National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
About the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA):
Established in 1976, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is a premier institute of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, for research and capacity building for the 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 Institute 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 after 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 programmes.
Responsibilities:
- Plan, develop, and provide expert guidance on all aspects of coordinated non-sewered wastewater collection, transportation, and safe disposal;
- Organise and manage geographical grouping of habitations across the country into integrated urban-rural clusters, for efficient sharing of desludging services; ∙ Organise an inventory of desludging resources available in each geographical cluster across India such as a directory of private sanitation service operators, details of septic tank management equipment available with cities and villages, etc; ∙ Create a database of authorized septage/sludge receptacles in each geographical cluster- to include STPs/FSTPs/designated pumphouse/manholes along the trunk sewer;
- Map and analyze the flow of desludging operations at the city level and villages, identifying key stakeholders and their roles;
- Create SOPs for the methodology/mechanism of ground-level response for each cluster;
- Stay abreast of cutting-edge technologies and advancements in the sanitation field, identifying opportunities for improvement and application within the project;
- Identify opportunities for cost optimization and resource allocation within the project;
- Analyze data on operations and impact to track progress, identify trends, and measure effectiveness;
- Prepare reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders, presenting key findings and recommendations;
- Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks for improved performance of the project;
- Oversee the project from inception to completion, ensuring adherence to timelines and quality standards.
Skills, Qualifications, and Experience:
- Bachelor in Civil Engineering or closely related field is mandatory.
- Master’s in Business Administration is desirable/ preferred.
- Master in Civil Engineering/sanitation engineering, environmental engineering/environmental management is desirable/ preferred.
- At least 15 year’s proven experience in managing wastewater, with a strong focus on domestic sanitation and desludging services in the Indian context. Familiarity with the specific challenges and opportunities of the Indian sanitation landscape is essential.
- A minimum of 10 year’s experience in planning and/or managing sanitation infrastructure at the state, megacity, or parastatal level is required. Demonstrated expertise in leading large-scale sanitation projects and navigating complex government landscapes is crucial.
- Strong field experience in wastewater management with a focus onon-site sanitation systems and transactions on the ground
- In-depth knowledge of the National sanitation landscape, policies, and regulations ∙ Knowledgeable about wastewater treatment technologies, treatment processes, wastewater management and monitoring systems; Understanding of good practices and regulatory requirements for wastewater management in various States/UTs and villages.
- Strong understanding of the financial and non-financial aspects of sanitation, including the FSM market, cost structures, pricing/finance models, and service delivery mechanisms
- Has insights on financially sustainable business models for sanitation, including FSM service providers and entrepreneurs
- Strong digital literacy and familiarity with data management systems and mobile technology applications
- Experience in building strong relationshipswith government agencies, NGOs, service providers, communities, and other relevant stakeholders
- Proven ability to manage an integrated team of IT developers and call centre teams to operate a service delivery programme.
- Strong leadership and team management skills, including the ability to guide diverse teams in a collaborative environment
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Advocacy skills to build partnerships and coordinate with different State officials and on-ground teams
