Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager

About the role

The Regional Professionalized Services Operations Manager provides leadership and coordination for Water Mission’s professionalized water services across East Africa. Reporting to the Director of Professionalized Services, the role is based in Nairobi and involves regular travel to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi.

Key responsibilities

• Provide matrix leadership, coaching and functional oversight to Country Program Professionalized Services Managers while respecting country directors’ authority.
• Establish regional priorities, work plans, performance expectations and standards for professionalized services.
• Guide consistent implementation of Water Mission’s framework, including sustainability planning, preventive maintenance, uptime management and master planning.
• Supervise the Regional Professionalized Services Engineer and coordinate technical support, QA/QC activities and infrastructure assessments.
• Oversee regional KPIs, benchmarks and operational monitoring for service reliability, water quality, financial performance and asset condition.
• Build relationships with government agencies, utilities, NGOs and funders and represent professionalized services in regional planning.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, water resources management, business administration or related field; master’s or MBA preferred.
• Minimum seven years of progressive experience in the WASH sector, water utility management or infrastructure operations.
• At least three years of staff supervision, matrix leadership or multi‑country program leadership.
• Strong Christian faith aligned with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values.

Required skills

• Water utility management
• Preventive maintenance systems
• Asset management and lifecycle costing
• Use of mWater or similar data management platforms
• Quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) processes