About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About The Team

The role will report into the Programme Design and Management Team Lead, located in the Programme Operations Team, one of three support teams within the International Programmes Department of WaterAid UK.

The Programme Operations Team enables the effective management of the International Programmes Department through ensuring IPD Teams have access to robust high quality management policies, systems, process, tools and capabilities that work to support the delivery of programmes, enable the effective management of risk, and ensure strong financial planning and management.

About The Role

The Project Lead will provide overall strategic, technical and delivery leadership for the National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator, a multi‑country initiative supporting governments to translate high‑level political WASH commitments into credible, investable project pipelines.

The role combines senior project leadership with deep expertise in WASH institutional development and financing, ensuring the Accelerator delivers against its staged milestones, meets the expectations of international financing institutions, and positions partner governments to successfully enter formal investment appraisal pathways.

In this role, you will:

Strategic leadership and delivery oversight

• Provide overall leadership for the National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator across all participating countries
• Translate the approved delegated authority, staged approach and theory of change into effective, sequenced delivery

WASH institutional development and financing leadership

• Lead the Accelerator’s approach to institutional strengthening, governance reform and financing readiness
• Ensure robust diagnostics of sector constraints (institutional, financial, regulatory, macro‑fiscal and political economy)
• Support and guide the establishment or adaptation of the appropriate multistakeholder platforms

Government and senior stakeholder engagement

• Alongside country teams, act as the primary senior interface with ministries responsible for WASH, finance, planning and local government
• Support and reinforce high‑level political ownership of National Water Compacts and project pipelines

Project governance, quality assurance and risk

• Establish and chair (or participate in) appropriate project governance and decision‑making groups
• Maintain oversight of delivery quality, ensuring consistency and credibility across countries

Team leadership and coordination

• Lead and manage the core delivery team, including technical specialists and country team embedded roles
• Provide direction and mentorship to senior technical staff, including the WASH Institutional Management Specialist and the Public-Private Financing Specialist

Learning, replication and strategic positioning

• Oversee synthesis of learning, guidance and tools emerging from the Accelerator
• Contribute to organisational positioning on WASH financing, national compacts and mission‑oriented delivery

Requirements

To be successful, you’ll need:

• Substantial senior‑level experience in WASH institutional reform, sector governance and financing
• Demonstrated track record of leading complex, multi‑country projects involving governments and financing institutions
• Deep understanding of investment preparation processes, MDB appraisal expectations and blended finance approaches
• Proven ability to operate credibly with senior government officials, donors and international finance actors
• Strong strategic judgement, political sensitivity and leadership presence

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Experience leading or supporting national WASH compacts, sector reform programmes or investment accelerators
• Familiarity with World Bank, African Development Bank or similar MDB processes
• Experience shaping mission‑oriented or systems‑change programmes

• Provide overall leadership for the National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator across all participating countries
• Translate the approved delegated authority, staged approach and theory of change into effective, sequenced delivery
• Lead the Accelerator’s approach to institutional strengthening, governance reform and financing readiness
• Ensure robust diagnostics of sector constraints (institutional, financial, regulatory, macro‑fiscal and political economy)
• Support and guide the establishment or adaptation of the appropriate multistakeholder platforms
• Alongside country teams, act as the primary senior interface with ministries responsible for WASH, finance, planning and local government
• Support and reinforce high‑level political ownership of National Water Compacts and project pipelines
• Establish and chair (or participate in) appropriate project governance and decision‑making groups
• Maintain oversight of delivery quality, ensuring consistency and credibility across countries
• Lead and manage the core delivery team, including technical specialists and country team embedded roles
• Provide direction and mentorship to senior technical staff, including the WASH Institutional Management Specialist and the Public-Private Financing Specialist
• Oversee synthesis of learning, guidance and tools emerging from the Accelerator
• Contribute to organisational positioning on WASH financing, national compacts and mission‑oriented delivery

• Substantial senior‑level experience in WASH institutional reform, sector governance and financing
• Demonstrated track record of leading complex, multi‑country projects involving governments and financing institutions
• Deep understanding of investment preparation processes, MDB appraisal expectations and blended finance approaches
• Proven ability to operate credibly with senior government officials, donors and international finance actors
• Strong strategic judgement, political sensitivity and leadership presence
• Experience leading or supporting national WASH compacts, sector reform programmes or investment accelerators
• Familiarity with World Bank, African Development Bank or similar MDB processes
• Experience shaping mission‑oriented or systems‑change programmes

• Substantial senior‑level experience in WASH institutional reform, sector governance and financing
• Demonstrated track record of leading complex, multi‑country projects involving governments and financing institutions
• Deep understanding of investment preparation processes, MDB appraisal expectations and blended finance approaches
• Proven ability to operate credibly with senior government officials, donors and international finance actors
• Strong strategic judgement, political sensitivity and leadership presence
• Experience leading or supporting national WASH compacts, sector reform programmes or investment accelerators
• Familiarity with World Bank, African Development Bank or similar MDB processes
• Experience shaping mission‑oriented or systems‑change programmes