Job Summary:

• Under the direction of the Water Mission Kenya, Country Director in coordination with the Director of Professionalized Services in Water Mission headquarters, the Professionalized Services Manager (PSM) will be responsible for organizing, leading, and managing the development of professionalized services within Water Mission Kenya with a goal to ensure sustainability and continued transformation in communities where safe water projects are implemented. This position will be based in Makueni Kenya.

Our culture:

• As an employee of Water Mission Kenya, the Professionalized Services Manager is responsible for developing a biblical worldview culture that leads to God-honoring excellence in all their work and reinforcing the following: providing accurate data, empowering staff to have the skills and mindset needed to acknowledge mistakes or problems as opportunities to find appropriate solutions, and empowering staff to consistently work for excellence in solutions that are consistent with Water Mission’s mission, vision, values, and standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

General Responsibilities

Mission Driven

• Maintain a strong Christian witness and model servant leadership to colleagues, partners, the communities we serve, and the public.
• Engage and participate in prayer before and after team meetings.
• Lead and participate in biblically based staff devotions.

Key Responsibilities 

• Assess current WASH service provision, focusing on Rural Water Cooperative (RWC), and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and implement strategies to maximize UPTIME, ensure Carbon Credit reporting requirements are realized, and enhance overall service quality.
• Enhance collaboration between RWC requirements and Water Mission staff to exchange information and share experiences to address challenges quickly and optimize service delivery.
• Analyze the country program structure to identify opportunities for future build-up of the team to meet the country program goals.
• Use ROI analysis for decision-making to achieve the impact goals.
• Help lead the operationalization of Assetas management system, customized to the country program\’s unique needs.
• Ensure proper training and capacity building for staff involved in asset management activities.
• Engage in developing innovative models of professionalized services tailored to the country program.
• Support the establishment of a Water Utility entity and strengthen governance, policies, and regulations for effective water utility management.
• Develop and implement capacity-building programs and training workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of utility management.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks to assess the effectiveness of revenue generation strategies and identify areas for improvement of the established utilities.
• Prepare comprehensive reports and presentations documenting outcomes of the projects and utilities, lessons learned, and best practices to inform stakeholders.
• Build relationships with other key stakeholders, including Government of Kenya (esp. Ministry of Water), NGOs, and others that support achieving desired objectives.
• Help build and manage required key capacities including water system operators and professionalized services focused staff.
• This position will require a ‘hands on’ participation in solving problems in the field.

Other tasks as may be assigned.

Qualifications, and Experience

Relationship and Alignment

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in civil engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Management, or a related field. An added degree in Business (such as an MBA) is a plus.
• A minimum of four years of experience in the WASH sector.
• Proven track record of driving results, achieving targets, and managing WASH projects in a dynamic and challenging environment.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret market trends, financial data, and operational metrics to inform decision-makers.
• Excellent communication, fluent in English and Swahili, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Commitment to promoting project sustainability and innovation in the WASH sector.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and similar applications.