Job Description

The mission of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is to conduct research and foster innovation through partnerships and collective action that drive the transformation of water systems for sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient development. In Nepal, IWMI co-designs and implements applied research programs to address socio-technical, institutional, financial, and environmental challenges in water management within rapidly evolving climatic and socio-economic contexts.

IWMI seeks to engage a national consultant with demonstrated practical experience and expertise in public–private partnerships (PPP) and blended finance models to support the scaling of socio-technical innovations in the development sector, particularly in water and irrigation services. The consultant will lead efforts to advance irrigation and water management innovations encompassing water services, products, financing and partnership mechanisms, capacity sharing, and policy support.

The consultant will facilitate strategic engagement with the private sector, government agencies, development partners, farmers’ organizations, water users’ associations, and research partners. The role will also support the co-design of public–private–community partnership (PPCP) frameworks with partners and stakeholders to strengthen water and irrigation services, irrigated agricultural value chains, and water enterprises, thereby contributing to food security, improved livelihoods, water resilience, and equitable development.

The consultant will work closely with IWMI researchers and partner organizations to ensure the effective delivery of project outputs.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Technical Support

• Analyze the policy environment and identify gaps related to promoting public–private–community partnerships (PPCP) in Nepal’s irrigation sector.
• Assess the roles and contributions of diverse private sector and community stakeholders involved in the delivery of irrigation services in Nepal.
• Map the interests, capacities, and opportunities of public, private sector, and community stakeholders across different categories of irrigation systems (e.g., mega, meso, and micro) to advance irrigation services.
• Support the co-design of a scale-appropriate PPCP framework for Nepal’s irrigation sector in collaboration with government agencies, the private sector, farmers’ organizations, civil society organizations, development partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Prepare an irrigation roadmap for the spring maize commercialization model jointly implemented by CIMMYT and IWMI in western Nepal.
• Ensure the timely delivery of high-quality project outputs, including technical reports and knowledge products, to generate actionable insights and promote the adoption of scale-appropriate PPCP solutions.
• Identify short-, medium-, and long-term actions required to operationalize the PPCP framework within the irrigation sector.

2. Stakeholder Engagement for Scaling Irrigation Innovations

• Engage and collaborate closely with government agencies, the private sector (including financing institutions, agribusiness service providers, and irrigation digital solution providers), utilities, civil society organizations, and local institutions across the water, energy, and agriculture sectors.
• Collaborate with farmers’ organizations, water users’ associations, and women’s and youth networks to ensure that PPCP frameworks and irrigation innovations are inclusive, gender-responsive, and locally appropriate.

3. Knowledge Management, Co-Learning, and Communication

• Support the preparation of high-quality technical reports, impact stories, blogs, and other communication materials on irrigation innovations and their scaling, tailored for both internal and external audiences.
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder roundtables, stakeholder meetings, and learning events focused on creating an enabling environment for operationalizing PPCP and blended financing approaches in Nepal’s irrigation sector.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Essential:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Development Economics, Agricultural Economics, Business Management, or a closely related discipline relevant to agricultural water management, irrigation and water management, agricultural innovation systems, and scaling approaches.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPEREINCE REQUIRED:

• At least 5–7 years of practical experience in public–private partnerships, irrigated agricultural value chains, and/or the co-development of blended finance mechanisms with partners.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in facilitating investments and leveraging resources for scaling tested solutions related to water and irrigation services, including micro-irrigation technologies.
• Proven experience working closely with government agencies, international organizations, private sector entities, financial institutions, and/or multilateral organizations.

SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Strong knowledge and demonstrated skills in co-developing public–private partnership (PPP) strategies and policies with government partners and stakeholders to support the scaling of tested agricultural water management innovations.
• Proven ability to conduct literature reviews and prepare high-quality analytical reports.
• Strong networking and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders at national and sub-national levels.
• Good understanding of gender equality and social inclusion issues in Nepal.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to adapt and work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent organizational and facilitation skills, with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively across teams.

LANGUAGE PROFICINECY:

• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Benefits

This is a nationally recruited consultancy position based in Nepal; therefore, qualified individuals with relevant expertise and experience are encouraged to apply. IWMI offers a competitive remuneration package for this assignment. The consultancy contract will be for a period of six (06) months.

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) on May 29,2026 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. 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.