About the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

Established in 1976, NIUA, is a premier Institute of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India for research and capacity building for urban sector in India. NIUA’s broad objective is to bridge the gap between research and practice on issues related to urbanization. For more than 40 years now, NIUA has been the vanguard for contributing to and building the urban narrative for a fast-evolving Urban India. The Institution has been actively working on bringing forth key areas of concern for urban India in order to build the urban discourse at various urban scales. It has utilized its competencies in research, knowledge management, policy advocacy and capacity building to address urban challenges and continuously striving to develop sustainable, inclusive, and productive urban ecosystems in the country. It has emerged as a thought leader and knowledge hub for urban development in India and is sought out by both Indian and International organizations for collaborations and partnerships in India’s urban transforming journey. NIUA is committed towards aligning its efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through all its initiatives and programs.

About NIUA’s Water and Environment Vertical

The Water and Environment vertical at NIUA focuses on creating frameworks, mechanisms, and pathways that enable Indian cities to manage their water and environmental sectors sustainably. Aligned with India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, our efforts are geared towards driving tangible, on-ground change. We collaborate with the Ministry to implement various national Urban Missions and initiatives that impact urban water and environmental management. Additionally, we partner with a wide array of national and international resource organizations with similar goals and mandates.

Our work in urban water and environmental management typically includes:

• Developing national-level strategic frameworks, guidance documents, and advisories to facilitate actionable outcomes across all cities.

• Creating digital tools and instruments to help cities advance their capabilities.

• Conducting action-oriented research on emerging, underexplored topics.

• Supporting the piloting of innovative concepts and technologies through demonstration projects.

• Designing specialized capacity-building modules and certification programs.

About the Project

Strengthening the River Cities Alliance (Code: RCA 2.0): The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and NIUA established the River Cities Alliance (RCA) with a vision to promote long-term conservation and rejuvenation of urban rivers. RCA provides a platform for river cities in India to gain, share, and exchange knowledge on implementing different aspects of managing urban rivers. It was launched on 25 November 2021 by the Hon’ble Minister for Jal Shakti, Government of India. In addition to a serving as a knowledge exchange platform, RCA also provides NMCG and NIUA a unique cohort of cities to mentor and handhold so that they can serve as model cities for urban river management. NIUA serves as the Secretariat for RCA and organises five categories of activities for the RCA members—Capacity building of member cities; Networking events for exchange of knowledge among member cities; Demand-driven technical support for member cities; Expanding the knowledge base on different aspects of urban river management; and Documenting and disseminating good practices of member cities within the network and beyond.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Lead technical assistance to RCA members on aspects related to environmental management vis-à-vis urban rivers.
2. Lead the technical work related to objectives 2, 3, and 4 of the URMP framework—pollution control, rejuvenating water bodies and wetlands, and enhancing the riparian buffer.
3. Work closely with other senior specialists to design and carry out periodic technical needs assessments in RCA cities
4. Work closely with other senior specialists to co-lead the preparation of various research and knowledge products
5. Work closely with other senior specialists to co-lead the development of new tools, frameworks, toolkits, knowledge products, capacity building modules on demand-driven topics.
6. Work closely with other senior specialists to co-lead the organization of capacity building programmes for RCA officials.
7. Carry out any other tasks assigned by the National Programme Coordinator

Education Qualifications & Experience

1. Masters/PhD in Environmental Planning/ Environmental Engineering/Environmental Science or a related discipline.
2. 7–10 years of experience in the environment sector
3. Experience in providing technical assistance in urban environmental management, in particular for rivers, water bodies, wetlands, forests, biodiversity, and other related areas.
4. Experience in designing and implementing capacity building programmes for government officials related to the environment sector
5. Experience in carrying out action research projects in the environment sector
6. Demonstrated ability to produce high quality research products for the environment sector
7. Excellent writing and communication skills in English. Preference will be given to candidates with oral and written communication skills in Hindi and other regional languages as well.
8. Strong inter personnel and co-ordination skills, working independently, and flexibly.
9. Willingness to travel to the project locations across India as required.

Application Process –

• Interested candidates are required to submit a detailed CV that highlights relevant experience via the NIUA portal. The application deadline is 28 August 2025.
• Because of the urgency of the assignment, applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis and interviews conducted periodically.
• Candidates are encouraged to provide at least two professional references to verify their professional credentials.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. Shortlisted candidates may choose to attend the interview online. A link for the interview will be provided by the recruitment team in advance.
• If necessary, the selection committee may invite candidates for a second round of in-person interviews.
• No TA/DA will be provided for attending the interview.