Manager - Water and Waste Management, Chennai

Role: Manager - Water and Waste Management, Chennai
Experience: 5+ years
Salary: 13 to 15 LPA
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The Role

This role leads high-impact innovation programs for urban waste and wastewater management, including circular economy solutions, wastewater treatment technologies, and resource recovery. The position manages end-to-end program execution, bridging Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), technical partners, academics, and startups to deploy scalable waste and water solutions. The role serves as the primary hub for donor relationships, internal coordination, and partner management, ensuring timely delivery of project milestones and impact outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Partnerships & Institutional Engagement

• Engage with Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across India to co-create implementation pathways for waste and wastewater innovations.
• Formalize partnerships with academics, technical experts, and research institutions to strengthen program design and technical validation.
• Act as the primary liaison between internal teams, national/international donor teams, and partner organizations.
• Manage donor relationships, ensuring transparency, compliance, and consistent progress reporting.

Program Management & Execution

• Design and execute detailed project plans, budgets, and timelines for waste and water innovation cohorts.
• Lead the selection, onboarding, and mentorship of startups in waste treatment, wastewater innovation, and circular economy.
• Make key decisions on program pivots, resource allocation, and partner engagement to meet milestones.
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder meetings, panel evaluations, and selection processes.

Donor & Internal Collaboration

• Prepare analytical reports on program performance, portfolio trends, and impact outcomes for donors and leadership.
• Collaborate with impact and grant teams to integrate program data into overall impact frameworks.
• Document learnings and refine program models for scale-up and replication.
• Maintain consolidated dashboards on disbursements, startup progress, and impact metrics.

Who You Are

• Master's degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Waste Management, Water Resources, Public Policy, or a related field.
• 5+ years in program management, environmental sustainability, or urban development, managing complex projects with a proven track record.
• Experience working with ULBs, government agencies, donors, and technical/academic partners in the environmental sector.
• Fluency in English and Tamil is required.

Core Competencies

• Strong program and stakeholder management skills; ability to make decisive decisions under tight deadlines; high initiative and adaptability in a fast-paced environment. 

Hiring Process:

Step 1: Resume Shortlisting and telephonic interview 
Step 2: Assignment 
Step 3: R1 with Senior Manager 
Step 4: Final round with leadership team

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Hiring Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This job is first posted on August 5, 2026, on Ground Zero

For any questions, ping us on WhatsApp chat: +91-8058331557