Regional Researcher

Job Description

Regional Researcher – Social Science, Water and Climate Change

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is looking for a highly competent researcher to lead applied social science research on inclusive and resilient water resources and irrigation management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), renewable energy and watersheds, and water governance in changing socioeconomic, policy, institutional and environmental drivers, including climate change in Nepal and South Asia.

The Regional Researcher will be responsible for providing scientific leadership, supporting partnership development and multi-stakeholder engagement, and leading social science research portfolios, as well as disseminating research results to target audiences. The person will contribute to expertise across the Institute on key research areas such as inclusive water governance and engaging women, youth and marginalized groups in land, water and natural resources management, disaster risk reduction and mitigation mechanisms, and scaling resilient water and energy technologies and related digital innovations. The researcher will also provide support to strengthen public and private sector partnership interventions in water resources management for agriculture, WASH, and/or water security, and policy and capacity building of multi-stakeholders at various scales.

The position holder will report to the Country Representative – Nepal and will be based at IWMI’s office in Kathmandu, Nepal.

THE ROLE:

The position holder will be responsible for the following:

• Lead high-quality and innovative applied research and proposal development on policy and institutions of water and lands resources management, farmer-led irrigation, migration and development, and resilient water, food and energy solutions in Nepal and South Asia.
• Lead thinking around transformative social approaches to water governance, policy and institutions, and holistic water, food, energy and disaster management solutions for building resilience of people, especially women and marginalized groups, local communities and watersheds in a changing climate.
• Provide social science expertise in the design, testing and evaluation of contextually relevant innovative research for development initiatives in the fields of water resources management, including multiple use water services (MUS) disaster risk preparedness and response-related insurance, and climate-resilient water, energy and WASH technologies and services.
• Ensure that project-specific deliverables and deadlines are met, and manage project budgets and work closely with the Country Representative – Nepal, relevant Research Group Leaders, project leaders, internal and external research teams, and partners to ensure timely delivery of outputs.

Benefits

Required Qualification & Experience

Qualification & Experience

• A PhD in a social science discipline, including sociology, human geography, anthropology or development studies and/or a PhD in water resources management or environmental science with a specialization in applied social science research in water and natural resources management.
• At least three years of post-PhD experience in research for development in Nepal and/or countries in the Southeast and South Asia regions.
• Highly passionate about applied social science research for the development of policy and capacity on sustainable and equitable water resources management and water and natural resources institutions at various scales.
• Experience in preparing scientific publications and/or leading the preparation of research reports with multi-level project partners and teams.
• Experience of working on policy, capacity development and development research issues related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, water resources, irrigation, livelihoods, migration, and development.
• Practical experience in preparing concept notes, and in the design and implementation of social science research projects using qualitative and quantitative research approaches and methodologies.
• A good understanding of the political-economy and governance approaches to equitable and gender-responsive water resources, irrigation and WASH from households, farms and communities to watersheds and river basins.
• Experience in working with and leading interdisciplinary and multicultural research teams.
• Familiarity with federalism and institutional arrangements of the water and natural resources sectors under the federal structure of Nepal.

How to Apply

Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (Sri Lanka time) July 20, 2021 (Tuesday).Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.