Climate & Water Manager - Resilient Water Accelerator

Climate & Water Manager - Resilient Water Accelerator

Contract: Permanent, Full Time,

Location: The role can be based in the UK or USA

For the UK, London, Hybrid: WaterAid is located at Canary Wharf, London and this will be your location and contract base. In order to apply for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK. A minimum of 40% of working time is spent face to face, either in London office, or as a result of external engagement or travel for WaterAid.

For the USA: USA-wide, Remote with a preference for the Seattle area/US West Coast.

Regular virtual engagement and periodic in-person meetings are required for coordination, collaboration, and connectivity across the team, or in other settings due to external engagements or travel.
Salary: Salaries and benefits for different countries will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience. See further details below:

•                     UK: £48,314      - £50,729 with excellent benefits

•                     USA: competitive salary package with excellent benefits

About WaterAid:
The climate crisis is a water crisis. Around the world, people are feeling the effects of climate change through water, including flooding, droughts, sea level rise, and irregular rainfall. Climate change is affecting seasonal and long-term water availability, meaning we can no longer rely on rain, river flows and aquifers. 

The Resilient Water Accelerator is an initiative designed to increase the flow of private and public finance into water projects that help the most climate-vulnerable communities build resilience to climate change. Despite the high need, only 3% of total climate finance flows go towards water. Our mission is to demonstrate the business case for increased and enhanced public and private investment in water-related deals in emerging economies that strengthen resilience for climate-vulnerable communities and are replicable so that millions more can benefit. We are working to increase the speed, scale, and replicability of water investment by creating a pipeline of bankable projects, bringing together the right mix of financing with the right commercial structures and partners, and supporting improvements in the enabling environment.

About the Team:
We are a friendly, supportive, globally distributed team, bringing on-the-ground expertise and comprehensive perspectives, combining climate policy, water economics, private finance, measurement and evaluation, and governance. We are currently housed within WaterAid – the world’s largest NGO focused on providing water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for people in developing countries, and are one of WaterAid’s flagship programmes. We have a close partnership with Global Development Incubator, which is providing incubation support for the RWA.

The RWA currently has 11 staff, based in 6 countries, and we have plans to build the team to around 18-20 over the next couple of years, to extend our delivery from 2 countries (currently Nigeria and Bangladesh) to 6, and to secure additional financing to complement the investment we have secured from the UK Government.

About the Role:
The Manager – Climate & Water will play an important role in this small, international team by managing the integration of ideas, policy frameworks, and findings from research and practice into the Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA)’s programmes in our target countries and at a global level. They will report directly into the RWA’s Director of Programmes and Investment, shaping and delivering the future RWA as a highly effective and impactful learning organisation.

• Project management to ensure RWA’s Programmes and Investment-related activities are delivered on time and within budget. Using agreed project management software, track and report RWA’s programme-related deliverables. 
• Conduct research and integrate findings to strengthen RWA Programmes design and delivery: Provide regular inputs and updates on water-related climate, and climate-related water policies, practices, and trends in RWA’s focus countries and target markets and at a global level using quantitative and qualitative approaches, to inform RWA’s understanding of local markets and project origination & early-stage development efforts. 
• Support the creation and rollout of tools, templates, and business processes for RWA team members to integrate climate policy and climate finance into program operations: Collaboratively design, iterate, and improve RWA’s suite of tools and methods for use throughout RWA’s programming, including but not limited to: Understanding Local Markets (ULM), which includes scoping new markets for RWA operations and maintaining an understanding of the markets where we operate; Deal Origination and Early Stage Development, to integrate climate policy and finance into local decision making about opportunities and challenges; 
• Summarize, synthesize, and effectively communicate climate and water-related ideas for internal (RWA staff & board) and external (specific & general) audiences: Support communications strategy and audience segmentation efforts; contribute to RWA’s external communications and knowledge products, to share and amplify how RWA is thinking and learning through diverse media, e.g., newsletter, blogs, field notes, podcast, social media. 

About you:

• At least 5 years’ experience working in on climate-related issues, with a preference for climate policy in middle-income countries and/or climate-related finance.
• A passion for effective Project Management, process design, and continuous improvement cycles with an organised and structured approach to work, managing deadlines and competing priorities.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research, analytical, and modelling skills, with an ability to summarize, synthesize, and articulate findings in clear and coherent ways for diverse audiences.
• Intellectually curious and flexible, with a willingness to explore and test diverse ideas, try new things, and approach learning with a sense of humility and humour.
• Familiarity and experience working with GIS / other large-scale datasets to create models and conduct research and analyses preferred.
• Strong written and oral communications skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-cultural contexts. Experience facilitating virtual and in-person meetings, workshops, and trainings with diverse audiences preferred.
• Creative and open-minded when working with others in identifying, understanding, and resolving multi-dimensional problems. 
• Masters’ degree in one of the following or related fields: climate science, climate and/or water policy, sustainability-related finance, business administration, public administration, public policy.
• Experience of working in and with geographically dispersed teams.
• Team player with a flexible mindset and ability to establish boundaries and adapt in response to changing priorities and demands.
• Able to work on own initiative, providing proactive advice and recommendations, and comfortable operating with a degree of uncertainty and change.

Closing date: Applications will close at 23:59 on 29 September 2024. Availability for an interview is required week commencing 7 October 2024 for online interview 

How to Apply: To see the full job pack, please click ‘Apply’. Please apply by submitting your CV and a cover letter in one document in either Word Document or PDF format. 

Pre-employment screening: To apply for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to the applicable laws in the respective countries.  All our UK-based vacancies require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to comply with our Safer Recruitment policy.

Our Commitment

Our People Promise:
We will work with passion and focus to ensure safe and sustainable water, toilets and hygiene are available to everyone, everywhere. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have.  We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to put the wellbeing of our people first, to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.     

Equal opportunities:
We are an equal opportunity, disability-confident employer and are dedicated to achieving the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions and ways of life. This includes, but is not limited to, race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, national or social origin, health status, and economic or social situation.

Safeguarding:
We are also committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously.