Senior Advocacy Advisor

Job description

**Senior Advocacy Advisor - International Financial Institutions**

**Contract**: Permanent, Full time
- United Kingdom, Grade 3: £45,000 to £50,000 with excellent benefits

**About WaterAid**:
Want to use your skills in influencing World Bank and IFIs to play a vital role in making clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone everywhere?

We need passionate, creative and dedicated people. In return, you will be encouraged and empowered to be yourself at your very best. Together, we will make a bigger difference.

Join WaterAid as our Senior Advocacy Advisor on International Financial Institutions to change normal for millions of people so they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty and change their lives for good. On top of that you'll be joining a 2020 Great Place to Work® award-winning organisation.

**About the Team**:
The WaterAid International Affairs team The Global International Affairs team plays a leadership role across the WaterAid Federation to drive the design and delivery of WaterAid's major influencing with key donors, international and multilateral institutions to achieve SDG 6. The team's purpose is to convince influential political decisionmakers to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene in their policy and funding agendas, and to create the conditions that enable everyone, everywhere to access WASH by 2030.

**About the Role**:
As our Senior Advocacy Advisor on International Financial Institutions you will increase and strengthen our advocacy and capacity to influence global development finance institutions, particularly the World Bank but also be informed on major developments in other IFIs, e.g. recent Paris Summit and Global Financing Pact. We want to ensure our engagement is systematic, impactful and builds up an increased evidence base for influence on the institution.

In this role, you will will employ a range of strategies to advocate for changes in the policies, standards and practices of the World Bank particularly as it relates to water sanitation and hygiene particularly in the context of the twin climate change and global health crises. This position will include a focus on the World Bank Group's Water Global Practice and the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership, as well as also support WaterAid Country Programme teams and partners to influence the World Bank's operations at the country level.

**You'll also**:

- Develop and implement advocacy strategies designed to influence the policies of the World Bank and other relevant IFIs on water sanitation & hygiene in line with WaterAid's globally agreed policy and campaign priorities, and in coordination with allies.
- Build a network of contacts and relationships, including relevant IFI/ World Bank staff and Executive Directors, gather information, and advocate with the Board and staff of the World Bank on particular country operations and key policy areas
- Build technical knowledge and understanding of the Bank's policies and practices in relation to the WASH sector, including the activities of the International Development Association (IDA) and how these relate to countries in which WaterAid has CPs
- Keep abreast of complex and fast changing political debates and monitor emerging trends internationally, across the Bank's key donor governments to inform WaterAid's political positioning, ensuring the organisation's advocacy is responsive and relevant;Actively participate in and contribute to the political influencing and campaign strategies for the Global Advocacy Priority campaigns on WASH & climate and on WASH & women's health.
- Engaging with the networks and coalitions for relevant IFI advocacy.
- Liaise with WaterAid Country Programmes, the Pan-Africa Programme, Federation Members to strengthen collaboration and further WaterAid's advocacy towards IFIs;
**About You**:

- Excellent understanding of the World Bank and other IFIs, including their policies, lending practices, mandates, ways of working, and how to influence them.
- Expert understanding of international aid and development finance as it relates to health, climate and inequalities.
- Demonstrated experience in effective advocacy and policy influencing, with strong skills and track record relationship building and networking for advocacy impact. (including institutions, teams, individuals)
- Strong interpersonal skills, and ability to work well and support international teams and country-based colleagues as well as working with international coalitions.
- Develop and implement advocacy strategies designed to influence the policies of the World Bank and other relevant IFIs on water sanitation & hygiene in line with WaterAid's globally agreed policy and campaign priorities, and in coordination with allies.
- Build a network of contacts and relationships, including relevant IFI/ World Bank staff and Executive Directors, gather information, and advocate with the Board and staff of the World Bank on pa