Utility Finance Specialist

Position Location: Hebron, Palestine

Utility Finance Specialist – USAID Non-Revenue Water Management Project (NRWMP)

The USAID NRWMP, implemented by Tetra Tech International Development (International Development Jobs - Tetra Tech)  in the West Bank is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates for a Utility Finance Specialist.  This position will be located in the main office in Hebron.

The purpose of this project is to improve Palestinians’ access to safe, reliable, sustainable, and climate resilient water services through: 1) the development and strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Hebron, Halhul, and Dura water utilities for sustainable, reliable, and climate-resilient water delivery service; 2) the implementation of strategic infrastructure works to support the objective of the activity; 3) the design and implementation of innovative solutions to expand the use of smart water management technologies for efficient, timely, and transparent water management; and 4) the design and implementation of innovative measures and public awareness campaigns to promote effective water governance at the utility and foster social behavioral change toward more efficient and responsible water use practices and trends. This is a full-time position based in Hebron with regular travel to Dura and Halhul.

Under the leadership of the Institutional Support Advisor, the Utility Finance Specialist leads efforts to improve financial performance of the water utilities. S/he develops financial management guidelines and systems for performance benchmarking, analysis, and visualization; and proposed water tariff structures and financial sustainability plans.

Responsibilities:

* Participate in the assessment of the institutional capacity of the water utilities related to financial systems. Establish an initial breakdown of physical and commercial NRW losses.

* Recommend indicators and benchmarks for the water utility service delivery improvement plans.

* Lead efforts to improve financial performance of water utilities.

* Develop financial management guidelines and systems for performance benchmarking, analysis, and visualization.

* Co-develop the financial management policies and procedures and procurement policies with the water utilities through a consultative process.

* Provide inputs to the NRW Specialist on the NRW baseline and endline audits related to financial recovery.

* Estimate financial savings of proposed options for infrastructure improvements and commodity installments in the water supply systems for cost-benefit comparisons.

* Support development of water tariff structure and financial sustainability plan, taking into consideration operational costs and staffing plans to cover all required functions with competitive salary structures.

* Outline business plans for each water utility to operate at full cost recovery based on projected revenues from each defined tariff and projected collection rates and progressively lower target financial and physical NRW rates over a five-year period.

* Quantify revenues of water utilities for monitoring the financial sustainability plans and progress toward the project’s indicators.

* Review lessons learned from previous assessments for, including the financial business plan developed for the wastewater project outlining operational costs, staffing recommendations, and proposed water and wastewater tariffs.

* Conduct consultations with the service delivery improvement committees and communities related to tariff proposals.

* Integrate capacity strengthening efforts for the utilities into implementation of all aspects of programming, utilizing a co-design and co-implementation methodology.

* Develop and contribute to success stories and document lessons learned.

* Perform other tasks defined by the Institutional Support Advisor.

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Qualifications:

* Bachelor’s degree or higher in finance or other related disciplines.

* Must have at least seven (7) years of professional experience working on finance and utility development projects in developing countries.

* Must have demonstrated knowledge of water utilities in the West Bank and understanding of water tariff structure.

* A demonstrated track record of progressively responsible experience providing leadership to donor projects with similar complexity.

* Proven leadership, organizational, and writing skills.

* Professional fluency in Arabic and proficiency in English is required.

* Qualified applicants from Palestine highly encouraged to apply.

To be considered applicants must submit the following as part of the on-line process:

* [Cover Letter]

* [CV in reverse chronological format]

* [Optional-Writing Sample – must be sole authorship, maximum 10 pages]

Please indicate where you saw Tetra Tech’s IDS ad posted.

Deadline:  21  February 2024

Apply : [email protected]

Applications that do not meet the minimum requirements listed above will not be considered. Please ensure that all necessary documents are uploaded, as incomplete applications and/or corrupt files may delay processing of your application or remove you from consideration. No phone calls will be accepted.

At Tetra Tech, health and safety play a vital role in our success.  Tetra Tech’s employees work together to comply with all applicable health & safety practices and protocols, including health orders and regulations related to COVID-19 that are mandated by local, state, and federal authorities.

Tetra Tech combines the resources of a global, multibillion-dollar company with local, client-focused delivery in more than 550 locations around the world. Our reputation rests on the technical expertise and dedication of our employees — 27,000 associates working together to provide smart, scalable solutions for challenging projects. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development. We are an equal opportunity employer: EOE AA/M/F/Vets/Disability. If you need a reasonable accommodation with your application process, contact our Global Talent Operations team.