Since completing my MPhil International Development in 2007, I have worked with managing institutional funding, first at ActionAid and now at WaterAid Sweden.

As Head of Strategic Partnerships, I lead a team that is responsible for securing and managing restricted funding from institutional donors and large foundations for the global organisation, as well as developing the partnerships with these donors globally. The latter encompasses new funding opportunities, a policy dialogue, and sharing technical expertise and programmatic experiences. My team does not sit on all of this experience and expertise; rather we coordinate dialogue and ensure that the right people are talking to each other. In my role, I am also part of a group that coordinates restricted income to maximise its impact across the WaterAid Federation, and assesses the risks and opportunities related to restricted income globally.

The MPhil provided me with a broad understanding of development issues, which has put me in good stead to understand both the local contexts within which the organisations that I have worked for operate, and the global discourse that influences the donors we partner with.