Head of Policy

How will you make a difference

It’s a critical time for smart protein in India and globally. We’ve seen several exciting announcements with GFI India at the centre of these developments, but plenty of work remains to build a truly thriving industry and achieve public and planetary health goals. The Head of Policy will make GFI India’s work possible by leading our engagement with critical stakeholders and partners who can accelerate the impact of smart protein (plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived meat, eggs and dairy). In this role, you will have the opportunity to manage GFI India’s policy team, direct the organisation’s strategic priorities for our public sector engagement initiatives, cultivate and solidify relationships across government agencies and research bodies, represent and cement GFI India’s position as the expert authority on smart proteins in India, and bring our work to the most influential audiences to build alliances and accelerate progress. The Head of Policy will be responsible for:

Strategic oversight and direction setting

• Lead the policy strategy for India by developing, driving and implementing projects/initiatives to forge relationships and secure buy-in from high-level government agencies, funding bodies, regulatory bodies and relevant consortia of organisations to advance the smart protein sector in India.

• Proactively explore and create impactful opportunities for the smart protein sector among multilateral agencies in India, including leveraging global and multilateral initiatives.

• Own the tracking and reporting of progress against programmatic objectives; highlight risks, implement mitigation/course correction strategies, and escalate issues to the Managing Director as necessary.

• Provide technical and managerial  leadership for on-ground and empirical pilots and projects

Stakeholder management and narrative building

• Cultivate, manage, and take forth high-level partner engagements across the public sector and regulatory agencies as an authoritative external-facing representative for GFI India.

• Develop and present a compelling case for smart proteins to priority stakeholders, rooted in India’s unique context and tailored to the priorities of specific public sector agencies. 

• Establish yourself as a thought leader by demonstrating a high standard of expertise at conferences, panel discussions, webinars, and other external engagements.

• Provide input on proposals, projects, along with regularly authoring reports, op-eds articles, and blogs. 

Advisory and support to internal program areas and departments

• Actively provide mentorship, coaching, and guidance to the Policy team on stakeholder management, project planning, and prioritisation of highest impact initiatives. 

• Work closely with the SciTech, Industry, and Communications teams to steward high priority cross-functional initiatives by seeking and offering collaboration, advisory, and leadership.

• Work closely with the Head of Strategic Communications to provide proactive communications direction and support for focused events, webinars, mixers (both virtual and in-person) to maintain GFI India’s position as the go-to think tank and authority on smart protein in India.

Operational excellence and reporting

• Manage all aspects of the policy department, including supervising staff, working with operations to manage department spending and prioritisation.

• As a member of the Management Team (including the Managing Director, Chief of Staff, Head of SciTech, Head of Strategic Communications, and Industry Manager), contribute to the stewardship of GFI India’s organisational health. 

• Represent GFI India, share and exchange best practices with colleagues, coordinate activities and initiatives, and steward GFI India’s work with GFI’s policy team for cross-affiliate projects. 

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Who we're looking for

We are looking for a smart, thoughtful, and creative self-starter who wants to transform the food system by supporting the development of sustainable smart protein that is accessible to everyone. 

We are looking for someone who can lead with empathy and is able to build happy, cohesive, effective teams that focus on delivering objectives and enable vocational self-actualisation. The successful candidate will bring a confident ability to provide thought leadership to the team.

GFI India staff enjoy high levels of autonomy and must be self-motivated, work well both independently and in concert with a larger group, and be comfortable working with a rapidly evolving and growing team. 

An ideal candidate for the Head of Policy role will have skills and experience that reflect the following:

Knowledge and experience

• A degree or equivalent experience in environmental studies, public health, food systems, science, political science, law, or a related field. A masters in public policy or public administration, social work, development studies, international relations,  or an advanced scientific degree is advantageous. A background in legal, regulatory and/or policy disciplines and an understanding of the agri-food and/or biotech ecosystem is strongly preferable. 

• A track record of dealing with complex policy, regulatory and multilateral stakeholders and securing public sector engagement wins within government agencies.

• A seasoned, experienced manager with at least 10+ years of work experience, of which at least 3+ years are leading, managing, and mentoring teams, and delivering end-to-end strategic initiatives.

• Strong experience in and comfort with communicating with high-level legislative or executive branch policymakers and staff, both verbally and in writing. 

• Experience building coalitions and developing consensus among partners with different but complementary objectives.

• Demonstrable experience in setting and leading programmatic and functional strategies and priorities in previous positions.

• Fluency in English and Hindi to an excellent proficiency level. Conversational proficiency in other regional languages would be advantageous.

Skills and behavioural attributes

• Strong support for GFI India’s philosophy with demonstrated interest in public health, environmentalism, hunger relief, or animal protection.

• Excellent written and verbal communication and organisational skills, with experience in and comfort with communicating with a range of stakeholders. 

• The demonstrated ability to communicate complex information clearly in writing and in oral presentations to a range of audiences.

• Strong work ethic and ability to see projects through to completion.

• Highly effective organisational and interpersonal skills. 

• Self-motivated with the ability to work well independently under pressure.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet competing deadlines.

• Ability to work creatively and effectively as a team member.

• Comfortable working remotely and in-person as required, and in a rapidly growing and evolving organisation.

Terms of employment: Full-time

Reports to: Managing Director, GFI India

Line Management: 2-3 direct reports 

Location: While this is a remote-first role, the Head of Policy must be available to represent GFI India at essential meetings and stakeholder events that take place across India. Given the high concentration of key partners in New Delhi, preference will be given to candidates based in, or willing to relocate to the National Capital Region (NCR).  

Travel: 2-3 days of domestic travel in a month and 5-10 days of international travel in a year.

Salary: Up to INR 36 lakh per annum

Closing date for applications: May 22, 2026 at 5 PM IST 

Benefits: 

• Hugely meaningful work at the forefront of a fast-growing, intellectually challenging sector

• Working in a warm, inclusive and high impact team environment

• Health insurance plan, work-from-home equipment allowances, mental health support budget

• Flexible work, including working from home and hybrid working

Candidates who have experience working with a diverse range of people and who can contribute to the climate of inclusivity are encouraged to identify their experiences in these areas. We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of every background, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritise an inclusive climate, absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.