Consultant

Background

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), in partnership with Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), is supporting the identification and development of priority heat resilience projects aligned with the Tamil Nadu State Heat Action Plan and Chennai’s Heat Action Plan. A Project Management Unit (PMU) is being established to provide technical support to GCC in identifying, prioritising and developing projects, including preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), with the objective of enabling timely implementation of identified interventions by GCC over the next five years through its own resources and funding mechanisms.

Purpose:

The Consultant will provide technical, project development and stakeholder coordination support to the PMU, with primary responsibility for moving heat resilience priorities from risk evidence and concept stage towards implementable projects and DPRs. The role requires regular engagement with GCC officials and relevant State Government agencies, coordination across technical and administrative stakeholders, and preparation of high-quality project documentation to facilitate decision-making and implementation.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

• Support the PMU in identifying, screening and prioritising heat resilience projects based on heat-risk evidence, vulnerability assessments, the Tamil Nadu State Heat Action Plan, Chennai’s Heat Action Plan, and GCC’s institutional priorities.
• Undertake or coordinate technical assessments, data collection, field visits and consultations required to develop project concepts and establish technical, spatial, social and implementation requirements.
• Lead the preparation and review of DPRs, concept notes, project proposals, technical specifications, implementation plans, cost estimates, timelines and other documentation required for project approval and implementation.
• Translate identified heat-risk priorities into feasible and scalable interventions, including cooling, heat mitigation, public-space, infrastructure and other place-based solutions relevant to GCC.
• Engage regularly with GCC senior and technical officials and relevant State Government departments/agencies to secure inputs, validate proposals, facilitate access to information, and support institutional coordination.
• Prepare the meeting briefs, presentations, discussion notes, action trackers and follow-up communications for consultations with Commissioners, senior municipal officials, department heads and other government stakeholders, as required.
• Coordinate with GCC departments and external technical experts to resolve data, design, costing, approvals and implementation-related issues affecting project development.
• Support development of a multi-year project pipeline and implementation roadmap, including sequencing and prioritisation of projects for implementation by GCC over the next five years.
• Support the PMU in identifying relevant government schemes, financing windows, technical programmes and potential external funding opportunities that can complement GCC’s own resources, where appropriate.
• Contribute to preparation of funding/grant proposals and provide technical inputs for resource mobilisation efforts undertaken by CEEW, including coordination with prospective partners and funding organisations.
• Maintain systematic records of project status, stakeholder consultations, decisions, approvals, deliverables and implementation milestones, and support periodic progress reporting to CEEW and GCC.
• Represent the PMU/CEEW in meetings, workshops and consultations with government and external stakeholders, as authorised, and ensure timely follow-up on agreed actions.

Key Deliverables

• Prioritised pipeline of heat resilience projects for GCC, with clear project rationale, location, beneficiaries, indicative cost and implementation pathway.
• Project concept notes, technical proposals and implementation frameworks for identified interventions.
• High-quality DPRs and supporting documentation for priority projects, including technical scope, design basis, bill of quantities/costing inputs, implementation schedule and institutional responsibilities, as applicable.
• Stakeholder consultation records, decision notes, action trackers and government coordination outputs.
• Five-year project implementation roadmap and periodic progress updates for the PMU.
• Technical inputs to grant/funding proposals and resource mobilisation documents, where required.

Selection Criteria

Education

• Postgraduate degree in Climate Change, Environmental Management, Disaster Management, Urban/Regional Planning, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Public Policy, Development Studies, Geography, or related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in climate resilience, urban resilience, disaster risk management, heat action planning, urban development, infrastructure/project development, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience in project development, including preparation or review of DPRs, concept notes, technical proposals, project plans, cost estimates or implementation frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience of working directly with government institutions, preferably Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), State Government departments, or other public-sector agencies.
• Proven experience engaging and coordinating with senior government officials and technical/administrative departments, including organising consultations, preparing briefing materials, recording decisions, and driving follow-up actions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to prepare high-quality technical and government-facing documents. Working knowledge of Tamil is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder-management, project coordination and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office/Google Workspace and ability to work with datasets, maps, presentations and project documentation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience working on heat action plans, urban climate adaptation, cooling solutions, climate-resilient infrastructure or climate-sensitive urban planning.
• Prior experience in Tamil Nadu, Chennai, or comparable large Indian cities and familiarity with municipal governance and project approval processes.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing multiple projects/workstreams concurrently.
• Experience in identifying government schemes, grants, financing opportunities or partnerships relevant to climate resilience projects.
• Knowledge of GIS/spatial datasets, climate-risk assessments and use of evidence for project prioritisation would be an advantage.

Core Competencies

• Government and stakeholder engagement
• Project development and DPR preparation
• Technical writing and communication
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• Coordination and execution orientation
• Attention to detail and quality assurance
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities

Eligibility

Candidates must meet the minimum educational and professional experience requirements stated above. Candidates with demonstrated experience in sustained engagement with government officials, municipal bodies and public-sector stakeholders will be preferred. Applicants should be willing to undertake field visits and attend in-person meetings and consultations in Chennai and as required, elsewhere in Tamil Nadu.

Reporting and Coordination

The Consultant will work as part of the PMU and report to the designated CEEW supervisor/PMU Lead. The Consultant will coordinate closely with nominated officials of GCC and relevant government agencies. All external communications and representation on behalf of CEEW/GCC shall be undertaken in accordance with agreed institutional protocols.

Compensation

Competitive compensation – commensurate with the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by industry or other similar organisations for similar roles.

Application Process

Applicants may be evaluated through a combination of CV screening, a written/technical assessment and an interview. The assessment will consider relevant experience, quality of project-development work, understanding of heat resilience and urban climate risk, government stakeholder-management experience, communication skills and ability to translate technical analysis into implementable projects.

CEEW is an equal opportunity employer, and the selection process does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible time.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. We appreciate your interest.