Senior Researcher Researcher Water Tracker Project Leader

The incumbent is responsible for spearheading the design and implementation of the Water Tracker (WT) for National Climate Planning Program, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which is a flagship project to successfully mainstream water resilience within national climate planning processes.

As a Senior Researcher / Researcher, the role will also entail participating in designing and delivering high-quality research outputs as pertaining to the program. As the Project Leader, the incumbent will be expected to leverage their considerable project management and coordination skills to successfully work with IWMI staff, consultants, and partner organizations, as well as high-level government representatives and technical staff to deliver targeted support to the countries participating in this pilot project.

The person will be responsible for external representation and engagement with the donor (FCDO), and other key stakeholders at various levels as an essential element of scaling and implementing the Water Tracker.

Duties & Responsibilities:

As the Project Leader:

• Lead the delivery of agreed activities on time and in line with FCDO’s agreed planning and budget calendar and processes.
• Provide intellectual leadership and, together with the project team, partners, and stakeholders, build a shared vision for the project, its goals, and how it will deliver impact.
• Oversee the planning and implementation of project activities.
• Oversee and support the work of other project team members, including project partners and consultants.
• Facilitate the delivery of project outputs and contribute towards outcomes and impacts across the project.
• Sign off on key project deliverables and the release of funding as approved in the project proposal, work plan, and budget.
• Optimize financial resources, making decisions that maximize value for money, impact, and drive efficiencies.
• Be the internal and external “face” of the project, including interactions with FCDO, national focal points, project oversight bodies, as well as at events, project management and stakeholder meetings, etc.
• Liaise regularly with FCDO Project Management Unit for guidance and support.
• Coordinate to achieve synergies with other IWMI projects in the focal countries of implementation.
• Oversee project reporting processes and manage risks proactively and in line with the project risk register.
• Ensure implementation of the project’s communication strategy and gender action plan.
• As required, support with wider IWMI strategy development, including contributing to research group priorities, and participating in workshops and conferences.
• Support a work environment that promotes a culture of collaboration, learning, effective knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer, and interdisciplinary teamwork.

As the Technical Expert:

• Evaluate the potential impacts of proposed WT outcomes in each demonstration project on water resources, different water users, stakeholders, and community members, especially women and youth.
• In collaboration with other project researchers, design and oversee the monitoring and evaluation (incorporating some citizen science components) of WT interventions/outcomes, including impacts on water resources, stakeholders, and communities, especially women and youth, to determine if anticipated impacts are achieved.
• Build a systematic understanding of the technical and institutional capacity needs (human and social capital components) for national government agencies, local government agencies, and communities to develop and deploy WT outcomes more widely.
• Raise awareness about the WT and how it can be used for climate change adaptation, especially in relation to women and youth, and build capacity at the required levels for their increased implementation.
• Organize training in WT application for relevant professionals and community members according to systematically identified, as well as nation-specific, needs.
• Conduct partner workshops, dialogues, and other mechanisms to discuss how upscaling of WT outcomes can occur, including through novel financing mechanisms.
• Drawing on evidence produced through analysis and learnings in the application of the WT, as well as partner and stakeholder interactions, provide impact pathways for designing and scaling sustainable climate finance projects via public sector, private sector, and multilateral funding.
• Synthesize and consolidate knowledge into various products, including adaptation and resilience planning and implementation guidelines, and/or standard operating procedures; use cases; awareness raising and training materials; and communications products, all targeting specific audiences, inclusive of academic (peer-reviewed journal) publications.
• Facilitate peer‐to‐peer learning opportunities, national and regional knowledge sharing, and co‐learning.

Requirements:

Educational Qualifications & Experience:

Essential:

• At Senior Researcher level:
• PhD in water resources management, climate studies, environmental studies, economics, rural development or a closely related field coupled with minimum of 10 years of relevant post-doctoral experience.
• At Researcher level:
• PhD in the aforementioned fields coupled with a minimum of 05 years of relevant post-doctoral experience OR;
• Master’s degree in the aforementioned fields coupled with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
• Experience working on research and development and/or public sector-funded projects that promote, plan, design, and implement water management and climate resilience.
• Experience managing large multi-partner, complex development projects
• Experience managing and navigating partner and stakeholder relationships with governmental, private sector, and community counterparts at various levels of organizational hierarchies (i.e., senior to lower management, and professional staff), and at the regional, national, and local levels.
• Proven experience undertaking participatory and/or co-development processes with national and local stakeholders.
• A record of peer-reviewed and/or technical report publications on subjects relevant to climate finance, policy, and water management, with a preference for interdisciplinarity.
• Experience in undertaking or overseeing hydrological, environmental, and social monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Experience in capacity-building and training programs for diverse participants.
• Proven experience of working with an international organization abroad.

Source:  https://apply.workable.com/international-water-management-institute/j/F032F88F65/