Salary: £40,769.00 (part time pro rata)
Location: Flexible Aberdeen/Dundee
This is a fixed term, part time vacancy that will close in 11 days at 23:59 BST.
The Vacancy
We are looking to recruit a Senior International Development Officer on a part time basis (30 hours per week) fixed term to September 2025 in the first instance.
Main Purpose of Job
One of the largest interdisciplinary centres of its kind, the Hydro Nation International Centre (HNIC) provides a translational hub for the water community-of-practice. The HNIC brings together a critical mass of the Scottish water research community to focus on developing talent, promoting innovation, supporting expertise and maximising impact and outcomes that can be applied in any global context. HNIC is growing in terms of capacity and reputation and recently embarked on an exciting international project “Scotland’s Global Partnership for Knowledge and Expertise in Water and Climate (SPARKE): A peer-to-peer partnership with the Global South”
Under the auspices of HNIC, the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) delivers evidence-based research and expert knowledge to meet policy needs and is one of five virtual Centres of Expertise funded by Scottish Government. Building on the success of the CREW model, the Scottish Government has committed to supporting peer to peer partnerships with international jurisdictions of interest. The aim of these partnerships is to support skills development in knowledge management and science-policy exchange.
HNIC is seeking a Senior International Development Officer to lead the SPARKE project and work with middle/top level Government officials in Scotland and Malawi, the Nation Water Resource Authority (Malawi), key NGOs and the academic community to understand how improved access to data, information, knowledge and skills promote more efficient and effective evidence-based decision making in the water sector. Through the development of a Blueprint of good practice, it is anticipated that the partnerships developed through SPARKE will result in the creation of policies and procedures that are effective, efficient, and more likely to achieve positive outcomes for the management of water resources.
Key to the Senior International Development Officer’s role is the ability to coordinate the design and delivery of a range activities to support the Scottish Government’s international development priorities including Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Access to clean water and sanitation for all) and the Malawi Vision 2063. The successful candidate should have significant experience in end to end project/financial management; the skills to co-construct and facilitate training courses and workshops to optimise the sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst knowledge makers and decision makers, and have the confidence to make decisions at a senior level, including vital experience in diplomacy, handling and resolving conflicts and balancing views from a range of stakeholders in a national and international context.
Excellent communicate skills are essential for this position and an understanding of the subtleties of effective cross-cultural engagement methods, as well as having a good understanding of the challenges of translating scientific research into policy-relevant outputs. The post holder will be expected to show leadership and initiative in stakeholder identification and analysis, partnership development, and in the design of network activities that result in impact through change in policy, behaviour, environmental management etc. In addition, the post holder will be expected to undertake an ongoing practice of monitoring and evaluation of programme outcomes and to document the evolution of the network to facilitate adaptive project management, reporting, and recommendations for future activities.
The ideal post holder will have the autonomy to seek new sources of funding and should have a track record of successful income generation through drawing on existing partnerships and professional contacts in academia and more widely to generate income and help grow activities in the HNIC.
It is envisaged that the postholder would have the option to undertake hybrid (home-based and office- based working) with occasional meetings at the James Hutton Institute premises (Aberdeen and Dundee) and at other venues throughout Scotland driven by project need. There will also be a requirement for some international travel.
Potential applicants may contact Dr Rachel Helliwell (email: Rachel.Helliwell@hutton.ac.uk, mobile: 07854758876) to discuss this position.
Main Duties of Postholder
- Lead the SPARKE project including project planning, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and budget management.
- Identify needs and opportunities to support the development of the SPARKE network through, for example, newsletters or mailing lists to highlight research activities; curated email circulars to advertise opportunities for collaboration, and events (conferences, panels, and/or networking). Monitor use and engagement with these activities.
- Develop further the work completed to date on barriers to decision making in the water sector and how to improve data, information and knowledge flows to support that.
- As appropriate propose a series of capacity building activities, which may include shadowing and placement opportunities, small-scale training and professional development, or peer-to-peer mentoring. Select and trial capacity building activities in line with available budget. Monitor the uptake of these activities and gather feedback on participant experiences.
- Organise and host an international symposium to share experiences and successful science-policy exchange. Plan final dissemination activities to showcase accomplishments and global leadership in science-policy exchange.
- Identify opportunities for scaling up or provision of further knowledge exchange and capacity building activities through the development of a blueprint to enhance effective decision making in the water policy sector in sub-Sahara Africa.
- Continue to work with Scottish Government as a key funder of research and seek new funding opportunities that draw on collaborative partnerships to address water resource issues in Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda.
Person Specification
Education/Experience/Skills
Essential
| Attainments: | |
| Education / qualifications | • First degree and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a science or development-linked project management role, with at least two years’ experience of facilitation and management of international partnerships. |
| Experience: | • Extensive experience of leading complex projects and managing relationships between stakeholder with diverse backgrounds. |
| • Experience in partnership and/or network development. | |
| • Experience of working at the science policy interface in environmental, sustainability, &/or water sector issues | |
| • Experience with project management processes such as budget management, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting | |
| • Experience of successful proposal writing and income generation | |
| • Experience in the design and facilitation of workshops, meetings, and training. | |
| Skills: | • Good organisational, planning and communication skills |
| • Excellent IT skills including a proven track record of developing a range of knowledge outputs, including high quality written outputs (paper/policy briefs/blogs) and presentations. | |
| • Experience in social media | |
| • Ability to manage conflict and expectations among diverse stakeholders |
Desirable
| Attainments: | |
| Education / qualifications | • Relevant post graduate experience, and/or professional accreditation |
| Experience: | • Experience of developing visual and multi-media content |
| • Experience with project management tools and approaches | |
| • Experience of adaptive management – using strategies and tools that ensure continuous improvement and efficiency in operations | |
| • Experience of International development in sub–Saharan Africa |
Additional notes/Requirements
- Interviews will likely take place in the week commence 8th July 2024
Benefits Offered
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – A confidential service available to support employees and their families with work or personal problems. Providing access to professional counsellors, psychologists, and work-life consultants available to help and support individuals in tackling all types of problems.
Annual Leave – Generous entitlement up to 40.5 days a year, with carry over possible and guaranteed time-off for Christmas.
Pension – Employer Contribution of 15% in a Personal Pension Plan and employee contribution flexibility.
Self-managed hours and Flexible Working – option to manage and spread your working time in line with organisational needs to create a healthy work life balance.
Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity
We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.
The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Bronze Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.
The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.
The Company
The James Hutton Institute combines strengths in crops, soils and land use and environmental research, and makes a major contribution to the understanding of key global issues, such as food, energy and environmental security, and developing and promoting effective technological and management solutions to these.
James Hutton (1726 – 1797) was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, an eighteenth century golden age of intellectual and scientific achievements centred on Edinburgh. He is internationally regarded as the founder of modern geology and one of the first scientists to describe the Earth as a living system. His thinking on natural selection influenced Charles Darwin in developing his theory of evolution.
