The Nature Conservancy has initiated a project titled “Catalyzing Collective Action for Water Security in Maharashtra” under which it is proposed to establish Ghod River Water Fund to showcase a pragmatic, long-term solution that improves lives, provides water security and thus enabling prosperity of the local communities. The water fund is a governance and finance mechanism that improves water security through collective action, allowing downstream water users to invest collectively in upstream water and land conservation. Water funds help to manage the significant complexities associated with water risk and nature-based source water protection and have the potential to bring widespread water security and economic benefits to India’s burgeoning cities and rural communities.

The Ghod River Water Fund Lead oversees all aspects of the Ghod River Water Fund, a pilot water fund for India. They are responsible for all operational oversight regarding institutional development, budgeting, resource mobilization, grants management, community and stakeholder engagement and staff coordination. They provide strategic leadership and support for the Conservancy’s conservation planning work and establishes overall conservation priorities for the Ghod River Water Fund. This position reports to the Managing Director, India and will work closely with the Global Resilient Watersheds team.  The preferred location for this position is Prune, Maharashtra with frequent travel to New Delhi. This is a local India hire, no visa assistance of sponsorship is offered with this position.

The Ghod River Water Fund Lead develops and implements a business plan for the Water Fund and serves as the principal contact to government agencies, corporates, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community to implement the Ghod River Water Fund.  They will play a leading role in donor identification, cultivation and stewardship for the program. The Ghod River Water Fund Lead disseminates best practices, provides training and analyses to best implement organizational measures of success, and develop key partnerships with public & private organizations in order to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions, innovative scientific methods, analysis, tools and frameworks to address the natural system needs. They establish the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within the area of responsibility, define conservation priorities in the area of responsibility, lead and manage team(s) which supports and improves conservation efforts, and builds strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field. They engage local community support for local conservation efforts, negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural resources, and develop and implement conservation strategies, while safeguarding the interests of local communities.

• Develop and implement the Ghod River Water Fund’s business plan, ensuring that it realistically meets the needs of stakeholders in the region.
• Lead all outreach to public and private institutional partners to engage and support the Water Fund.
• Design and execute fundraising strategies, ensuring targets are met.
• Recruit stakeholders to serve on an interim Advisory Board/Steering Committee, which will oversee the preparation of the Ghod River Water Fund strategy and will provide the basis for the subsequent establishment of long-term governance arrangements. Organize and manage meetings.
• Geographic/programmatic size and scope to initially cover the Ghod river basin, but potential to expand to multiple locations depending on demand for water funds and watershed conservation programs across India.
• Recruits, retains and manages high quality and effective multi-disciplinary staff with responsibility for performance management, training and career development.
• Develops long-term strategies and achieves strategic goals and objectives.
• Develop a network of Water Fund champions for various cities and watersheds including representatives from governments, utilities, corporates and civil society, as appropriate.
• Represents the TNC India program in global dialogue regarding Resilient Watersheds, including source water protection, nature-based solutions, Water Funds and related conservation matters.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
• Makes independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, ambiguous information, experience and judgment.
• May require frequent travel domestically and/or internationally.