Regional Technical Specialist (Water & Land)

The Regional Technical Specialist (Water and Land) serves as IFAD's technical expert in Water and Rural Infrastructure, and Natural Resources Management (NRM). The incumbent provides technical advice and operational backstopping across IFAD's Near East, North Africa, Europe, and Central Asia region portfolio, supporting project design and supervision, knowledge building, and partnership development to foster inclusive and sustainable rural transformation.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert technical advice and operational backstopping in water resources, rural infrastructure, and natural resources management across IFAD's regional portfolio.
• Support project design, supervision, and implementation ensuring integration of water resilience, climate-smart infrastructure, and sustainable land and natural resource practices.
• Develop and disseminate technical guidance, capacity building materials, and knowledge products to enhance project quality and impact.
• Participate in project development teams and contribute to country strategic opportunity papers, project designs, and policy documents.
• Engage in knowledge management activities including sharing lessons learned, conducting seminars and workshops, and contributing to IFAD-wide thematic discussions.
• Build and maintain partnerships with technical organizations, NGOs, governments, and development agencies to enhance IFAD's profile and resource mobilization.
• Represent IFAD in international, regional, and inter-agency meetings, conferences, and policy fora related to water, rural infrastructure, and NRM.
• Support monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of technical activities to inform decision-making and improve project outcomes.
• Manage consultants and staff under supervision, ensuring integrity, transparency, and equity in resource management.
• Provide technical review and sign-off inputs for water and NRM sections of strategic and project documents.
• Promote inclusion of water resilience and climate-smart technologies, public-private partnerships, and innovative financing models in projects.

Requirements

• Master's degree in relevant field such as water resources management, rural infrastructure, natural resources management, environmental science, agricultural engineering, or related disciplines.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in water resources, rural infrastructure, natural resources management, or related fields, preferably in international development or multilateral organizations.
• Proven experience providing technical advice and operational support throughout the project cycle including design, implementation, supervision, and evaluation.
• Experience in developing and disseminating technical knowledge products and operational tools related to water, rural infrastructure, and natural resources management.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and networks with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and other development partners.
• Experience in resource mobilization and advocacy in the thematic areas of water, rural infrastructure, and NRM.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to provide sound technical advice and policy inputs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to represent IFAD in international and regional forums.
• Experience managing consultants and staff, and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of IFAD policies, operational guidelines, and safeguards related to water and rural infrastructure is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of Arabic or French is an asset.

Skills

• Water Resources Management
• Rural Infrastructure
• Natural Resource Management
• Environmental Sciences
• Agricultural Engineering
• Project Cycle Management
• Technical Advice
• Operational Support
• Project Design
• Project Implementation
• Project Supervision
• Project Evaluation
• Knowledge Product Development
• Operational Tool Development
• Partnership Building
• Network Development
• Resource Mobilization
• Advocacy
• Technical Analysis
• Policy Advice
• Consultancy Management
• Team Coordination
• IFAD Policies
• Safeguarding Compliance

Languages

English