Consultant – Senior Administrative Coordinator (Event Management and Planning)

The Role

The Consultant will provide comprehensive coordination and strategic support to the Water, Climate Change and Resilience (WCCR) Science Program Lead in planning and delivering high-profile international engagements, including COP31, the IWMI–IPCC Expert Meeting, and other strategic events and partnership meetings.

The Consultant will work closely with WCCR leadership, researchers, communications, administration, and finance units to coordinate the effective execution of the above-mentioned scope of work. The Consultant will be expected to focus their support on the planning and execution of strategic events and partnerships, the coordination and preparation of briefing materials, and engagement with key stakeholders, ensuring the timely delivery of outputs related to the respective engagements.

This role requires a proactive, highly organized individual capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously, coordinating across multidisciplinary teams, and working effectively in a complex, multicultural, and multi-time-zone environment. The Consultant will also liaise with finance, travel, and other internal service units, as well as with external partners, event organizers, and stakeholders. Strong organizational, communication, and relationship management skills will be essential to support the successful delivery of WCCR's strategic engagement objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver coordination and administrative support to ensure the timely planning and implementation of strategic engagements, in line with agreed work plans and timelines.
• Coordinate meeting schedules, support the preparation of agendas, briefing packs, presentations, meeting notes, and action trackers, and ensure the timely follow-up of agreed actions.
• Liaise with relevant IWMI internal departments and units, including Communications, Finance, Procurement, Travel, and Business Development, to facilitate the smooth delivery of events and related activities.
• Coordinate the preparation, review, and formatting of communication materials, presentations, and briefing notes for internal and external audiences.
• Support stakeholder engagement by coordinating meetings with development partners, donors, research organizations, and other strategic partners, including maintaining stakeholder contact lists and engagement trackers.
• Assist in organizing events, technical sessions, and high-level dialogues by coordinating invitations, participant communications, event materials, and logistical arrangements.
• Monitor progress against key deliverables and ensure the timely completion of actions related to strategic engagements.
• Support the documentation of meetings and events, including preparing summaries and reports.
• Assist in coordinating procurement requests and payment documentation related to events and engagement activities, where required.
• Maintain organized records of event documentation, correspondence, partnership engagements, and knowledge products.
• Perform any other coordination, administrative, or strategic support duties as required to support the successful delivery of WCCR's program of work during the consultancy period.

Event Planning

• Support the development of event work plans, timelines, and planning checklists for priority engagements.
• Support the planning and delivery of international conferences, workshops, side events, technical sessions, donor roundtables, bilateral meetings, and stakeholder consultations.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure the timely delivery of event-related activities.
• Liaise with venues, service providers, and event organizers to coordinate meeting logistics and operational requirements. Coordinate participant registration, invitations, confirmations, and attendee communications.
• Maintain records of event logistics, participant lists, correspondence, and supporting documentation.
• Arrange travel, accommodation, visa support, and itineraries in accordance with IWMI policies.
• Provide support for meeting venues, virtual platforms, catering, interpretation, audiovisual equipment, signage, and other logistical requirements.
• Prepare event documentation, including concept notes, agendas, participant lists, briefing packs, name badges, certificates, and evaluation forms.
• Coordinate with speakers, moderators, and panelists to collect presentations, biographies, and session materials, and organize pre-event briefing sessions where required.
• Support the development of presentations, communication materials, and promotional content for events.
• Provide on-site and virtual coordination during events to ensure smooth delivery and resolve logistical issues as they arise.
• Monitor event timelines and coordinate follow-up actions to ensure deliverables are met.
• Prepare meeting minutes, event summaries, action trackers, and post-event reports (including back-to-office reports).
• Coordinate post-event communications, participant feedback, documentation, and the distribution of event outcomes.