Executive Director

SIWI - Stockholm International Water Institute; Stockholms kommun; On-site; SEK 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market-competitive salary

Job summary

Stockholm International Water Institute seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization from Stockholm with a newly approved three-year strategy for 2026–2028. The role combines strategic leadership with operational follow-through, external representation, and close collaboration with the Board and staff to deliver high-quality work at the intersection of water, climate, development and cooperation.

The Executive Director will focus on expanding partnerships and creating long-term,

Qualifications

• Proven leadership excellence and track-record translating vision into sustainable results.
• Holistic understanding of sustainability challenges, water/climate policy or related fields.
• Financial and operational acumen in nonprofit or similar settings.
• Experience with fundraising from diverse donors and methods.
• Talent/staff development and management to attract/top talent.
• Ability to develop strategic national/international collaborations and partnerships.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills for diverse stakeholders.
• Experience with knowledge-based orgs and research funding processes.
• Excellent written/spoken English; Swedish desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead SIWI's strategy execution and organizational development.
• Strengthen partnerships, donor relations and sustainable financing.
• Represent SIWI in national, regional, and international fora.
• Collaborate with Board, management, staff, partners and stakeholders.
• Oversee fundraising, proposal development and funding management.
• Drive organizational communications and external influence.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Strategic planning

Financial management

Stakeholder engagement

Diplomacy

Board governance

Communication

Networking

Education

University degree

Master's degree

Job description

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, developing organizations, management groups and successful teams of experts, in nonprofit, or similar organizations? Then working at SIWI might be the right opportunity for you!

About SIWI

Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, is a nonprofit 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 decision-makers, contributes to policy processes, and convenes actors across sectors and geographies.

SIWI organizes World Water Week, the world’s leading 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 COPs).

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 nonprofit 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 a 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 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 that 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 a 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 of 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 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 an advantage.

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.

For questions about the role, please contact Ebba Levin at [e-mail] or Olivia Westh at [e-mail]

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