SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
CAPRED is seeking to recruit a highly qualified and experienced individual for the position of Energy Deputy Lead. This is an important role at a time when Cambodia's clean water supply sector is progressing rapidly, with increasing momentum in sector planning, sector financing, policy reform, enhancing quality of private sector participation, and accelerating service expansion. Thus, there is a strong need for pragmatic support that can help close the gap between sector strategic direction and execution.
 
The selected candidate will play a crucial role in coordinating and managing CAPRED's infrastructure support, with a particular focus on energy. This role requires a strong all-rounder who can work across public sector engagement and private sector engagement; translate technical and policy ideas into practical actions; and support investments, reforms, partnerships, and delivery on the ground. The ideal candidate will bring strong judgement, analytical ability, and stakeholder management skills.
 
The role will be based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with potential travel to provincial locations. This is a nine-month position with possibility of extension. The Energy Deputy Lead will report to the Infrastructure Lead.
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITES
Leadership

• Lead and mentor task/project delivery teams between 4-5 people, encouraging them to innovate, identify practical solutions, and generate new ideas and approaches.
• Contribute to overall domain leadership, strategy, and work planning. 
• Support the Infrastructure Lead to ensure project team workload is realistic and deliverables are managed in a timely manner.
• Ensure appropriate quality of deliverables from project team members, consultants, and implementing partners.
• Provide strategic and practical advice to the Infrastructure Lead on emerging risks, opportunities, stakeholder priorities, and implementation bottlenecks.
• Support adaptive management across the Infrastructure domain by using evidence, implementation learning, partner feedback, and field realities to adjust workplans, refine intervention approaches, and improve delivery.
• Support the team to strategic objectives of energy into clear actions and improved implementation.
• Encourage effective teamwork across the Infrastructure domain and with cross-cutting areas.

Technical

• Shape, manage, and oversee energy projects
• Provide strategic and technical leadership across the energy portfolio, ensuring projects are coherent, technically feasible, commercially sound, policy-relevant, and aligned with CAPRED's objectives.
• Manage clean energy portfolios, monitor project performance, and advise the program on financial planning, grant disbursement, implementation risks, adaptive management, and corrective actions.
• Identify, develop, and advance new intervention concepts, investment approaches, and technical solutions that respond to emerging sector priorities and opportunities.
• Lead and contribute to high-quality analytical and strategic outputs, including reports, strategy papers, intervention plans, progress reports, policy briefs, investment notes, feasibility studies, aide-mémoires, talking points, and presentations.
• Conduct due diligence on potential investment opportunities, including financial, technical, environmental, work-health and safety, gender, disability, social inclusion, and other safeguard considerations.
• Support public sector counterparts to strengthen sector planning, sector financing, regulatory reform, policy coordination, and institutional arrangements needed to improve the long-term economic viability and sustainability of the clean water supply sector.
• Use evidence from CAPRED's projects to inform strategic decision-making, policy dialogue with public sector counterparts, and future portfolio direction.
• Work closely with MERL to strengthen impact assessment, data collection, results measurement, learning, and evidence generation across the clean water supply portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to integrate GEDSI and climate resilience into clean water supply investment works, policy engagement, sector planning, and operator support.
• Coordinate with communications colleagues to document results, lessons learned, case studies, and sector insights that demonstrate CAPRED's contribution to sector change.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Infrastructure Lead.

Compliance

• Ensure stakeholders will operate within Cowater and DFAT-related codes of conduct and policies including all inclusion-related policies such as Child Protection and PSEAH; antifraud and corruption; value for money and other policies.
• Commitment to championing environmental sustainability and climate action across the Facility.

Stakeholder relationship

• Act as a key coordination focal point with the Ministry of Mines and Energy and relevant government stakeholders on energy planning, financing, policy reform, and implementation follow-up.
• Build and maintain relationships with existing and potential partners, including government agencies, energy companies, financial institutions, technology suppliers, consultants, and development partners.
• Represent CAPRED in technical discussions, partner meetings, sector events, and government coordination platforms.
• Maintain and strengthen trusted, constructive, and responsive working relationships with DFAT and the Australian Embassy

 JOB REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications

• At least a master's degree in finance, economics, business administration, or a related field is required.

Essential Criteria

• At least three years of experience in investment management, financial analysis, public policy, private sector development, or related fields.
• Proven ability to work across policy, investment, technical, and implementation issues in a practical and coherent manner.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex workstreams, support project teams, and deliver high-quality outputs.
• Strong experience in writing reports, policy briefs, project plans, progress reports, technical notes, presentations, and senior-level briefing materials.
• Proven track record in stakeholder engagement with government counterparts, private sector actors, and development partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess investment opportunities, sector constraints, financial viability, and implementation risks.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders at various levels.
• Sound understanding of project management principles and practices.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision in a diverse environment.
• Strong language proficiency in both Khmer and English in writing and speaking.
• Proactive, self-motivated, flexible, and able to adapt quickly across projects, sectors, and partner needs.
• Demonstrated commitment to GEDSI, environmental sustainability, and climate action.
• Willing to take on new assignments and perform at a high standard.

Desirable Criteria

• Being familiar with Australian economic development programs related to infrastructure investment and sustainability is preferred.
• Strong understanding of Cambodia's energy sector, sector financing, regulation, service expansion, and investment challenges.
• Having real life experience in Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) integration in planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation would be an advantage.

 This is a full-time position with attractive monthly remuneration package being commensurate with qualifications and experience.

APPLICATION PROCESS
How to apply: Please send your cover letter and CV in a single file with name and contact details (phone and email) of three professional referees to recruitment@capred.org  mentioning the position you apply for in the subject line "Energy Deputy Lead".

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.

Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible. The application process will close once the position is filled.

Only applicants shortlisted will be contacted for interview.

Cowater international strives to maintain a fair, transparent, and human centered recruitment process. As part of our commitment to responsible hiring practices and compliance with evolving recruitment regulations, we may use AI assisted tools to support limited aspects of our talent acquisition workflow, such as reviewing or shortlisting applications. These tools are used only to enhance efficiency and consistency in our processes. All assessments, interviews, and final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruiting managers. Candidates may request additional information about the use of these tools or reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process.

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.

We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.
 
ABOUT US
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017.

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow.