Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager

Role Overview

The Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager leads the coordination and quality of Water Mission’s professionalized water-service work across East Africa. Based preferably in Nairobi, or alternatively in Tanzania or Malawi, this role coaches country-level managers, aligns regional priorities, and helps teams build dependable, financially viable systems that can be managed over the long term. Regular field travel is required, including visits to remote areas of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi.

Key Responsibilities

• Set regional priorities, work plans, performance expectations, and shared approaches in coordination with Country Directors and program leaders.
• Provide functional guidance and coaching to country Professionalized Services Managers, while respecting their direct reporting lines to Country Directors; directly manage the Regional Professionalized Services Engineer.
• Strengthen staff capability through regional coordination, peer learning, coaching, training recommendations, and identification of team capacity needs.
• Help country teams apply appropriate service-delivery models, including Rural Water Cooperatives, utilities, local providers, and other context-specific arrangements; integrate Master Planning and district-wide planning into operational decisions.
• Guide sustainability and service-reliability work, including preventive maintenance, asset management, uptime, operational standards, and plans to address identified performance gaps.
• Support water-system transitions through readiness reviews, stakeholder coordination, handover planning, and follow-up; help service providers and utilities develop effective governance, policies, management practices, and accountability.
• Monitor regional indicators for service reliability, water quality, customer service, financial performance, and asset condition; promote accurate use of mWater or other approved systems, review trends, and coordinate corrective action.
• Work with engineering, climate finance, carbon markets, and monitoring teams on assessments, quality assurance, system upgrades, performance-based funding, and operational reporting; prepare regional updates and recommendations for internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith, and commitment to its values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, water resources management, business or public administration, development studies, or a related discipline. A master’s degree or MBA is preferred.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in WASH, water utility management, rural water service delivery, infrastructure operations, or a closely related field.
• At least three years of experience supervising staff, providing matrix leadership, or leading programs across multiple countries.
• Demonstrated success improving operations and maintenance, service-provider capacity, utility performance, or durable service-delivery arrangements in low-resource settings.
• Strong working knowledge of preventive maintenance, asset management, service reliability, financial sustainability, and institutional or governance development; able to use operational, financial, and asset data to guide decisions.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, facilitation, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across cultures and matrixed teams.
• Excellent English communication skills. Swahili proficiency or familiarity is preferred.
• Advanced ability with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and online collaboration tools; experience with mWater or a similar management information system is preferred.
• Valid driver’s license, legal authorization to work in the country of residence, and ability to travel for up to three months per year. Trips generally last one to four weeks and may include difficult road conditions and hot or challenging field environments.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings or weekends and reliable home internet suitable for video meetings.

What We Offer / Why Join

This role offers the opportunity to help country teams improve the reliability and long-term sustainability of water services across East Africa. The manager works across country programs and technical functions to turn regional standards, operational data, and field learning into practical improvements for communities and service providers.