Director – Urban Resilience & Data Expert

About CDRI

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a global partnership of national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, private sector, and academic institutions. It aims to promote the resilience of infrastructure systems against climate and disaster risks to ensure sustainable development.

Strategic Context

CDRI’s Strategic Work Plan 2023–2026, CDRI focuses on:

• Building a strong coalition with global leadership.
• Advancing research and peer learning to promote risk-informed policies.
• Enhancing the capacity of governments, private enterprises and communities to implement resilient infrastructure and recovery programmes at scale.

The CDRI Secretariat, based in New Delhi, coordinates and implements the Coalition’s strategic priorities and activities.

Role Summary

CDRI is seeking a highly experienced and visionary leader to serve as the Director – Urban Resilience & Data Expert. This role will spearhead technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives focused on strengthening urban infrastructure systems and enhancing data-driven decision-making across member countries. The Director will also guide the development of urban resilience strategies and lead innovation in data and technology platforms such as CDRI’s Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI).

1. Technical Assistance

• Lead urban technical assistance projects in member countries.
• Coordinate with government agencies, donors, and technical experts.
• Design and implement urban resilience programs aligned with international frameworks.
• Integrate lifecycle resilience approaches across urban infrastructure development.
• Address policy gaps in urban planning norms and finance readiness.

2. Urban Infrastructure Resilience

• Oversee risk and vulnerability assessments of urban systems.
• Support the application of innovative and climate-adaptive urban infrastructure solutions.

3. Data & Technology Leadership

• Guide the development of CDRI’s digital platforms (e.g., GIRI).
• Set data standards and digital specifications for infrastructure risk modelling.
• Lead the Data & Technology team, including staffing, performance management, and budget oversight.
• Promote adoption of emerging technologies in risk management and decision support systems.

4. Capacity Building

• Lead urban and technology-focused capacity development efforts.
• Build partnerships with academic, policy, and technical institutions.
• Support development of training materials, communities of practice, and policy briefs.

5. Management & Representation

• Manage programme teams and contribute to organizational planning and reporting.
• Track KPIs and ensure quality implementation of funded projects.
• Represent CDRI in global dialogues, technical forums, and stakeholder engagements.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in urban planning, engineering, geoinformatics, hydrology, environmental planning, disaster risk management, or other relevant technical disciplines. Candidates with international education are preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of professional experience, with at least 6 years in leadership roles.
• Proven record of managing urban resilience and infrastructure initiatives, particularly involving data systems, risk analytics, or technology platforms.
• Experience working in multiple countries and UN regions; international organization experience is essential.
• International project experience across at least 5 countries and 2 UN geographic regions is required for international hire eligibility.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong technical leadership in DRR, urban resilience, infrastructure design, and smart systems.
• Expertise in GIS, hazard modelling, earth observations, spatial databases, and early warning systems.
• Strategic understanding of international development frameworks (SDGs, SFDRR, Paris Agreement).
• Experience with institutional building, donor engagement, and programme design.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is essential.
• Proficiency in other UN languages is an asset.

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