Policy Strategist

Job Title: Policy Strategist Organisation: Inflect Consulting Location: New Delhi Reports to: Founder’s Office Experience: 4–6 years About Inflect Inflect is a policy intelligence and systems-diagnostics firm working at the intersection of public policy, regulatory foresight, and institutional reform. We partner with governments, multilaterals, and private-sector stakeholders to diagnose systemic delivery failures, map policy architecture, and design implementation-ready interventions across sectors, including climate resilience, public health, fiscal systems, digital governance, land administration, EV policy, and social protection. Our work is deeply research-driven, politically informed, and implementation-focused. We are building a team that combines analytical rigour with strong stakeholder engagement and the ability to translate complex policy insight into actionable partnerships. Role Overview Inflect invites applications for the position of Policy Strategist. The role is designed for a researcher with demonstrated expertise in policy analysis and a strong interest in the governance of emerging technologies. The successful candidate will lead research work streams on AI governance and its intersection with social policy domains, including social registries, education, and public health. The Policy Strategist will be responsible for the full research cycle, from scoping and methodological design through to stakeholder engagement, analysis, and the production of written outputs for diverse audiences, including political leadership, senior bureaucrats, and international development organisations. Thematic Focus Areas The Policy Strategist will contribute to research and advisory work across the following areas: Artificial Intelligence Governance: Domestic and international regulatory developments, risk frameworks, standards, and questions of state capacity, with particular attention to India's positioning within the evolving global landscape. Digital Public Infrastructure and Social Registries: The governance, accountability, and design of identity, payment, and data systems, and their implications for inclusion, privacy, and service delivery. Sectoral Policy: Applied research on education and public health, with a focus on the intersection of policy design and technology deployment. Cross-Cutting Themes: Data governance, algorithmic accountability, public procurement, state capacity, and the political economy of technology adoption. Key Responsibilities Lead discrete research projects from inception to completion, including scoping, methodological design, primary and secondary research, analysis, and the preparation of written outputs. Design research instruments, including interview protocols, survey tools, and analytical frameworks, appropriate to the research question. Conduct mixed-methods analysis, incorporating qualitative synthesis across interviews and documentary sources, and quantitative analysis of relevant datasets. Prepare written outputs — including policy briefs, strategic memoranda, research reports, and consultation submissions — tailored to audiences in government, industry, civil society, and the funding community. Engage a range of stakeholders, including officials, regulators, industry representatives, and academic experts, through interviews, workshops, and convenings. Monitor policy and regulatory developments across relevant domains and synthesise implications for clients and partners. Contribute to proposal development, client engagements, and the broader research agenda of the organisation. Provide mentorship to junior colleagues and support quality assurance across team outputs. Qualifications and Experience Essential Postgraduate degree in public policy, economics, law, political science, or a closely related discipline from a recognised institution. A minimum of four years of relevant professional experience in policy research, analysis, or advisory work, including at think tanks, government institutions, international organisations, or consulting firms. Demonstrated capacity to lead research projects independently, from framing the research question to producing publication-ready outputs. Strong grounding in research methodology and the judgement to apply appropriate methods to the question at hand. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to translate complex material into clear, audience-appropriate documents. Experience engaging senior stakeholders across government, industry, or civil society. Capacity to build subject-matter expertise across multiple policy domains. Substantive experience in one or more of the following: AI governance, digital public infrastructure, platform regulation, or adjacent areas of technology policy. Deep familiarity with the Indian policy and regulatory environment, and experience working across Indian and international contexts. Prior research on social sector policy, including education, health, or social protection, with a governance or delivery focus. A portfolio of published work, policy submissions, or other public-facing writing. Experience managing external partners, research vendors, or field teams. Additional Competencies Quantitative skills, including proficiency in Stata, R, or Python, are considered an advantage. Experience supporting policy convenings, track 1.5/2 dialogues, or multi-stakeholder processes. Additional language proficiencies beyond English and Hindi. Application Process Applications should include a curriculum vitae and a writing sample of between 1,500 and 5,000 words (published or unpublished). Candidates are also requested to submit a brief cover letter outlining a policy question of particular interest to them and the reasons for their engagement with it. Applications should be directed to Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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