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Lead Water Resource Management Specialist - New Delhi, India

Background
The mission of the South Asia Sustainable Development Department (SASSD) is to reduce poverty by helping the countries of South Asia to formulate policies and implement programs that support sustainable economic and social development. Within the Region’s matrix structure, the Environment and Water Resources Unit (SASDI) is one of SASSD's nine units and it focuses on providing assistance to South Asia countries to address environment, water and other natural resources management issues. A Sector Manager, based in New Delhi, India, manages SASDI’s program. SASDI staff are located in country offices throughout the region and in Washington, D.C.

Water resources management is a major part of the Bank’s assistance to South Asia countries. A flagship of the water program is the South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI). SAWI is a multi-donor partnership of Australia, Norway, UK and the World Bank, that seeks to facilitate regional cooperation in the sustainable use and management of the water resources of the Himalayan Rivers in addressing development challenges and the impacts of climate change.

To promote better and more cooperative water resources management, SAWI supports efforts to: (i) enhance knowledge and capacity on issues of regional, and in particular transboundary, water resources management and climate adaptation; (ii) facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue and policy deliberation; and (iii) promote cooperative actions such as policy reforms, institutional development and investment in water resources management.

SAWI places emphasis on regional knowledge and ownership, building trust, inclusive dialogue, holistic analyses and the identification of pragmatic activities that will catalyze positive change. Climate change adaptation and gender are also areas of particular focus. The first phase of SAWI would close this year and a second phase, which would be implemented from 2012-2017, is structured around five key Focus Areas: (i) Ganges Basin, (ii) Brahmaputra Basin, (iii) Indus Basin, (iv) Sundarbans Landscape, and (v) Regional Cooperation.

SASDI is seeking a lead water resources management specialist, to be based in New Delhi, India, to oversee the implementation of phase II of SAWI and to provide technical leadership for the development and implementation of a renewed water resources management support in SASDI for South Asia countries.

The successful candidate, who will report to the Sector Manager, SASDI, will be responsible for overseeing the following:
(a) Management of the SAWI trust fund, including leading a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team.
(b) High quality policy dialogue with water resources management institutions and other major government entities in the relevant South Asia countries to develop and implement operationally- relevant strategies and programs for the five key Focus Areas of SAWI -- Ganges Basin, Brahmaputra Basin, Indus Basin, Sundarbans Landscape, and Regional Cooperation.
(c) Development of partnerships with government and non-government institutions, including research organizations, to address national and transboundary water resource management issues in South Asia.
(d) Dialogue on policy reforms, institutional development and investments in sustainable water resources management in South Asia.
(e) Technical leadership to promotion of innovative, cost-effective and high quality policy-based and technical solutions to water resources management challenges, which South Asia countries face.
(f) Support for the professional development of the water resources management staff in SASDI, including mentoring.

Selection Criteria
A. Pre-requisite
Advanced university degree in water resources management, water resources engineering, or related fields. Sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period (at least 10 years) and relevant experience in more than one region of the world.
Strong client orientation and commitment to results on the ground.
Understanding of public administrations and institutional frameworks for water resources management.
Recognized technical skill and practical experience in integrated water resources management.
Recognized expert in facilitating cooperation on transboundary water resources management.
Familiarity with the water and climate change challenges in South Asia.
Experience in leading water resources assessment and/or other types of analytical work as well as project development and implementation.
Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
Excellent verbal and report writing, and communications skills in English.

B. Competencies
Knowledge and Experience: - A record of using his/her technical and cross-country knowledge to provide high quality advice to clients.
Water Resources Management: In-depth specialized technical knowledge and experience in assisting countries to address water resources management issues.
Water Resources Policy, Strategy and Institutions - Solid understanding of water resources management policies, strategies, and institutional frameworks.
Policy Dialogue Skills – Experience in leading high-level policy dialogue with representatives of both government and non-government partners, on water resources management issues.
Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Record of developing and sharing of best practices, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners.
Integrative Skills - Ability to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending operations and non-lending services.
Client Orientation – Experience in developing and maintaining very good client relationships and providing clients with evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
Drive for Results – Record of identifying knowledge and technical resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finding solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Experience in providing strong leadership of task teams to produce high quality results.