Role overview
What you'll be stepping into
Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager Job at Water Mission
Water Mission is seeking a Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager to provide regional leadership and coordination for Professionalized Services across East Africa. The full-time position will provide matrix leadership to country-level Professionalized Services Managers, strengthen operational standards, support sustainable water service delivery, and coordinate technical and quality assurance activities across the region.
The preferred duty station is Nairobi, Kenya, although candidates may also be based in Tanzania or Malawi. The role requires regular travel to remote locations across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi.
Job Details
Job Title: Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager
Company: Water Mission
Job Type: Full-time
Job Reference: Req #383
Region: Africa / East Africa
Preferred Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Alternative Locations: Tanzania or Malawi
Application Deadline: 23 October 2026 at 1:59 PM
Travel Requirement: Up to three months per year, primarily within East Africa
Salary: Not disclosed
About Water Mission
Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that has been developing safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster-affected areas since 2001.
The organisation has served more than 8 million people across 60 countries, combining engineering expertise with a Christian mission and a commitment to serving communities in need.
About the Role
The Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager will work under the direction of the Director of Professionalized Services and provide regional leadership, coordination, coaching, and functional oversight to Country Program Professionalized Services Managers.
The role operates within a matrix structure. Country Program Professionalized Services Managers will continue reporting directly to their respective Country Directors while maintaining a dotted-line relationship with the Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager.
The position will establish regional priorities and standards, strengthen staff capacity, support work planning, review performance, and promote consistent implementation of Water Mission's Professionalized Services framework.
Key areas of focus include sustainability planning, preventive maintenance, uptime management, district-wide service delivery, Master Planning, water-system transitions, asset management, and financially and operationally sustainable water services.
The Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager will also directly supervise the Regional Professionalized Services Engineer and coordinate technical support and quality assurance/quality control activities based on country needs.
Key Responsibilities
Regional Leadership and Staff Development
Provide matrix leadership, coaching, and functional oversight to Country Program Professionalized Services Managers.
Directly supervise the Regional Professionalized Services Engineer.
Lead work planning, priority setting, performance management, and professional development.
Establish regional priorities, annual work plans, deliverables, and performance expectations.
Coordinate with Country Directors and Program Managers on staffing, budgets, risks, priorities, and support requirements.
Contribute functional input to staff goal-setting and performance evaluations.
Identify staffing and capacity gaps and recommend appropriate training, coaching, technical assistance, and team structures.
Facilitate regional coordination meetings, peer learning, joint problem-solving, and sharing of best practices.
Professionalized Services and Water System Management
Guide consistent implementation of Water Mission's Professionalized Services framework across countries.
Support Rural Water Cooperative approaches, utility models, local service provider arrangements, and other context-appropriate service delivery models.
Lead the operational integration of Master Planning and district-wide or portfolio-based planning.
Guide sustainability planning, preventive maintenance, service reliability, uptime management, and asset management.
Support country teams in assessing WASH service provision, identifying performance gaps, and developing improvement plans.
Guide water scheme transition activities, including readiness assessments, transition planning, stakeholder engagement, operational handover, and post-transition monitoring.
Strengthen governance, management systems, policies, and accountability structures of utilities and service delivery organisations.
Support the development, testing, documentation, and scaling of innovative Professionalized Services models.
Performance Monitoring and Financial Sustainability
Oversee the regional application of key performance indicators, benchmarks, and operational monitoring systems.
Monitor service reliability, water quality, customer service, financial performance, and asset condition.
Ensure country teams use mWater and other approved systems to maintain accurate operational data.
Review country performance, identify trends and risks, and coordinate corrective actions.
Promote return-on-investment analysis, lifecycle costing, and evidence-based investment decisions.
Support strategies that improve revenue generation, cost recovery, reduction of non-revenue water, and long-term financial sustainability.
Coordinate Professionalized Services contributions to Performance-Based Financing/Funding initiatives, including UPTIME and carbon-related programmes.
Technical Coordination and Quality Assurance
Coordinate infrastructure assessments, operational monitoring, system upgrade planning, and QA/QC activities.
Work closely with the Regional Professionalized Services Engineer and Engineering teams.
Ensure technical findings are translated into practical operational plans and preventive maintenance actions.
Support budget development and prioritisation of capital improvements.
Stakeholder Engagement and Reporting
Build effective relationships with government agencies, regulators, local authorities, utilities, service providers, NGOs, and funders.
Represent Professionalized Services in regional and cross-functional planning, programme design, and standards development.
Prepare and present regional reports, dashboards, recommendations, lessons learned, and performance updates.
Manage multiple initiatives within agreed scope, timelines, and budgets.
Work effectively across cultures, countries, and time zones.
Participate in disaster response activities when required.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Christian Leadership and Ministry
Maintain a strong Christian witness and demonstrate servant leadership.
Participate in prayer before and after team meetings.
Lead and participate in biblically based staff devotions.
Serve God and others with humility.
Support and nurture Water Mission's Vision, Mission, and Core Values.
Key Attributes and Competencies
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
Strong Christian faith and servant leadership.
Excellent leadership, coaching, and facilitation skills.
Strong negotiation and stakeholder-management abilities.
Ability to work effectively within matrixed and multicultural environments.
Strong strategic and operational thinking.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to use operational, financial, and asset-management data to guide decisions.
Collaboration, humility, initiative, and accountability.
Ability to manage multiple projects across countries and time zones.
Commitment to excellence, integrity, and sustainable community impact.
Minimum Requirements
Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Alignment with Water Mission's Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Water Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Development Studies, or another relevant field.
A Master's degree or MBA is preferred.
At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in WASH, water utility management, rural water service delivery, infrastructure operations, or a closely related field.
At least 3 years of experience in staff supervision, matrix leadership, or multi-country programme leadership.
Demonstrated experience strengthening operations, maintenance systems, service providers, utilities, or long-term service delivery arrangements in low-resource environments.
Strong knowledge of preventive maintenance, uptime and asset management, service reliability, financial sustainability, and institutional or governance strengthening.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Fluency or familiarity with written and spoken Swahili is preferred.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and virtual collaboration tools.
Experience with mWater or comparable management information systems is preferred.
Valid driver's licence.
Ability to travel for up to three months per year, primarily within East Africa.
Ability to work in remote locations, including difficult terrain and hot field conditions.
Legal authorisation to work in the country where the position is based.
Flexibility to work occasional nights and weekends when required.
Reliable home internet capable of supporting video conferencing and other work responsibilities.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is well suited to experienced WASH, water utility, infrastructure operations, and professionalised water service management professionals with strong leadership and multi-country experience.
Candidates should be comfortable working across East Africa, leading teams through a matrix structure, strengthening service delivery systems, and supporting sustainable water services in low-resource environments.
Applicants should also share Water Mission's Christian faith, values, and commitment to servant leadership.
How to apply