Local Partnership Manager - Jordan & Palestine

Period:                1 September 2025 to 30 August 2027

Hours:                 36 hours per week

Location:            Amman, Jordan

Our Activities

The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) is responsible for all tasks related to water and sanitation in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza). World Waternet has been asked to support them in securing sustainable access to safe and clean drinking water. Additionally, wastewater treatment is a key component of sustainable water management in the West Bank. There are already promising plans to tackle the significant challenges, such as mapping water flows and organizing the organizations responsible for their management. Once these aspects are mapped out, improvements in the water situation for Palestinians can take place.

In this role, you will collaborate with a dedicated team, the PWA, local water organizations in Salfit, North Hebron, Yatta, and other stakeholders. You will play a crucial role in guiding and supporting these parties with major restructuring ambitions, while also implementing simple solutions with high impact.

With the new collaboration with the municipality of Yatta, World Waternet is significantly expanding its activities in the West Bank. Therefore, we are looking for a Local Partnership Manager, who will be stationed in Amman, Jordan, instead of Ramallah due to the current situation between Hamas and Israel. From Amman, you will be responsible for overseeing our activities in Yatta. You will act as a strategic sparring partner for our partners in the West Bank and Jordan and initiate new activities.

Background in Jordan:

From 2014 to 2019, in partnership with VNG International, World Waternet supported the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan with peer-to-peer coaching in sewer system management, maintenance, and asset management. This project was carried out in collaboration with the Jordanian water company Yarmouk Water Company, focusing on the rehabilitation of sewer lines, operational management, and climate adaptation. The partnership was funded by the Dutch Embassy in Amman and supported by the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

Following this project, The Yarmouk project in Jordan (2020–2024) saw World Waternet and Yarmouk Water Company collaborate to enhance water management and operational resilience through comprehensive activities. Key efforts included replacing sewer pipes to improve infrastructure and training local staff on preventative maintenance to reduce future issues. The project also focused on asset management improvements across three wastewater treatment plants, ensuring more efficient and sustainable operations. Training on safety measures and supplying Yarmouk with essential equipment and safety tools were integral to enhancing workplace safety and operational capability, supporting long-term resilience and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) for clean water and sanitation.

What will you do and contribute to?

As Local Partnership Manager, you will be responsible for the execution and coordination of a 2-year project aimed at institutional strengthening and capacity building of the Yatta Water Supply and Sanitation Department, located in the municipality of Yatta on the West Bank. This UNICEF project focuses on several key areas and will take up about 55% of your time:

• Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction: You will implement strategies to reduce water losses, directly contributing to more efficient water management.
• Implementation of GIS and Asset Management: You will set up Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and asset management systems to effectively monitor and manage infrastructure and water flows.
• Improving the Use of KPIs: You will assist in defining and implementing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and optimize water management performance.
• Operationalizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): You will ensure that SOPs are implemented and adhered to, enhancing operational efficiency.

Additionally, you will spend approximately 15% of your time supporting project management and the administrative environment of our other activities in the West Bank and Jordan, including:

• Supporting projects such as WaterWorX, Blue Deal, NWB Fund, and UN-Habitat. You will monitor progress and ensure strategic alignment between these various initiatives.

A key part of your work (30% of your time) will involve account management for our network in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan. This includes:

• Maintaining relationships with embassies, WOP partners (Water Operators Partnerships), municipalities, funders, and local coalition partners.
• Stimulating regional knowledge exchange: You will facilitate collaboration between various stakeholders and encourage the sharing of expertise within the region.
• Expanding our network: You will build new contacts and partnerships that support our ongoing activities and create new opportunities for future projects.

You will work closely with our local teams in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan, as well as with our team in Amsterdam. Together, you will ensure the successful execution and sustainable impact of our projects.

Welcome to the Team

You will be supported by a team of 25 professionals from World Waternet in the areas of communication, finance, project monitoring, HR, and travel. Additionally, you will maintain close contact with and report to the regional manager of World Waternet.

The team in the Palestinian Territories consists of a project leader for WaterWorX, a project leader for the Blue Deal, and 5-10 experts on the Dutch side. On the Palestinian side, you will work with approximately 60 colleagues. For World Waternet, this means a Local Partnership Manager who also initiates new activities in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa), 3 young experts focusing on Non-Revenue Water (NRW), wastewater treatment, and climate adaptation, as well as project-specific consultants.

In Jordan, there is a Local Partnership Manager responsible for World Waternet’s activities in the country.

What do you bring?

We are looking for a colleague who is willing to commit to World Waternet in Jordan and the Palestinian Territories for a period of three years. The ideal candidate meets the following requirements:

• Experience in the water sector: You have at least 10 years of relevant experience in the water sector, including an international network that aligns with the challenges and projects in this region.
• Experience in project and account management: You have proven experience in leading projects and managing key relationships, preferably within the water sector.
• Language proficiency: Excellent command of both Arabic and English, both spoken and written. Knowledge of Dutch is a plus but not required.
• Education level: You have at least a higher education (HBO/WO) degree, appropriate for the complexity of the role.
• Network in the MENA region: You have an existing network in the region and are adept at building new partnerships and initiating projects.

Personal qualities:

• You are energetic, proactive, and result-oriented, with the ability to adapt quickly in a dynamic, changing environment.
• You are a strong communicator and can bring together different stakeholders to build collaborations and coalitions.
• You take a pragmatic approach and are focused on achieving goals, even under challenging circumstances.
• You thrive in a multidisciplinary team and can effectively monitor and report on projects when needed.
• You are flexible and willing to travel regularly between Amman, Amsterdam, and the West Bank, as soon as the security situation allows.

Seniority: Given the sometimes political nature of water management in the Middle East, you feel comfortable in an environment where seniority and diplomacy are important.

Location: Your place of residence and work will be Amman, Jordan.

What do we offer?

World Waternet is looking for an experienced employee, freelancer or consultant to strengthen our team in implementing water projects in the MENA region. We offer a challenging assignment where you work independently on innovative and sustainable water solutions.

• Duration of the assignment: The assignment is for an initial period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension depending on progress and project needs.
• Compensation: A competitive salary and benefits package, to be discussed futher in the hiring process.
• Travel expenses: Any business travel expenses will be reimbursed based on actual costs, subject to prior approval.
• Flexible working hours: You work full time (36 hr a week), with the freedom to set your own hours, as long as agreed-upon goals and deadlines are met.
• Location: The work will take place on-site in Jordan and partly remotely, depending on project requirements.

Bij Waternet werk je met een uniek product: water. Samen met zo’n 2000 collega’s zorgen we voor veilig drinkwater, schone grachten, rivieren en droge voeten. Waternet werkt met de nieuwste technieken en is bijna 100% klimaatneutraal. Bij ons werken echte vakmensen: van dijkinspecteur tot dataspecialist en van techneut tot teamleider. Al deze betrokken medewerkers maken Waternet samen tot een werkgever waar je jezelf kan zijn. Wij stimuleren je om elke dag een stukje beter te worden. Je vindt dan ook een groot aanbod aan opleidingen en trainingen bij onze eigen Waternet Academie. 

Wij vragen onze nieuwe medewerkers om een geldige Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag. Een assessment kan onderdeel uitmaken van de sollicitatieprocedure. 

Curious?

Would you like to know more about the role or have questions about working at World Waternet? Contact HR at World Waternet: Merel Boontje +31 6 52480423, or for specific content questions, reach out to the Partnership Director MENA: Kees van der Lugt +31 6 52534412.