Reports to: Chief Executive Officer & Executive Secretary, GWPO
Team: Programme Development & Delivery
Job Grade Range: P5 – D1
Application Deadline: 15 May 2026
EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT
BACKGROUND
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is an international institution with a unique model comprising an intergovernmental organisation, the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO), and a global network of more than 2,800 partner organisations. GWP was founded in 1996 with the support of the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency with a mission to support countries in the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels.
In 2002, the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) was established as an intergovernmental organisation with a mandate to serve as the global secretariat of GWP to support and work with the world-wide GWP Network in pursuit of its mission and vision of a water secure world.
For more than two decades, GWPO and the GWP Network have been at the forefront of promoting integrated water resources management and strengthening water governance globally. GWP comprises 13 Regional Water Partnerships and 77 Country Water Partnerships operating in more than 180 countries. Since 2014, GWP has directly and indirectly supported investments and strengthened water governance and policy frameworks in more than 90 countries.
In 2025, GWPO and its GWP Network launched a Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments. Under the GWP Strategy 2026–2030, GWPO is undertaking a profound institutional transformation to accelerate the mobilization and deployment finance at scale, strengthen water governance, and management of water resources for sustainable, climate resilient, and equitable development.
This bold new chapter includes strengthened partnerships with G20 countries, MDBs, global climate finance institutions, the private sector, and regional financial and economic institutions, among others, to scale up impact. It also includes establishment of GWPO’s innovative Dual Headquarters anchored in the Global South while offering an opportunity to visionary States and governments around the world to join the organization-a historic opportunity to renew global water cooperation and be part of the world’s first Global South anchored Intergovernmental architecture on water investments.
DIRECTOR – PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
This position is a cornerstone of GWPO’s Programme development and delivery under the Global Transformation Agenda and underpins the transition from coordination to GWPO-GWP Network joint delivery, strengthening of GWPO role transforming climate resilient water investments. The success of this role directly determines the operational success of GWPO’s new institutional model.
The Director – Programme Development & Delivery is a senior executive manager reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Secretary. The position is the institutional owner of GWPO’s work programme, delivery engine and portfolio-based joint-programmme delivery model with the GWP Network and is central to the operationalization of the joint GWPO-GWP Network programme development and delivery.
The Director provides strategic and operational leadership to Global Thematic Heads, Global Technical Leads based in decentralized GWPO-GWP Technical Support Hubs and programme development and delivery specialists across hubs, and works in close functional coordination with the Chief of Staff & Governance Affairs, Office of Legal Counsel, Director – Finance & Administration, Portfolio Management, M&E, Delivery & Results Officer, Digital Transformation, Data & AI Officer, and the Gender, Safeguards, Youth & Inclusion Officer.
The Director also works closely with Regional Water Partnerships across the GWP Network.
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The Director – Programme Development & Delivery is responsible for establishing, managing and continuously strengthening GWPO’s global programme development and joint-delivery system across the GWP Network.
The role ensures that GWPO systematically works with and supports RWPs and is embedded in GWP Network regional programme design to enhance delivery quality; that the portfolio-based GWPO-GWP Network joint-delivery model is operationalised; that programme quality, delivery performance and compliance are assured; and that GWPO’s thematic and hub-based delivery architecture functions as an integrated global programme development and delivery engine-working collaboratively with Regional Water Partnerships.
STRATEGIC RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director shall lead overall GWP programme development and delivery across the GWPO Secretariat and the GWP Network:
- Lead the implementation of the enhanced GWP global programme delivery and joint-delivery model with Regional Water Partnerships;
- Translate the GWP Strategy and the GWPO Transformation Agenda into scalable, coherent and bankable programme portfolios;
- Position GWPO as a credible and preferred delivery and co-delivery partner; lead medium- and long-term strategic planning for Global Thematic Programmes;
- Ensure that climate-resilient water investment approaches are systematically embedded;
- Support the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Secretary in engagement with GWP governance bodies on programme delivery performance, strategic partnerships and follow-up actions.
CORE FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Programme portfolio leadership and governance
The Director is responsible for the development and of the GWP work programme and annual workplan and coordinating corporate reports. The Director shall oversee the GWP global programme, comprising GWPO-led programmes and projects jointly developed with Regional and Country Water Partnerships across the GWP Network; ensure portfolio coherence across regions, thematic areas and global initiatives; lead systematic portfolio review and prioritisation; ensure programme pipelines are of high quality and scale; and ensure all portfolios reflect GWP’s strategic thematic priorities and objectives.
The Director will work with GWP regions and Partners to scale up the Africa Water Investment Programme globally, into a Global Water Investment Platform, building on AIP’s track record of success. Leveraging its experience in the development and implementation of the AIP, the Director will work closely RWPs to mobilise global and regional partners and establish similar investment programmes in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe, while retaining the AIP as its African pillar.
Ownership of the GWPO-GWP Network joint-delivery and portfolio-based delivery model
The Director shall operationalise the portfolio-based GWPO-GWP Network joint-delivery culture across the global partnership; embed joint-delivery planning in programme design, proposal development and portfolio reviews; oversee portfolio mapping tools, eligibility and classification tools and delivery transition instruments, including RWP Solidarity Transition Plans; and ensure that the GWPO-GWP Network delivery roles and services are clearly defined, costed and operationalized.
Foster ‘One GWP’ in Programme development and delivery of investments
The Director shall work closely with GWP Regional Water Partnerships in leading and fostering ‘One GWP’ programme development, delivery, reporting and investment preparation at all levels- continental, regional, country; support GWP regions in project origination, development, investment preparation, bankability processes; ensure early and systematic coordination with RWPs, involvement of thematic and hub-based teams; integrate private sector, innovation, digital solutions and adaptive delivery approaches; ensure alignment with GWP country and RWP regional priorities; and oversee preparation and review of relevant regional, country programmes and funding proposals to enhance alignment to GWP thematic priorities and ensure alignment with GWP strategic outcomes.
Thematic delivery management
The Director shall provide operational leadership to Global Heads for Innovation, Knowledge & Capacity Development; Transboundary Water Governance; Water & Climate Resilience Investments; and Blended Finance & Private Sector Investments; set annual delivery priorities; ensure thematic portfolios are operationally linked to technical support hubs and Regional Water Partnerships; promote structured knowledge exchange and learning among RWPs and with the GWP Technical Committee and partners; and coordinate technical backstopping by external experts.
Strengthen GWPO-RWP Hub-based programme development and delivery coordination
The Director shall coordinate the operational work of Global thematic Technical Leads based in GWP technical support hubs in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and LAC; ensure hubs function as technical programme development and delivery support engines to Regional Water Partnership; establish regular delivery coordination mechanisms; and ensure consistent delivery practices.
Programme delivery execution and oversight
The Director shall oversee the execution of all GWPO-GWP Network jointly delivered programmes across the GWP Network; coordinate development, approval and delivery of workplans, coordination arrangements with RWPs and scopes of work; ensure delivery milestones, outputs and outcomes are achieved on time and within approved budgets; establish delivery workflows linking programmes, legal, finance and safeguards; and ensure corrective action where delivery performance is at risk.
Contractual activation of GWPO delivery
In close coordination with Legal and Finance, the Director shall ensure framework agreements, service agreements and task orders are systematically applied; review and validate scopes of work, Terms of References, deliverables, milestones and payment schedules; and ensure compliance with donor, partner and country requirements.
Financial and cost-recovery integration
The Director shall ensure programme designs integrate GWPO-GWP Network service costing, delivery budgets and cost-recovery mechanisms; monitor joint-delivery revenue streams; and ensure delivery contributes measurably to GWPO-GWP Network financial sustainability.
One GWP Quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation, results and compliance
The Director shall establish ‘One GWP’, organisation-wide management-for-results processes; lead the GWP- global annual planning, monitoring and reporting cycle; embed peer review and quality assurance; lead evaluations and organisational learning processes; manage programme-level risk and performance scorecards; and ensure alignment with donor requirements.
Safeguards, gender, youth and inclusion
The Director shall ensure integration of environmental and social safeguards, gender equality, youth engagement and inclusion principles across all programmes.
Private sector, digital transformation and data integration
The Director shall ensure integration of private sector as co-implementers in GWP programmes, strengthening digital platforms, data systems and AI-enabled tools for portfolio management, delivery monitoring and investment pipeline tracking.
GWP Network and RWP engagement
The Director shall serve as the primary operational interface with Regional Water Partnerships on programme delivery, joint-delivery planning and transition arrangements.
Development partners, Donors and partner engagement (delivery perspective)
In coordination with the Director – Global Policy, Strategy, Partnerships and Regional Water Partnerships, the Director shall support engagement with development partners, donors and financing partners on programme design, delivery modalities, performance reporting and business development.
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director shall provide day-to-day executive management of programme delivery operations; directly supervise GWPO Global Thematic Heads, and coordinate closely with RWPs; establish global programme operating procedures; promote a collaborative and inclusive GWP multi-hub culture; support staff development, performance management and welfare; contribute to leadership team development; and build a positive work environment aligned with GWP values.
GWPO MANAGEMENT TEAM SUPPORT
As a member of the GWPO Management Team, proactively work with the GWPO CEO & ES, the GWPO Management Team members to:
- Advise and assist with implement the GWP Steering Committee programme related decisions, issuing of programmes partner contracts, negotiations of RWPs, Host Institutional agreements, recruitment of programme staff, etc;
- Provide oversight and support on, programmatic and contractual matters for GWPO as well as with the RWPs and their Host Institutions;
- Review programme funding applications for regional, country and programmatic activities and ensure that initiatives are in line with GWP financial requirements;
- Prepare programmatic inputs for the GWP Steering Committee, the Consulting Partners, the Sponsoring Partners, and the Financial Partners Group meetings, and follow up actions agreed at those meetings as needed;
- Liaise with the Chair of the GWP SC Programmes Subcommittee and participate as Secretary in the Subcommittee ́s meetings;
- Support GWPO fundraising by monitoring the terms of agreements with donors technically supporting GWP, and establish and maintain cooperation and contacts with them on matters relating to contributions and financial reports;
- Ensure that the management of the GWPO Secretariat supports a productive and transparent work environment;
- Other duties as requested by the Executive Secretary.
AUTHORITY AND DECISION MAKING
Within delegated authority, the Director may approve programme delivery workplans, coordination arrangements for GWP Technical Support Hubs with RWPs, scopes of work and internal delivery workflows. The GWPO Chief Executive Officer & GWP Executive Secretary retains final statutory decision-making authority regarding programme delivery roles, modalities or responsibilities between GWPO and Regional Water Partnerships.
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
Development and of the GWP work programme and annual workplans, and coordinating corporate reports, operationalisation of the joint-delivery and portfolio-based delivery model; quality and scale of programme and investment pipelines; delivery performance and compliance; effectiveness of thematic and hub coordination; contribution to GWP-GWP Network financial sustainability; organisational M & E, learning, innovation and adaptive management; and RWP network satisfaction and delivery credibility.
CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES
Promote the following GWPO Core Values and Competencies across the work of the GWPO-GWP Network to ensure strategic programme development and delivery leadership and execution discipline; strong programme architecture and portfolio management skills; high operational and financial integrity; strong cross-cultural and multi-hub coordination capability; ability to operate in complex political and institutional environments; strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Core Values
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Respect for Diversity
Core Competencies
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Planning & Organizing
- Accountability
- Creativity
- Client, Partner Orientation
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Technological Awareness
Managerial Competencies
- Leadership
- Vision
- Empowering Others
- Building Trust
- Managing Performance
- Judgement, Agile Decision Making
REQUIRED QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Advanced university degree in water resources management, project managemement, development studies, public policy, economics, environmental management or a related field.
- Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible experience in international programme management, multi-country or regional delivery platforms and donor-funded environments.
- Demonstrated experience in portfolio management, programme quality assurance, donor compliance and audits, and complex partnership delivery.
- Strong operational leadership and delivery governance Fluency in English; knowledge of French and/or Spanish is an advantage.
