About the School of Systems & Infrastructure (SSI)
The School of Systems & Infrastructure (SSI) at the IIHS (Institution Deemed to be) University focuses on transforming key urban and infrastructure systems to improve equity, well-being and environmental outcomes for citizens and cities in India and the Global South. Its core themes are achieving sustained and equitable economic, social and environmental outcomes via better governance, finance, technology, and infrastructure service delivery. The SSI s work is firmly rooted in the Indian context, drawing knowledge and experience from other global contexts, and has implications across cities in the Global South. The SSI s focus spans various interdisciplinary areas of inquiry and avenues of engagement, including water and sanitation, solid waste management, energy, transport and mobility, land and planning, built environment, and information technology-enabled services (IT/ ITES).
With its focus on urban systems thinking, infrastructure practice, and the governance of transitions, the SSI brings together interdisciplinary teaching, research, and practice to address complex challenges in Indian and global urban contexts.
We are looking for a versatile and motivated individual to support both academic programmes and institutional leadership. This unique role blends responsibilities as a Teaching/ Research/ Practice Associate with those of an Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean, offering the opportunity to work across teaching, research, and school-level strategy and coordination. It is ideal for someone who thrives in dynamic interdisciplinary environments, has strong organisational and communication skills, and is eager to contribute to both the intellectual and operational life of the School.
Activities and Tasks
Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Teaching/ Research/ Practice Support:
- Assisting in the preparation of teaching materials, including readings, presentations, handouts, and assignments;
- Supporting classroom and course coordination: scheduling, logistics, communication with students, and on-ground facilitation;
- Helping organize and run tutorials, field-based sessions, or lab activities, under the guidance of faculty;
- Assisting in monitoring and reviewing student submissions, grading, and providing structured feedback;
- Assisting in developing research outputs such as reports, case studies, policy briefs, or academic papers;
- Assisting in preparing research/ practice proposals, grant applications, and ethics approvals;
- Maintaining and updating bibliographic databases, research records, and course repositories;
- Contributing to the design and documentation of new courses or knowledge products in the School;
- Executive Support to Associate Dean (AD):
- Administrative and Scheduling Support
- Managing the Associate Dean s calendar, including scheduling internal and external meetings, classes, and reviews;
- Coordinating travel logistics, documentation, and reimbursements for academic and institutional engagements;
- Tracking and prioritising follow-ups, ensuring timely completion of tasks and commitments;
- Communication and Coordination
- Drafting and managing correspondence (emails, letters, internal memos) on behalf of the Associate Dean;
- Liaising with faculty, students, senior management, and institutional teams (e.g., Academic Office, Communications, HR) on behalf of the School;
- Preparing briefing notes, background documents, and talking points for meetings or public engagements;
- Project and Documentation Support
- Assisting in tracking project timelines, deliverables, and task progress for initiatives overseen by the Associate Dean;
- Coordinating documentation workflows (editing, formatting, submission) for institutional processes and project outputs;
- Driving initiatives anchored by the School/ AD s office: managing timelines, tracking progress and delivery of outputs to enable effective implementation of decisions and proactive problem solving;
- Exercising sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality in handling sensitive information;
- Participating in all school-related activities and also providing administrative and logistical support as needed;
- Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
- Participating in all activities of Institution-building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and travelling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.
Structure and Reporting
The senior associate will report to the Associate Dean SSI at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of internal teams and external individuals/organizations, and students.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate should have:
- A Master s degree in Urban Studies, Planning, Architecture, Development Studies, Public Policy, Environmental Science, Infrastructure Studies, or related fields, with a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience; candidates with a Bachelor s degree and 7 8 years of significant relevant experience may also be considered;
- Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and confidential information;
- TA, tutoring, or teaching experience in relevant fields;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to coordinate effectively with faculty, students, and external stakeholders, and an ability to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment;
- Experience of working in interdisciplinary teaching, research, or practice settings;
- Demonstrated ability in data collection, organisation, and analysis across both qualitative and quantitative methods;
- Experience in preparing high-quality outputs such as research reports, policy briefs, academic articles, or project documentation;
- A proactive and professional disposition, with the flexibility to support both academic and institutional responsibilities, including travel related to academic or research projects;
- Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (e.g., Moodle) is desirable, but not essential.
This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.
The search will remain open until the position is filled.
Location
This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.
Review and Assessment
The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.
