Director of Operations, Africa Region
Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 60 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Working at Water Mission is as much a calling as it is a career, and we are searching for people with the courage, passion, and drive to help us change the world. Read more about our Statement of Faith and Our Christian Mission.
This position is located in Nairobi, Kenya. Recruitment efforts are managed through Peake International. We request you submit your interest to Peake Internation before completing the application. Go to Peake International here: Home | Peake International
What is the Opportunity?
Working under the direct supervision of the Senior Director – Africa Region, the Director of Operations – Africa Region will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating the operational activities of Water Mission's programs across all Water Mission country programs in Africa. This leadership role will ensure the effective implementation of projects, adherence to organizational standards, and the achievement of programmatic objectives in the region. As a key leader in Water Mission, the Operations Director is responsible for leading staff in developing a biblical worldview culture that leads to God-honoring excellence in all work and reinforces 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. The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and will require international travel to remote locations in developing countries. Travel requirements are expected between 25-50% of the year. Key direct reports for this position include Africa Regional Program Managers with dotted line reporting from the Africa Regional Engineer, Senior Program Design Specialist, and Senior MEL Specialist, East Africa Region.
A successful Director of Operations, Africa Region will:
- 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.
- Work in a team environment to provide technical direction and assistance for engineers, technicians, community development staff, volunteers, and other working professionals
- Lead and manage the operational aspects of Water Mission's programs in East Africa, including overseeing project planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting to help ensure work is conducted in accordance with Water Mission’s values and standards.
- Collaborate closely with the Senior Director, Africa Region and Program Managers for country programs to ensure alignment with organizational strategies and priorities.
- Develop and implement operational policies, procedures, and systems to optimize program efficiency and impact.
- Provide leadership and guidance to country program teams, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence.
- Monitor project budgets and expenditures, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and organizational financial policies.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders including government agencies, donors, partners, and communities served.
- Support capacity building efforts within the regional team and country programs to enhance program quality and sustainability.
- Promote a culture of safety and security across project sites, ensuring compliance with organizational safety protocols and standards.
What is required?
- Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and Core Values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity
- Alignment with the principles of servant leadership as embraced by Water Mission.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, Science or Mathematics, or equivalent.
- Minimum seven years of progressive program and project management experience, 10+ years preferred.
- Experience working in a matrix organization is preferred.
- Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to motivate and inspire multicultural teams.
- Proven track record of successfully managing complex projects in challenging environments, preferably in East Africa.
- Advanced skills with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and familiarity with engineering software such as MS Project, AutoCAD, etc.
- Experience in strategic planning, program design, and implementation.
- Excellent relationship and conflict resolution skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Proficiency in project management tools and software.
- Understanding of donor regulations and compliance requirements.
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in other languages relevant to the region (e.g. Swahili, Chichewa, Luganda) would be an asset.