Job description
Want to use your skills in managing in-country programmes and leading government engagement efforts to play a vital role in building the climate resilience of 50 million vulnerable people?
Join the Resilient Water Accelerator (hosted by WaterAid) as the Resilient Water Accelerator’s Country Engagement Coordinator. By joining Water Aid, you’ll also be joining a 2020 Great Place to Work® award-winning organisation.
The Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) is a new multi-stakeholder partnership that aims to boost climate finance to build the climate resilience of 50 million vulnerable people living in water-stressed areas by 2030. The Accelerator will enable climate vulnerable communities to secure clean and reliable water resources and services by helping design comprehensive climate-resilient water security programmes and unlock new sources of financing. The Accelerator has set some ambitious goals to be achieved by COP27, including raising up to $20 million in programmatic funding and launching activities in 5 locations – Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria.
As we start preparing to launch activities in-country, we are looking to hire a country engagement coordinator to oversee the Accelerator’s activities on the ground and ensure that in-country teams have access to the support needed to deliver successful programs.
The position will be hosted by WaterAid, which has been acting as the Accelerator’s interim host until an agreement with a long-term host has been finalized.
How to Apply
To see the full job pack, please click ‘Apply’.
* Please apply by submitting your CV and a cover letter into one document in either Word Document or PDF format.
* Please indicate your location and the right to work eligibility in your Cover letter.
Applications will close on 19 June 2022 at 23:59 BST.
As a country engagement coordinator, you will be a critical part of the Accelerator’s Secretariat-linking the work done at the country level with the global work of the Accelerator and reporting directly to the Secretariat Director. At a first stage, you will be directly managing and guiding country liaison managers and any in-country champions that the Accelerator will hire to guide stakeholder engagement and reach formal agreements with governments. Once an agreement is reached, you will be the main point of contact between in-country teams and the Accelerator, to capture their needs and help match them with the right experts from the Accelerator’s network of partners, and to provide oversight over progress on-the-ground and keep the Resilient Water Accelerator Director and Steering Committee informed on key milestones.
You’ll also:
* Manage and guide the Accelerator’s network of liaison managers and in-country champions for Stage 1 of country engagement
* Work with liaison managers and in-country champions to ensure that an agreement is signed with target governments (goal)
* Set project plan and create key milestones based on the guidance of each liaison manager, and follow-up to ensure that milestones are met, and the necessary support is provided for liaison managers to be successful in their assessments
* Conduct regular check-ins with liaison managers (both collective and individual) and stay up to date on latest progress in each priority country
* Answer any questions that the liaison managers might have and provide them with the relevant materials on the Accelerator’s strategy and operating model in order to conduct successful stakeholder outreach
* Connect liaison managers with any needed expertise from Accelerator partners during this stage
* Act as the main link between in-country teams and the Accelerator’s Steering Committee, Secretariat, and Programme Working Group (consisting of country and regional experts from across partner organizations) for Stage 2 of country engagement
* Manage the Programme Working Group and engage with members regularly to get guidance on the Accelerator’s programmatic approach and government engagement efforts
* Report frequently to the Steering Committee and other Secretariat members on progress in-country, and flag any issues to the Resilient Water Accelerator Director that may require strategic steer from the Steering Committee
* Synthesize intelligence from liaison managers to facilitate the Steering Committee’s decisions around country programmes
* Work with the rest of the Secretariat and country teams to respond to any funding or financing management requirements related country activities
* Capture the needs of in-country teams and match them with the right set of expertise
* Setup, manage, and maintain the Accelerator’s experts’ network, which consists of members from different partner organizations
* Understand in-country teams’ needs for expertise and technical assistance, and match them with the right Accelerator experts
* Support the country teams in learning from each other and the Accelerator, through regular learning and exchange sessions.
To be successful, you’ll need:
* Experience managing in-country programmes related to the environment, climate, water, WASH and/or development while being stationed in-country or at the regional/ global level
* Relevant experience and knowledge of the intersection of water and climate change issues at both the policy and programmes level
* Experience leading government engagement efforts – preferably on climate and water
* Ability to manage a distributed team and effectively report upwards on progress/key risks
* Fluent in spoken and written English
* Passionate about climate adaptation and water security, and driven to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable communities
* Strong team player
Location:
The role can be based in the UK or one of the following WaterAid Country Programme offices – Mozambique or Rwanda, subject to right to work eligibility in the respective countries.
Salary:
Salaries and benefits for different countries will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate, and depending on experience. This role is Grade G in County Programmes and a Grade 3 in the UK.
Additional Information:
Please note that we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. In order to apply for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your right to work eligibility in the country to which you wish to work.
For UK based applicants, WaterAid is located at Canary Wharf, London and this will be your location and contract base. We support and enjoy a hybrid working environment, this includes regular attendance in the London office to connect with each other. We look forward to discussing with you how you can best deliver in your new role.
WaterAid is committed to ensuring that wherever we work in the world there is no tolerance for the abuse of power, privilege or trust. WaterAid reinforces a culture of zero tolerance towards any form of inappropriate behaviour, abuse, harassment, or exploitation of any kind. The safeguarding of our beneficiaries, staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf, is our top priority and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All staff and volunteers are required to share in this commitment through our Global Code of Conduct. We will conduct the most appropriate pre-employment references and checks to ensure high standards are maintained.
WaterAid is an equal opportunities, disability-confident employer and committed to achieving the highest standards of diversity, fairness and equality. Should you have a disability and require any additional support, please contact us at careers@wateraid.org.
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