Executive Director

Executive Director, SIWI 

Are you an experienced leader who seeks a challenge working at the intersection of water, climate, development, and cooperation? Do you have a proven track record of excellence in leadership roles, leading the development of organizations, management groups and successful teams of experts, from nonprofit organizations or similar? Then working at SIWI might be the right opportunity for you! 

About SIWI 

Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving water governance as a foundation for sustainable development. SIWI provides expertise, applied research, policy advice and capacity development to governments, communities, organizations and companies.

With a team of approximately 35 employees, SIWI works across water governance, climate resilience, sustainable development and international cooperation. The organization develops knowledge and capacity, advises decisionmakers, contributes to policy processes, and convenes actors across sectors and geographies.

SIWI organizes the World Water Week, the world’s leading global water conference, and convenes and co-creates major platforms for dialogue, partnership and cooperation, including the Water for Climate Pavilion at the UN Climate Change Conferences, UNFCCC.

The Role 

SIWI is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization into its next phase with a newly approved three-year strategy for 2026 to 2028.

The Executive Director will be responsible for continuing the implementation of the strategy, strengthening organizational stability, and ensuring that SIWI continues to deliver relevant, high-quality work at the intersection of water, climate, development and cooperation. The role combines strategic leadership with operational follow-through, external representation, and close collaboration with the Board, management team, employees, partners, and stakeholders.

A central part of the role is to further develop SIWI’s partnerships and create long-term conditions for sustainable financing. This includes building trust-based relationships with donors, public institutions, multilateral organizations, foundations, the private sector, and other partners who can contribute to SIWI’s mission.

The Executive Director reports to the Board and represents SIWI in national, regional and international settings.

Requirements

• Proven leadership excellence and track-record with the ability to develop high-performing management teams and specialist organizations, translate strategic vision into tangible and sustainable results, and inspire people to create an inclusive, engaged, and high-performing organizational culture.

• A holistic understanding of key global sustainability challenges, ideally with experience working in water and/or climate policy or practice, water governance, or related international policy or sustainable development.

• Demonstrated financial and business acumen with not-for-profit or similar organizations – the ability to manage financial and operational information and make sound judgments and pragmatic decisions that contribute to an organization’s growth and financial stability.

• Demonstrated experience, in-depth knowledge and proven track-record of fundraising/resource mobilization from various sources including bilateral and multilateral donors, philanthropy, private sector and/or other in-kind resources, and the ability to pursue non-traditional donors and/or methods.

• Demonstrated experience in talent/staff development and management to attract new high caliber staff, build the skills and personal and professional development of existing qualified staff, and the ability to help mobilize human resources through other options such as secondments, university researchers, and exchanges inter alia to deliver on SIWI’s strategic vision and mission.

• A well-developed ability to build and nurture strategic national and international collaborations and partnerships to further SIWI’s strategic program; a strong existing relevant national and/or international network is highly desirable.

• A proven convenor, able to bring together diverse stakeholders and work effectively with them and to inspire renewal and vitality in World Water Week, participation in UN and EU water and climate related processes, and other fora/activities, which SIWI leads or in which it participates.

• Experience with knowledge-based organizations, such as universities and other higher education institutions, policy institutes, think-tanks, government agencies, or consulting companies with diverse external funding. This includes knowledge of proposal preparation, submission, management, and collaboration with partners on joint research initiatives and proven track record with research funding organizations.

• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage and work with different groups (governments, multilateral bodies, donors, civil society, the private sector, the research community and staff) by building trust, navigating competing interests and finding common ground.

• Experience with and understanding organizational communications as a vital means to achieve strategic objectives and expand influence/impact. Excellent personal communication and presentation skills to represent SIWI in various national, regional, and global fora.

• Experience either serving on and/or reporting to and working strategically with a global Board.

• SIWI works in an international context, and the Executive Director will represent the organization in global and regional settings. At the same time, the role is based in Sweden and an understanding of, or a clear ability to navigate, the Swedish, Nordic and European institutional context is highly desirable.

• Excellent spoken and written English. A good level of written and spoken Swedish is desirable.

• Good knowledge of Swedish and EU employment processes and procedures is desirable.

• A university degree in a relevant area of expertise is required. A master’s degree is meriting.

Practical Information 

The Executive Director is expected to be based in Stockholm, Sweden.  

The recruitment process will take into account the candidate’s right to work in Sweden or the EU. SIWI does not offer dedicated relocation or housing support.

Application 

If you are motivated by the opportunity to lead a respected knowledge-based organization working at the intersection of water, climate, development and cooperation, we welcome your application.

For questions about the role, please contact Ebba Levin at ebba.levin@novare.se or Olivia Westh at olivia.westh@novare.se

SIWI offers a market-competitive salary in line with other leading Swedish non-profit organizations.