Assistant Officer - Organizational Growth and Efficiency Initiatives

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking a motivated early career professional to join its headquarters in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, as an Assistant Officer – Organizational Growth and Efficiency Initiatives.

The Assistant Officer – Organizational Growth and Efficiency Initiatives provides operational, administrative, and coordination support to the Senior Manager – Organizational Growth and Efficiency Initiatives in implementing organizational efficiency, integrated change initiatives, and the Tripartite shared services agenda involving IWMI, IRRI, and WorldFish.

Under the Guidance of Senior Manager, this role supports effective coordination across Corporate Services functions by assisting with documentation, tracking, reporting, meeting coordination, and stakeholder engagement. The position also contributes to institutional compliance and governance support processes, including providing support to organizational risk management coordination and related documentation requirements.

Under the guidance of the Principal Manager – Legal (Secondary Manager), the incumbent will assist with legal matters related to institutional agreements, official correspondence, and governance‑related documentation.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide administrative and coordination support to shared services, change processes, and related initiatives across IWMI, IRRI, and WorldFish.
• Assist in tracking progress, timelines, and milestones of organizational growth, efficiency, and Tripartite shared services initiatives, and maintain project status updates and related documentation.
• Support the preparation of presentations, reports, briefing notes, and other materials required by the Senior Manager and the COO’s office, including board papers where assigned.
• Support coordination and follow-up with Corporate Services functions (Finance, HR, ICT, Legal, Administration, Security, and Facility) to ensure timely completion of tasks and shared deliverables.
• Assist in arranging meetings, workshops, and coordination sessions; prepare minutes, action trackers, and follow up on agreed actions.
• Maintain effective document management systems, ensuring records, correspondence, and files relevant to organizational growth and efficiency initiatives are properly maintained and accessible.
• Support internal communications by assisting with drafting, formatting, and quality assurance of content intended for internal audiences.
• Support the development, documentation, and implementation of the institutional policy framework.
• Support organizational risk management processes by coordinating with functional departments to ensure the availability, completeness, and timely submission of risk registers.
• Provide administrative support for governance-related activities led by the Senior Manager and the COO’s office.
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders, including the Principal Manager – Legal, to support alignment with institutional governance requirements.
• Provide administrative and coordination support to initiatives under the IWMI Organizational Growth Strategy – Project Management Unit, under the guidance of the Senior Manager.
• Develop and implement AI-based tools, including bots, to enhance operational efficiency in the DG’s Office.
• Perform other related duties assigned by the Senior Manager.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Essential,

• Bachelor’s degree specializing in Finance, Public Administration, Business Management, or a related field.
• Around 01 year of relevant experience in administrative support, project coordination, or corporate services support roles.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Essential,

• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and the ability to manage documentation and workflows accurately.
• Ability to coordinate tasks across multiple stakeholders and ensure timely follow-up.
• Strong analytical and reporting support skills, including the ability to interpret and present project updates.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information professionally.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and new procedures.
• Strong teamworking and communication skills in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary working environment.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and respect in workplace interactions.
• Ability to prioritize workload, manage deadlines, and support multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively across departments and teams.
• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Benefits

This is a nationally recruited position and only Sri Lankan nationals will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of three years with the possibility of extension.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on January 26, 2026 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.