The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is seeking for an innovative National Researcher to join its office in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Under the supervision of the Country Representative, the researcher will contribute to, and lead, political economy, policy and governance related research in the portfolio of IWMI’s Research Group on Governance and Inclusion. The position holder is expected to coordinate and contribute to research for development (R4D) on water and natural resources governance, scaling climate resilient and inclusive water technologies for domestic and productive uses, and Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) governance in Nepal’s federal system. The person will collaborate closely with the national and sub-national governments, research partners and stakeholders, including the private sector and networks of youth, indigenous communities, women, and water users in Nepal, to build capacity and enhance adoption and scaling of water solutions. The person may also be required to support national and regional initiatives of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in other countries.

The researcher will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and will work with multidisciplinary researchers and partners of IWMI and One CGIAR.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead and conduct social science research in water governance, policy and institutional arrangements, groundwater governance and markets, renewable energy, solar irrigation and inclusion in close coordination with country representative, researchers, project leaders, and research group leaders.
• Review and synthesize relevant literature on policy and governance issues of water, land and natural resource management, renewable energy technologies, WASH and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Prepare journal articles, progress reports, research reports, policy briefs and blogs.
• Support the dissemination of IWMI’s research findings and impacts at local, national and international conferences and other public fora.
• Support the IWMI country office in implementing its Research and Innovation Strategy plan in alignment with the priorities and plans of the Government of Nepal and IWMI.
• Represent IWMI in strategic meetings and workshops.

• Design and enable multi-stakeholder dialogues on science-policy-practice in national and sub-national level in collaboration with IWMI researchers and partners.
• Coordinate with Human Resource, Admin/finance, Business Delivery, Publications and Knowledge Management, as well as other relevant departments of IWMI to ensure necessary support and guidance related to research project management.
• Work closely with local partner organizations, be the key communicator and coordinator between partners, and manage partnership for delivering research impacts.

• Lead relevant project and ensure that project-specific deliverables and deadlines are met.

• Plan and implement technical trainings, workshops, learning forums and meetings with the aim of transferring knowledge and building capacity of rights-holders, duty bearers, students, development professionals, and national and international partners using participatory methodologies and approaches.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Experience in social science research, particularly in the areas of policy, institutions and governance issues of water resources, and/or natural resources; renewable energy; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); or agricultural water management.
• Knowledge of political economy of water and natural resources, and working with multi-stakeholders in the water sector.
• Knowledge of rural livelihoods, farming/agricultural systems, rural transformation, feminization of agricultural activities, gender issues of natural resource governance, and multiple use of water and solar irrigation.
• Experience in assessing enabling environment for scaling technologies for efficient use of water in the face of climate and social changes.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in producing peer-reviewed journal articles and active engagement in multistakeholder dialogue for disseminating research results.
• Good understanding of development, policy and institutional/governance issues in relation to water and energy resources management including groundwater, and climate change adaptation and resilience in development in Nepal.
• Experiences in project coordination and management, partnership and ensuring timely delivery of high quality research outputs.
• Skilled in supervising interns and consultants.
• Excellent (English) writing, editing, oral communication, and fluently conversant in Nepali.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, accountability to the Institute’s mission, and a team player.
• Ability to plan and conduct research field work with limited facilities outside Kathmandu.
• Respect and practice organizational values and work with professional integrity.

Essential:

• A PhD and/or an Master’s degree in a social science discipline, including but not limited to development studies, sociology, human geography, anthropology, and/or PhD and/or an MSc in water resources or natural resource management with a specialization in public policy, governance or institutional analysis.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in development and/or research project management in the field of water and/or natural resources management.
• Good understanding of federalism and its implementation in the water and natural resource sector.

Desirable:

• Conversant in other local languages would be an asset.
• Experience of working in Terai and Western Nepal.
• Knowledge and experience of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and other social science data analysis tools would be an advantage.
• Experience in field-based research project implementation and monitoring.

Benefits

What we are offering:

This is a nationally recruited position and only candidates who are eligible to work in Nepal will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of three years with the possibility of extension.

In the event that a suitable candidate for the National Researcher position is not identified or if a candidate suitable for the Senior Research Officer role is discovered during the hiring process, the position will be adjusted accordingly.

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 (IST) June 29, 2023 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Your application must include a copy of your curriculum vitae, a list of publications, and a letter describing your motivation and how your knowledge, training, and experience align with IWMI’s requirements stated above. Additionally, please provide the names and contact information of at least two professional referees, indicating your relationship with each. These referees will be contacted if you are short-listed for the position.

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.