Associate Director - Investment Development

The Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) is an independently operated subsidiary within the Water Aid group.

Contract type: 2-year fixed-term contract with potential to renew – Full-time, 35 hours per week

Location: London, United Kingdom

UK hybrid working – up to 40% of working time is spent face‑to‑face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at Water Aid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £71,481 - £82,059 per year with excellent benefits

The Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) envisions a future where water security and climate resilience enable people, nature, and economies to thrive. We are a non-profit company that catalyses capital by transforming investment landscapes and scaling financing solutions for water security and climate resilience. RWA is a subsidiary of Water Aid and was launched by the former Prince of Wales in 2021.

The Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) is a non-profit subsidiary of Water Aid, launched by the former Prince of Wales in 2021. We catalyse capital by transforming investment landscapes and scaling financing solutions for water security and climate resilience — acting as both market shaper and deal driver, with specialist teams and partners in Nigeria (Lagos), Bangladesh, Morocco, Brazil and South Africa.

This role reports to the Senior Director, Programmes & Investment Development.

As our Associate Director, Investment Development
, you will design, structure and scale blended and private/commercial finance solutions for water and water-related investments — water for cities, water for industries and water for nature — and work closely with our CEO, Chief Investment Officer, in-country teams, investors, DFIs and programme partners to drive sustainable change.

In this role, you will:

• Support the structuring of commercially viable investments in water-saving technologies and process improvements for the textiles wet-processing industry in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and scale this work to other garment clusters, countries and industries.
• Lead the provision of advisory services supporting the evaluation, negotiation and implementation of mini- and mega PPP/concession investments in water supply and sanitation in Lagos, Nigeria.
• Originate, structure and develop opportunities for private investment in water supply and sanitation across RWA's target expansion markets.
• Work with consortium partners in the FCDO-funded Just Transitions for Water Security (JTWS) programme to mobilise public and private finance for climate resilience interventions set out in National Adaptation Plans and other partner engagements.
• Support the scaling of finance mobilisation under the Water Forward initiative launched by the World Bank Group and eight partner multilateral development banks:
  Water for People, Water for Food and Water for the Planet.
• Lead the conceptualisation and scaling of innovative financing instruments — including blue and nature-linked outcomes-based bonds, blended finance facilities and guarantees — and newly structured services such as Wastewater as a Service, leasing models and vendor financing.

To be successful, you will need:

• A graduate degree in economics, business administration, finance, engineering or a related field — or a first degree in one of these fields combined with specialised experience in project development or within a financial institution.
• At least 10 years' professional experience, including substantial transactional experience gained with a developer, within a financial institution, or in transaction advisory.
• At least five years' experience in the financing of private sector infrastructure (project finance, PPPs) and/or the financing of corporate water stewardship investments.
• Ability to investigate complex problems and propose innovative financing solutions, adapting structures thoughtfully to a wide range of country contexts.
• Experience leading teams and managing consultants, developing collaborative relationships and mentoring others with a high degree of cultural…