Senior Water Specialist

The Senior Water Specialist will support the formulation and implementation of water sector strategies and projects in West and Central Africa, focusing on water supply, sanitation, and water resources management. The role involves policy dialogue, project preparation and supervision, and collaboration with government and development partners to achieve water security and sustainable development goals.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the formulation of country sector strategies in the water sector including water supply, sanitation, water resources management, irrigation, and reforms.
• Participate in reviews of sector policies, legal and regulatory frameworks for the water and sanitation sector.
• Assist in the identification and preparation of projects.
• Liaise with and support teams from other World Bank Global Practices to ensure water-related issues are addressed consistently.
• Participate in policy dialogue with key stakeholders and development partners.
• Advise government counterparts on policy, institutional, and technical matters related to the Bank’s water program.
• Prepare reports, summaries, briefs and talking points on water-related projects and programs.
• Monitor closely the implementation of projects.
• Participate in the design, preparation and implementation of water activities in Chad and Mali, incorporating cross-cutting issues such as gender and climate change.
• Assist multidisciplinary supervision missions covering all phases of the project cycle.
• Identify implementation issues related to projects and programs.
• Work closely with client institutions to support effective implementation of Bank-supported programs.
• Maintain effective relationships with governmental, non-governmental, donors and other stakeholders.
• Organize workshops on Bank procedures and deliverables.
• Encourage clients to use disruptive technology and ICT to speed up project implementation.
• Support the design, preparation and implementation of sector strategies, studies, analytical work, policy work, and advisory activities.
• Stay informed on the status of the water sector and its institutions, as well as relevant donors, private sector and NGO initiatives.
• Lead task teams for analytical studies and preparation and implementation support to investment and policy-oriented projects.
• Identify and share relevant expertise and examples within and outside the World Bank.
• Identify and support water sector links to the Bank’s country strategy and other sectoral teams.
• Monitor and assess the implementation of sector portfolio.
• Ensure quality control and timely preparation of reports on project implementation and progress.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in water resources, hydrology, hydraulics, sanitation, environment, civil engineering, irrigation or a related discipline with a focus on water supply and sanitation and water resources management.
• At least 8 years of recognized technical, operational and/or policy-oriented expertise in relevant areas.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of water supply and sanitation service delivery and water resources management, including infrastructure development, utility/institutional reform, public/private partnerships, sector coordination and policy dialogue, private sector participation, pro-poor strategy, and program development.
• Sound knowledge of the water sector issues in Chad.
• Knowledge of cross-cutting issues related to the water sector: climate change, environmental and social issues, inclusion, and poverty reduction.
• Ability to think innovatively and strategically in dealing with technical and/or policy issues while maintaining a strong client focus.
• Ability to lead policy dialogue with governments and external partners.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in French and English, including demonstrated ability of publishing technical and/or policy work and making effective presentations to diverse audiences.
• A high degree of dynamism and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated track record as a results-oriented professional and excellent team player.

Skills

• Water Resources Management
• Water and Sanitation
• Hydrology
• Hydraulics Engineering
• Sanitation Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Irrigation Engineering
• Water Infrastructure Development
• Utility Reform
• Institutional Reform
• Public Private Partnerships
• Sector coordination
• Policy Dialogue
• Private Sector Participation
• Pro-poor Strategy
• Program Development
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Environmental and Social Issues
• Poverty Reduction Strategies
• Technical Report Preparation
• Project Preparation
• Project Supervision
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Bilingual Communication French-English

Languages

French, English