enable cross-functional teams to work effectively with government and external stakeholders.
• Provide strategic direction and support to team members in managing complex stakeholder engagements.
Key Competencies
• Strong understanding of Government systems, processes and policy ecosystem
• Strategic Government Relations and stakeholder management
• Policy analysis and advocacy
• Strategic partnership development
• Programme and portfolio management
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to engage with senior government officials
• Relationship building and influencing skills
• Cross-functional team leadership
• Problem-solving and systems thinking
• Strong execution and programme governance orientation
• Ability to work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
Desired Qualification:
• Postgraduate degree in Development Management, Public Policy, Management, Social Sciences, Education or a related discipline would be preferred.
• Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field along with substantial experience in Government Relations, Public Policy, Government Partnerships or Programme Management may also be considered.
• An additional qualification in Public Policy, Development Management, Governance or a related field would be an advantage.
Essential Experience:
• 12–15+ years of relevant professional experience in Government Relations, Government Partnerships, Public Policy, Programme Management, Development Sector or a related field.
• Experience of working closely with Central/State Government Ministries, Departments or government institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing large-scale government partnerships.
• Experience in policy engagement, government advisory, programme design and implementation.
• Experience managing multi-state or large-scale programmes and diverse stakeholder ecosystems.
• Experience of leading and mentoring cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of government policies, programmes and institutional processes.
Travel: Travel up to 30%.
Application process: Candidates interested in the role may apply with their updated resumes by filling out the application form here:
https://forms.gle/3bT4uAGt9MugQeBP7