Public-Private Finance Specialist at WaterAid
Job Description
Job Summary
The Public and Private Finance Specialist will provide specialist technical leadership on WASH financing strategy, structuring and investor engagement within the National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator.
The role is responsible for ensuring that priority WASH projects are financially credible, appropriately structured and aligned with the requirements of public, concessional and where relevant private finance providers, enabling formal entry into financing appraisal and investment pipelines.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
1. Financing diagnostics and strategy (Stage 2)
- Lead or contribute to country‑level diagnostics of WASH financing constraints, including budget flows, fiscal space, creditworthiness, and investor risk perceptions.
- Analyse the balance between public, concessional, blended and potential private finance options.
2. Project prioritisation and financing alignment (Stage 3)
- Support the assessment and prioritisation of WASH project concepts against financing institution criteria.
- Advise on project scale, affordability and financial structuring options, with ambition for large‑scale (>$100m) investments where feasible.
3. Project structuring and investment readiness (Stage 4)
Lead financial inputs into full project development, including:
- indicative financing structures.
- proposed sources of finance.
- allocation of financial and non‑financial risks; and
- affordability and sustainability considerations.
4. Engagement with financing institutions (Stages 3–6)
- Support structured engagement with multilateral development banks, DFIs, bilateral financiers and philanthropic funders.
- Interpret and translate financing partner requirements into actionable guidance for government teams.
- Support progression of priority projects into formal concept review, pre‑appraisal or appraisal queues.
5. Public–private interface and blended finance (where relevant)
- Assess the potential role of private finance, guarantees or delegated management models within public‑led WASH investments.
- Advise on risk‑sharing mechanisms, viability support and blending approaches appropriate to country context.
6. Quality assurance, learning and guidance
- Contribute to internal quality assurance of financing diagnostics, project concepts and full project packages.
- Document lessons on WASH financing pathways, including what has and has not proved credible with financing institutions.
Educational Qualifications, Experience, & Skills Required
- Strong professional experience in public sector, development or infrastructure finance, with a focus on WASH or related sectors.
- Demonstrated understanding of MDB, concessional and blended finance processes.
- Experience working with government counterparts on financing strategies or investment preparation, particularly ministries of finance.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex financing issues clearly to non‑finance specialist audiences.
- Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:
- Direct experience engaging with World Bank Group, AfDB or similar financing institutions.
- Experience of blended finance, guarantees or private capital mobilisation in infrastructure or public services.
- Experience working across multiple countries or fragile financing contexts.
