Lead - Public Policy

About the Role

The Lead – Public Policy will work closely with the Head of Public Policy & Government Engagement to advance Karya's engagement with Central and State Governments, policymakers, public institutions, think tanks and other ecosystem stakeholders.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys moving between research and execution. The person should be comfortable working in a fast-moving environment, independently driving workstreams, and bringing structure and follow-through to multiple parallel priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Government & Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage and strengthen relationships with relevant stakeholders across Central and State Governments, government institutions and the broader policy ecosystem.
• Support the development and execution of stakeholder engagement strategies across Karya's priority areas.
• Prepare for government meetings, including stakeholder research, briefing notes, talking points, presentations and meeting agendas.
• Maintain systematic follow-up on government engagements and identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships and build new ones.
• Track relevant government priorities, programmes, consultations and institutional developments that may create opportunities or implications for Karya.

Policy Research, Analysis & Writing

• Conduct high-quality research across public policy, economics, technology and legal/regulatory issues, particularly at the intersections of these areas.
• Monitor and analyse developments in AI and emerging technology policy, digital public infrastructure, data, inclusion and other areas relevant to Karya's work.
• Translate complex policy and technical issues into clear, concise and decision-useful analysis.
• Draft policy positions, consultation responses, briefing notes, concept notes, proposals, presentations and other materials for government and external stakeholders.
• Develop evidence-backed recommendations on issues relevant to Karya and communicate them effectively to senior stakeholders.

Government Partnerships & Project Management

• Support government partnerships from initial engagement and scoping through proposal development, coordination and implementation.
• Manage defined government and policy workstreams, ensuring clear timelines, ownership, deliverables and follow-ups.
• Coordinate across Karya's internal teams and external stakeholders to move projects forward and resolve bottlenecks.
• Support the development of meaningful partnerships with government institutions, think tanks, industry bodies, civil society organisations and other ecosystem actors.
• Track commitments, milestones and outcomes across active government engagements and flag risks or delays early.

Policy Operations & Administration

• Bring strong operational discipline to the Public Policy & Government Engagement function.
• Maintain stakeholder databases, government engagement trackers, opportunity pipelines, meeting records and other internal documentation.
• Coordinate meeting schedules, correspondence, follow-ups and documentation associated with external engagements.
• Support preparation and submission of government proposals, EOIs/RFPs, consultation responses and other institutional requirements.
• Support logistics and coordination for government meetings, roundtables, conferences, stakeholder visits and other convenings.
• Assist with budgets, approvals, documentation and other administrative requirements of the function.
• Take ownership of the day-to-day operational requirements necessary to ensure the policy function runs smoothly and commitments are followed through.

What We Are Looking For

• 2-4 years of relevant professional experience in public policy, government affairs, a think tank, policy consulting, research organisation, technology company, government-facing organisation or a related field.
• Strong research and analytical ability, with demonstrated comfort working across policy, economics, technology and/or legal issues.
• Excellent written communication skills and the ability to produce clear, concise and persuasive policy materials for senior audiences.
• Strong stakeholder-management and interpersonal skills, including comfort engaging with government officials and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage projects and take work from an initial idea through execution.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage several priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to understand relatively technical subjects and translate them for non-technical policy and government audiences.
• Sound judgement and discretion when dealing with sensitive external relationships and information.
• A proactive, ownership-oriented approach.
• Willingness to travel domestically as required.

Preferred Background

Candidates may come from a range of backgrounds. We would particularly value:

• Experience working with or engaging Central or State Government stakeholders.
• Exposure to technology/AI policy, digital governance, development policy, economics, law or public-sector programmes.
• Experience drafting policy submissions, government proposals, research reports or senior-level briefing materials.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects or partnerships.
• A degree in public policy, economics, law, political science, public administration, international relations, technology policy or a related field.