Job Opportunity for Infrastructure Policy and Regulation Leader at Water.org in India

About Water.org

1 in 10 people around the world lack access to safe water and 1 in 4 people don’t have access to a toilet. We are working every day to change this. We are Water.org. We’re here to bring water and sanitation to the world. We want to make it safe, accessible and cost-effective because we believe that water is the way to empowering a bright future that we can all share in, worldwide.

We are an international nonprofit organization based in Kansas City, Missouri that has positively transformed millions of lives around the world through access to safe water and sanitation. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, we pioneer market-driven financial solutions to the global water crisis. For more than 30 years, we’ve been providing women hope, children health and families a bright future.

Summary

As part of an alliance with WaterEquity, Water.org is seeking a Infrastructure Policy and Regulation Leader to:

• Expand private sector participation in WSS infrastructure projects
• Support the development of climate resilient, low-carbon WSS infrastructure
• Strengthen and expand WaterEquity’s investment opportunities in WSS infrastructure.

The primary means of achieving these goals will be:

• Gain familiarity and sound understanding of policy environments in target countries
• Engage with governments, multilateral institutions, development agencies, key private sector players to influence policy making and development of regulatory environments that enables private sector involvement in financing, development, and operations of WSS infrastructure
• Collaborate with key sector stakeholders such as multilateral institutions in the execution of public sector advisory, through the use of third-party service providers.

The Infrastructure Policy and Regulation Leader will be working in coordination with Water.org and WaterEquity colleagues globally to lead the execution of regulatory and policy advisory in the target countries, including identification/selection of specific areas of infrastructure regulations, identification of potential partners with the same interests, formalizing collaborations with partners to jointly advocate, selection of service providers, scoping of services and development of TOR for service providers. The Infrastructure Policy and Regulation Leader is also expected to monitor and evaluate service providers’ performance.

The role will engage heavily with government agencies, multilateral institutions, development agencies, key private sector players, financial institutions, public utilities and WSS service providers.

The ideal candidate will be a proven influencer in policy making, with sound legal and commercial skills required to deliver the policy advisory services, full understanding of project development life cycle in various types of public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks. The candidate must have previous direct experience or involvement in policy development in emerging markets and comfort engaging with national and sub-national governments. The role is also expected to expand, develop, and manage infrastructure policy and regulation team members in priority countries and beyond in line with WaterEquity’s investment strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership (30%)

• Lead design and execution of infrastructure policy advisory in priority markets of WaterEquity
• In collaboration with other functions/departments within Water.org and WaterEquity, coordinate and lead regulatory and policy research on private sector involvement in WSS infrastructure sector to gain full understanding of policy environment in target markets
• Through the Water.org regional offices, build relationships with regulators, policy makers, national planning agencies and key players influencing policy making
• Expand, develop and manage in-country’s team members.

Manage Delivery of Policy Advisory (40%)

• Identify gaps in existing infrastructure policy and regulations to promote private sector participation and investments and determine policy priorities
• Lead delivery of policy advisory services in collaboration with relevant partners (government agencies, multilateral institutions, development agencies) through third party service providers
• Scope services to be performed by service providers, prepare TORs for policy advisory projects, including budgeting for each of the services to be performed
• Identify and select service providers. Monitor and evaluate of their performance in delivering the policy advisory.

Coordination, Knowledge Management, and Representation (30%)

• Develop and lead policy and regulatory reviews in the priority markets
• Develop system to document and update major infrastructure policies and regulations of the priority markets for reference, including dissemination to other relevant parties
• Capture lessons learned and best practices on advocacy and cross-company coordination
• Represent the organization at relevant sector events.

Management Responsibility

Supervises work of others. Responsible for hiring, discipline, and pay administration of their subordinates.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required. Some duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum twelve (12) years of experience in policy making or policy advisory/advocacy related to private sector participation in infrastructure, preferably with a focus on water and sanitation and/or climate change
• Minimum four (4) years of managerial experience
• Hands-on expertise in WSS policy making in emerging markets, particularly models for private sector participation including service contracts and public private partnerships (PPPs)
• Track record of supporting policy development promoting private sector investments in emerging markets infrastructure

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in relevant field
• Minimum 20 years total progressive experience
• Experience in emerging markets government, multilateral development banks, or consultancies welcome
• Experience with supervision of consultants/service providers on infrastructure or policy/regulatory projects
• Demonstrated commitment to social and environmental impact
• Regional experience in at least two regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South Asia, or East Asia Pacific preferred
• Foreign languages an advantage
• Demonstrated commitment to coordination and communications necessary for a successful partnership between Water.org and WaterEquity

How to Apply

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by Water.org to undertake this assignment to conduct a search for a suitably qualified individual to undertake the position of Infrastructure Policy and Regulation Leader. If you wish to be considered for this position, kindly email us at Water.org_IPRL@sri-executive.com on or before 21 October 2022, and please attach a copy of the most recent English version of your CV. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.