Currently, he is in the governing council as Director-General and Secretary of All India Institute of Local Self-Government[4] He graduated with an M. Sc.
Earlier, he served as the Principal Secretary in Urban Development department of Maharashtra Government.
During his tenure as Secretary, school education department was lauded for the efforts he undertook to improve welfare of students.
Phatak was posted, as a Collector Nagpur, Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai or managing director of the rural electrification corporation, Mr. Phatak retired from service on 31 March 2015 after more than three and a half decades.
Earlier Maharashtra government had suspended IAS officers Jairaj Phatak and Pradeep Vyas for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing society scam.