Program Associate in New Delhi | Atithi Foundation

Atithi Foundation

Atithi Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation working to make tourism a strong source of jobs and growth in India. It works with government bodies, industry leaders, knowledge institutions and local communities to shape policies and plans that create livelihoods, protect heritage and bring more visitors to the country. Tourism already supports nearly 40 million jobs in India, and more than half of the people working in it are women, yet most places with tourism potential still lack good places to stay, transport links and on-site facilities. The foundation works on the problems that hold this back, such as weak infrastructure, decisions split across many government departments, and too little private investment in tourism sites.

Role

This is an early-career role for someone who is curious, takes ownership and wants to do real work on a hard problem. Based in New Delhi with travel to project states, the Program Associate will work across Atithi Foundation's programmes, supporting destination strategy, government engagement, research, investor outreach and programme management. The role starts broad and grows toward whatever the person does best. They will work closely with senior leaders, own real pieces of work from day one, and report to the Senior Programme Managers.

Responsibilities

• Research tourism data, destination benchmarks, international case studies and state policies, and turn the findings into clear strategy notes, briefing papers and presentation decks.
• Own analytical questions from start to finish, from framing the problem and gathering data to sharing findings and recommendations.
• Support financial analysis on destination projects by building models, running scenarios and testing assumptions with senior colleagues.
• Prepare teams for meetings with state governments, Tourism Departments and Development Authorities, attend those meetings, and follow through on action items, letters and records.
• Coordinate with partners across several states to track commitments, flag delays and fix problems early, and build working relationships with government officials over time.
• Manage 2-3 destination workstreams at once, such as Khajuraho and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, Jaipur and Shekhawati in Rajasthan, or the Delhi monuments corridor, by tracking milestones, keeping dashboards up to date and building templates and process guides.
• Prepare one-pagers, information memos and destination briefs for corporate, CSR, philanthropic and multilateral partners such as IFC, JICA and the World Bank, and organise site visits, roundtables and events from start to finish.
• Write policy notes, sector briefs and impact reports, follow changes in tourism, land, infrastructure and heritage policy, and represent the foundation at events as confidence grows.

Requirements

• 1-3 years of work experience from any background, such as consulting, engineering, economics, liberal arts, environment management, social work or public policy, with no need for past work in tourism, infrastructure, government or the development sector.
• Ability to think clearly, structure ideas and explain a complex issue in simple words.
• Clear, well-organised and accurate written work that people actually read and use.
• A habit of owning tasks until they are done well and following up without being asked.
• Comfort working in a young organisation where roles are still being shaped and problems are not neatly defined.
• Based in New Delhi and willing to travel to project states and work with government officials there.
• Exposure to policy, public sector or development work through internships, research, fieldwork or advocacy is useful but not required.
• Experience with data analysis, financial modelling or quantitative research is useful but not required.

Benefits

• Learn quickly by working directly with senior leaders and sitting in on important government meetings.
• Own workstreams and deliverables from day one, with real responsibility for results.
• Help shape destination plans, public-private partnership models and government decisions that affect the incomes of real communities.
• Join a small central team early on, where the work you build shapes the organisation and the right person can grow fast.

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