Director Asia

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The Person and the Job
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has two Regional Directors, for the Asia and Africa regions. We seek an experienced and motivated individual to lead IWMI’s work in the Asia Region, where we have offices in Lao PDR, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. You will be responsible for strategically positioning IWMI in the Asia Region, with other key roles which include assisting science Theme Leaders with the development of science ‘business’ and representing IWMI with host governments, key stakeholders and partners. You will also assist the development of impact pathways for projects and ensure that there are adequate mechanisms in place for adoption and out-scaling of successful outputs. You will also oversee the management of our regional offices. Regional Directors report to the Director General (DG) and are encouraged to spend a small proportion of time (30% or so) contributing to research synthesis/review or on project work.

You will:
• maintain knowledge of the region and political economy, representing the DG through relationship building with regional stakeholders, donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and regional alliances;
• represent the DG and IWMI with host government agencies and institutions; act as the first point of contact in the region for a range of parties including donors and senior government ministers; and respond to requests and questions from these parties;
• represent IWMI at regional fora, meetings and conferences;
• work with the Business Development Director/Theme Leaders to ensure the development/maintenance of a strong project pipeline;
• seek opportunities for funding, and contribute to proposal writing and other scientific knowledge activities as appropriate;
• support rollout of the CGIAR Research Program on Land, Water and Ecosystems, and integrate inputs and outputs between partners ;
• work with Theme and Project Leaders so that projects by IWMI and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have significant on the ground/regional impact, in line with set goals;
• work with Project Leaders and team members of IWMI’s Information and Knowledge Group (IKG) to ensure project outputs are targeted at appropriate audiences and uptake is maximized;
• be a member of IWMI’s Management Team and support the DG with planned/ad hoc reviews, submissions and other duties as needed;
• coordinate the work in IWMI offices in the region, and provide oversight and management to their administrative support staff;
• deal with everyday issues of staff located in the region, and provide guidance and mentoring as appropriate; and
• ensure mitigation of risk in IWMI’s activities within the region.

You must possess:
• a PhD or equivalent experience in an area relevant to the theme (e.g., hydrology/hydrogeology, irrigation/agricultural science, environmental science, economics, development studies);
• extensive experience of living and/or working in Asia;
• extensive experience in senior management positions, ideally with corporate management experience;
• demonstrated intellectual leadership of key science areas relevant to IWMI’s agenda, having had impact on development challenges;
• extensive knowledge of agricultural concerns in most/all Asian regions;
• individual recognition at international level for significant contribution to one’s area of research endeavor or development implementation as evidenced by publications and other acknowledgements;
• strong verbal communication skills that assist in explaining, in simple terms, international water management challenges, and the ability to explain complex, interdisciplinary water issues;
• strong strategic planning skills and the ability to develop and deliver strategic initiatives to advance the region;
• experience of managing teams of people that have delivered high quality outputs on time and within budgets;
• demonstrated ability to form partnerships with other CGIAR centers, Agricultural Research Institutes and National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) to facilitate delivery of outcomes;
• demonstrated ability to be a strong advocate for the area of responsibility via written and oral presentations;
• demonstrated ability to manage finances of a large team and to plan work from both scientific and financial/human resources perspectives; and
• demonstrated ability to liaise with key donor agencies.

This is an internationally recruited position with a competitive salary and benefits package, including housing allowance, transport, education, shipping assistance, annual home leave, retirement and health insurance. IWMI appoints staff initially on three-year contracts which are subject to renewal, depending on performance and the Institute’s needs. This position will also require extensive travel.

For further information, contact Dr. Colin Chartres, Director General on +94 11 2880000.

Please submit your application on-line at: www.iwmi.org/About_IWMI/Vacancies/ 

Complete Application Form + attach your résumé + attach your letter which addresses IWMI’s requirements shown above with names and email addresses of 3 professional referees, to be contacted if you are short-listed

Your application will be acknowledged automatically within 24 hours. If not, please email us at work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org

The International Water Management Institute (www.iwmi.org) is a non-profit, scientific organization engaged in research and capacity building activities for developing countries. Our mission is to overcome poverty through better management of land and water resources. Working with diverse partners and supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research ( www.cgiar.org ), IWMI seeks to translate its research findings into actionable recommendations for policymakers, resource managers and poor rural communities. IWMI is based in Sri Lanka and has regional offices in 12 countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

IWMI is an equal opportunity employer and is keen to further diversify its staff in terms of both gender and nationality.

 

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