Description

Public-Private Finance Specialist – National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator

Contract: 18 Months Fixed-term contract, Full-time, contingent upon successfully securing project funding, target start date May 2026Zambia market insights

Location: The role can be based in London (United Kingdom), Accra (Ghana), Dar es Salaam / Dodoma (Tanzania), Lusaka (Zambia), or Lilongwe (Malawi), subject to right to work eligibility in the respective countries.

Geographic Reference

In the UK, we support and enjoy a hybrid working environment. A minimum of 40% of working time is spent face to face, either in the London office, for coordination, collaboration and connectivity across the team, or as a result of external engagement or travel for WaterAid.

Salaries & Benefits: Salaries and benefits will vary by country, depending on the successful candidate’s location and experience. See further details below:

UK: GBP £61,645 per annum with excellent benefits*

Zambia: ZMW 939,581 – ZMW 1,174,476 per annum with excellent benefits.

Ghana: GHS 687,637 – GHS 1,045,327 per annum with excellent benefits.

Tanzania: TZS 148,523,228 – TZS 185,654,036 per annum with excellent benefits.

Geographic Reference

Malawi: MWK 75,784,188 – MWK 119,156,217 per annum with excellent benefits.

*We offer competitive, market-aligned starting salaries. While most roles are offered at the advertised starting salary, we may adjust this in exceptional cases depending on a candidate’s experience, skills, and potential.

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

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 Project Lead: National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator, 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 Public and Private Finance Specialist will provide specialist technical leadership on WASH financing strategy, structuring and investor engagement within the National Water Compact Delivery Accelerator.

The role is responsible for ensuring that priority WASH projects are financially credible, appropriately structured and aligned with the requirements of public, concessional and where relevant private finance providers, enabling formal entry into financing appraisal and investment pipelines.

In this role, you will:

1. Financing diagnostics and strategy (Stage 2)

• Lead or contribute to country‑level diagnostics of WASH financing constraints, including budget flows, fiscal space, creditworthiness, and investor risk perceptions.
• Analyse the balance between public, concessional, blended and potential private finance options.

2. Project prioritisation and financing alignment (Stage 3)

• Support the assessment and prioritisation of WASH project concepts against financing institution criteria.
• Advise on project scale, affordability and financial structuring options, with ambition for large‑scale (>$100m) investments where feasible.

3. Project structuring and investment readiness (Stage 4)

• Lead financial inputs into full project development, including:
  • indicative financing structures.
  • proposed sources of finance.
  • allocation of financial and non‑financial risks; and
  • affordability and sustainability considerations.

4. Engagement with financing institutions (Stages 3–6)

• Support structured engagement with multilateral development banks, DFIs, bilateral financiers and philanthropic funders.
• Interpret and translate financing partner requirements into actionable guidance for government teams.
• Support progression of priority projects into formal concept review, pre‑appraisal or appraisal queues.

5. Public–private interface and blended finance (where relevant)

• Assess the potential role of private finance, guarantees or delegated management models within public‑led WASH investments.
• Advise on risk‑sharing mechanisms, viability support and blending approaches appropriate to country context.

6. Quality assurance, learning and guidance

• Contribute to internal quality assurance of financing diagnostics, project concepts and full project packages.
• Document lessons on WASH financing pathways, including what has and has not proved credible with financing institutions.

Requirements

To be successful, you’ll need:

• Strong professional experience in public sector, development or infrastructure finance, with a focus on WASH or related sectors.
• Demonstrated understanding of MDB, concessional and blended finance processes.
• Experience working with government counterparts on financing strategies or investment preparation, particularly ministries of finance.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex financing issues clearly to non‑finance specialist audiences.

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

• Direct experience engaging with World Bank Group, AfDB or similar financing institutions.
• Experience of blended finance, guarantees or private capital mobilisation in infrastructure or public services.
• Experience working across multiple countries or fragile financing contexts.

View Full Job Description .

Closing date: Applications will close 12:00 PM UK time on 10th April 2026. Shortlisting and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis, and the role may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found. We therefore encourage you to apply at an early stage.

• Lead or contribute to country‑level diagnostics of WASH financing constraints, including budget flows, fiscal space, creditworthiness, and investor risk perceptions.
• Analyse the balance between public, concessional, blended and potential private finance options.
• Support the assessment and prioritisation of WASH project concepts against financing institution criteria.
• Advise on project scale, affordability and financial structuring options, with ambition for large‑scale (>$100m) investments where feasible.
• Lead financial inputs into full project development, including: indicative financing structures, proposed sources of finance, allocation of financial and non‑financial risks; and affordability and sustainability considerations.
• Support structured engagement with multilateral development banks, DFIs, bilateral financiers and philanthropic funders.
• Interpret and translate financing partner requirements into actionable guidance for government teams.
• Support progression of priority projects into formal concept review, pre‑appraisal or appraisal queues.
• Assess the potential role of private finance, guarantees or delegated management models within public‑led WASH investments.
• Advise on risk‑sharing mechanisms, viability support and blending approaches appropriate to country context.
• Contribute to internal quality assurance of financing diagnostics, project concepts and full project packages.
• Document lessons on WASH financing pathways, including what has and has not proved credible with financing institutions.

• Strong professional experience in public sector, development or infrastructure finance, with a focus on WASH or related sectors.
• Demonstrated understanding of MDB, concessional and blended finance processes.
• Experience working with government counterparts on financing strategies or investment preparation, particularly ministries of finance.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex financing issues clearly to non‑finance specialist audiences.
• Direct experience engaging with World Bank Group, AfDB or similar financing institutions.
• Experience of blended finance, guarantees or private capital mobilisation in infrastructure or public services.
• Experience working across multiple countries or fragile financing contexts.

• Strong professional experience in public sector, development or infrastructure finance, with a focus on WASH or related sectors.
• Demonstrated understanding of MDB, concessional and blended finance processes.
• Experience working with government counterparts on financing strategies or investment preparation, particularly ministries of finance.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex financing issues clearly to non‑finance specialist audiences.
• Direct experience engaging with World Bank Group, AfDB or similar financing institutions.
• Experience of blended finance, guarantees or private capital mobilisation in infrastructure or public services.
• Experience working across multiple countries or fragile financing contexts.