Investment Operations Specialist / Senior Specialist - Water

Ref. Number: 21050

Department: Investment Operations Region 1, Infrastructure Investment Department

Job Type: Global Recruitment

Posting Date: 6 May 2021

Closing Date: 27 May 2021

Investment Operations Specialist / Senior Specialist - Water

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is financing the Infrastructure for Tomorrow—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in January 2016 and have since grown to 103 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized up to USD100 billion and Triple-A-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Working with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.

AIIB’s Investment Operations comprises two regional teams, 1 and 2. Each regional team is led by a Vice President (VP) and reporting staff includes client relations specialists, technical specialists, and bankers. Region 1 is responsible for South East Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South Asia (except Pakistan and Afghanistan), while Region 2 covers Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, East Asia, West Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The Infrastructure Investment Department is scaling up its support for water sector programs and is looking to recruit experienced and talented water specialists with strong skills in the water sector, i.e., water supply and sanitation (WSS), water resource management (WRM), and wastewater management.

The Investment Operation Specialist/Senior Specialist – Water will contribute toward AIIB’s overall lending program by supporting the planning, design, preparation, and implementation of projects and programs that will help meet the rapid growth demands of the sector. The Specialist/Senior Specialist will be responsible for designing, preparing, appraising, and implementing water resources management, irrigation and drainage, flood control, water supply and sanitation, and wastewater management projects. They will play a key role in the operational work of AIIB in the water sector either as a leader or member of the team preparing and implementing AIIB water projects. 

The Specialist will also be responsible for understanding and responding to the water sector challenges facing Asia which include the need for more effective management of water resources; efficient water uses to meet the demands in the water and sanitation and irrigation sectors; and effective wastewater and stormwater management for pollution control and flood mitigation, both in urban and rural environments.

Responsibilities:

• Provide technical inputs into the design of projects, leading to technical quality assurance of the projects throughout the project preparation process up to Board approval. 
• Participate in overseeing the implementation of AIIB’s water operations with the objective of enhancing quality and accelerating project implementation, with a focus on delivering results.
• Lead or participate in dialogue with clients and other stakeholders on strategic water issues and the implementation of AIIB’s water program.
• Advise clients on the preparation of technical and feasibility studies and technical design of projects, leading to investment prioritization and cost-effective solutions to water sector investments.
• Maintain sufficient technical and operational knowledge of individual water sector operations and activities (including those not managed by them) to help identify and resolve project-specific or systemic preparation or implementation issues.
• Conduct project risk assessment of the projects and programs and advise project teams on mitigation strategies to manage such risks.
• Carry out due diligence and institutional assessments on executing agencies, including implementation capacity assessments of project counterparts.

Requirements:

• A minimum of 5-8 years (for Specialist, 8-10 years for Senior Specialist) of relevant work experience in the water sector. The candidate’s track record and experience could combine engineering technical expertise in institutional and economic water issues.
• Extensive international project experience in engineering design and analysis of water projects including in a multilateral bank and/or global consultancy role.  Experience in water management issues in developing countries in general would be desirable. 
• Proven experience in coordinating and/or managing large or multidisciplinary water programs would be an added advantage. 
• Ability to forge partnerships with clients, co-financiers, and other stakeholders.
• Organizational and project management skills to conduct day-to-day management of a large and complex project portfolio.
• Master’s degree in a technical field relevant to water, either water supply and sanitation; water resources management; wastewater management; irrigation, flood management and drainage, or other related fields.

AIIB is committed to diversity, transparency, and inclusion. We believe our strength comes from having a team with the right diverse skills, experiences and abilities selected through a merit-based competitive process. We actively encourage applications from people from both within and outside AIIB members, regardless of nationality, religion, gender, race, disability, or sexual orientation.

Join in AIIB’s mission to promote sustainable infrastructure investments and to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.

Previous experience and qualifications will determine the grade and job title at which successful applicants will enter AIIB.