The WASH Governance Group at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, previously the SIWI WASH Department, is looking for an experienced Program Manager to work on different water and sanitation programs in the Stockholm office, Sweden.

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is an independent research institute specializing in environmental and sustainability solutions. In collaboration with industry, governments, and the research community, IVL drives the transition to a sustainable society by transforming science into actionable solutions, turning challenges into opportunities, and driving the shift from linear processes to a circular economy.

The Water and Sanitation Department at SIWI has been a leading partner in the WASH space for over a decade, with experience of working in around 100 countries, focusing on supporting governance solutions that improve water access, sanitation and hygiene in the world’s most vulnerable regions. The SIWI-WASH department has now joined IVL to form WASH Governance Group, to develop better integrated support to countries and partners in water and climate-related issues.

About the Role

The WASH Governance Group implements a number of major programs in the areas of water and sanitation service delivery, with the aim to contribute to achieve sustainable and resilient water and sanitation services. One key programme is Accountabilitity for Sustainability, a partnership with UNICEF aimed to improve governance as a means to increase sustainability of water supply and sanitation services. This program was active in over 50 countries in 2024. In addition to the partnership with UNICEF, the Group is implementing a number of research and capacity building oriented initiatives.

The Program Manager will be responsible for implementation and development of water governance related projects in relation to resilient water supply and sanitation. This includes managerial functions, as well as capacity building, development of knowledge products, technical support and advice on governance related to water supply and sanitation issues, responsible for project development of methodologies, tools and knowledge products.

The main duties of the Program Manager will include the following:

• The Manager will support the implementation of the Accountability for Sustainability programme, in coordination with the rest of the team. (Approx. 75% of the time).

• The Manager will contribute to the implementation of other programs in the water and sanitation department, (Approx. 25% of time).

Within the assignment, the Program manager will also:

• Contribute to the thematic development of IVL´s portfolio in the areas of resilient water supply and sanitation governance

• Develop and/or contribute to the development of knowledge products, training materials, methodologies, tools and research

• Organize and facilitate workshops / trainings as needed

• Identify and develop relationships with national and regional partners

• Provide technical support and advisory services to support water governance processes to countries and to IVL partners as per demand

• Identification, and development of project proposals and strategic partnerships

• Responsible for financial and administrative oversight and results reporting of the programs in charge of.

• Represent IVL in international fora, as appropriate.

• Contribute to internal knowledge management and collaboration with other IVL groups

The Program Manager will be supervised jointly by the Head of Group.

Your background

To succeed in the role you have:

• Master’s or PhD in Social, Natural or Engineering Sciences.

• 8–12 years of experience in water governance, policy development and implementation in emerging and developing contexts, including fragile and conflict-affected settings.

• Strong expertise in water supply and sanitation, water scarcity, and integrated water resource management, including drought and climate risk.

• In-depth understanding of climate change and disaster risk reduction, and their integration into water and sanitation programming and policy.

• Experience with capacity building, institutional development, stakeholder facilitation, and translating research into practical tools (e.g., policy briefs, technical guides).

• Proven ability to design and implement technical solutions tailored to complex contexts, and to contribute to advocacy at regional and global levels.

• Demonstrated skills in program planning, budgeting, risk management and coordination with partners.

• Excellent communication, drafting and interpersonal skills; a team-oriented mindset.

• Fluency in English is required; French proficiency is a strong asset.

• Familiarity with UNICEF systems and applied research is an advantage.

• Commitment to IVL’s core values and vision.

Your personal qualities

A person in this role is responsive and can account for our partners needs and wishes. It is also important that you have strong collaboration skills as you will work with colleagues in different locations. You have a flexible and adaptable approach to work and are open to undertaking short-term assignments that require travel, approximately 30% of the time.

We place great importance on your personal qualities.

What we offer you

We work in a creative and developmental environment where everyone has significant responsibility and excellent opportunities for personal and professional growth. As an employee at IVL, you’ll be part of a workplace that values diversity, collaboration, innovation, and engagement. There’s a great sense of community here, with activities like sports clubs, art associations, parties, pub nights, and more. We work in activity-based offices. At IVL, you’ll have the chance to work with your passion for sustainability in a meaningful way, within a global wonderful community. The full-time position will be based at the IVL office in Stockholm, Sweden.

The position is offered as a 15-month temporary contract, starting August/September 2025, with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and the availability of funding.

Please note that this position is intended to cover a parental leave. While the contract is set for 15 months, it may be subject to adjustment should the parental leave conclude earlier than anticipated.

Welcome to apply

Submit your CV by clicking "Apply here." We will evaluate applications and conduct interviews on an ongoing basis during the application period, so don’t wait to apply! 

For further information, contact Alejandro Jimenéz at alejandro.jimenez@ivl.se.

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