Head of wash jobs
Head of Programme Operations
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Location: The role can be based in London, United Kingdom, Abuja, Nigeria or Kigali, Rwanda, subject to right to work eligibility in the respective countries.
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.
Salary: Salaries and benefits will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience.
- UK: £68,000 - £74,000 per year with excellent benefits.
- Nigeria: NGN 64,968,462 – NGN 90,955,847 per year with excellent benefits.
- Rwanda: RWF 73,661,730- RWF 89,738,798 per year with excellent benefits.
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 Programme Operations team sits within WaterAid UK’s International Programmes Department (IPD), operating in 17 countries in Africa and Asia. The team is a diverse and motivated group of 14+ people made up of planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (PMER), project design and management, and programme systems specialists. They support global operational excellence, PMER, risk management, donor compliance and performance assurance across WaterAid UK’s country and regional programmes. Working in partnership with regional and country leadership teams, the function provides technical oversight, systems development and operational support to strengthen programme delivery and organisational accountability.
About the Role
The Head of Programme Operations leads the development, implementation and continuous improvement of WaterAid’s international programme operations framework. The role provides strategic and operational leadership across programme operations, business management, systems, risk and compliance.
Key responsibilities include overseeing IPD business management processes, supporting financial planning and performance reporting, acting as a delegated focal point for operational risk, and providing senior troubleshooting support on complex operational and management challenges.
The role works in close partnership with Programme Funding to ensure operational readiness for new donor opportunities and effective grant start-up and close-out. It also leads operational assurance processes, strengthens compliance with donor and organisational requirements, and supports capacity strengthening across regional and country teams.
In this role, you will:
- Provide Programme Operations Leadership
- Lead IPD Business Management and Support
- Drive Collaboration, Risk and Performance
- Oversee Systems, Compliance and Assurance
- Lead Capacity Strengthening and Support
To be successful, you’ll need:
- Proven experience in managing or overseeing large scale international programme operations in the INGO or development sector.
- Strong understanding of operational systems (finance, procurement, logistics, compliance) in multi country environments.
- Excellent relevant IT skills, primarily Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word), but specifically relevant data systems that support high quality planning, monitoring and reporting.
- Experience of leading, managing and motivating others and driving change.
- Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to build relationships and drive organisational change collaboratively.
- Experience working in complex matrix structures across multiple cultures.
- Strong analytical, problem solving and systems thinking capabilities.
- Demonstrated knowledge of donor compliance and grant management processes.
- Working style that reflects WaterAid’s values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation.
Desirable:
- Experience in WASH, public health or community development sectors.
- Experience working with restricted and unrestricted funding portfolios.
- Relevant university degree or equivalent professional experience.
- Familiarity with WaterAid UK’s operating model and countries of operation.
Closing date: Applications will close 12:00 PM UK time on 3rd March 2026.
How to Apply: Click Apply to answer the pre-screening questions upload your CV and cover letter.
Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
Pre-employment screening: To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Benefits
As a global organisation, WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. Alongside our inspiring mission and meaningful work, we offer a range of benefits tailored to each country’s context and policies. These will be shared during the process
Our Global Commitment:
Our people promise
We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are
determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.
Safeguarding
We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).
Together, we’ll change the world through water.
Join us and be part of the change!
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has sustainable and safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Thank you!
IT Operations Delivery Lead
Contract: Permanent , Full time – 35 hours per week
Location: London, UK.
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 60 % of working time is spent face-to-face in the London office with flexibility around the remaining two days. As needed, the role might be required to be in person more than 3 days on any given week.
Salary: £57,415 - £60,436 per year with excellent benefits.
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 WaterAid global IT team is a strategic, customer-focused function that enables secure, scalable and sustainable technology services across our federation.
The team leads the delivery of front-line IT support, cybersecurity and infrastructure services, while also guiding the strategic development and integration of applications and enterprise architecture.
In addition to providing direct services to over 250 UK-based staff, the team supports WaterAid personnel across more than 20 countries, working in close partnership with external vendors and in-country teams to ensure a consistent, high-performing global IT experience.
Through a focus on technical standards, resilience and innovation, the team plays a critical role in delivering WaterAid’s digital ambitions and ensuring technology underpins effective, efficient and impactful global operations.
About the role
As our IT Operations Delivery Lead, you will ensure the reliable, efficient delivery of core IT services and drive operational excellence across WaterAid’s global technology landscape, working closely with the Managed Service Provider, technical delivery teams and colleagues across the UK and international programmes to enable sustainable, scalable change.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the delivery of reliable, responsive IT support services across UK and global operations.
- Manage and optimise the performance of the Managed Service Provider, ensuring strong vendor relationships and effective service governance.
- Act as Product Owner for the service management platform (ServiceNow), driving process maturity, user experience and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate the smooth transition of new tools, platforms and services into operational support through readiness planning and clear handovers.
- Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.
Requirements
To be successful, you will need:
- Experience leading IT service delivery or IT operations in a complex or multi-country environment.
- Ability to manage third party suppliers, including SLAs, escalations and continuous improvement.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, able to work with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Ability to analyse service performance data and drive practical, scalable improvements.
Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:
- Experience acting as Product Owner or Service Manager for an ITSM platform such as ServiceNow.
- Knowledge of ITIL practices and service management frameworks.
- Experience supporting operational change, automation, or service optimisation initiatives.
Closing date: Applications will close 12:00 PM UK time on 02 March 2026. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 09 March 2026.
How to apply: Click Apply to answer the pre-screening questions and upload your CV only.
Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?
At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
Pre-employment screening: To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Benefits
- 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
- Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
- Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Season ticket loan
- Free annual eye tests
- ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
- Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
- Sabbaticals
- One paid volunteer day each year
As part of our annual leave policy, all employees receive three additional days of annual leave on top of their standard allocation of 25 days. These days are designated to cover the period when our UK office closes between Christmas and New Year, allowing all UK Water Aiders to take a well-deserved break.
These days are automatically scheduled and cannot be changed or moved. Annual leave is accrued based on your start date. If sufficient leave has not been accrued by the time of the closure, the 3 days will be taken as unpaid leave or pro-rated, depending on your circumstances.
Our Global Commitment:
Our people promise
We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.
Safeguarding
We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).
Together, we’ll change the world through water.
Join us and be part of the change!
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has sustainable and safe water, sanitation and hygiene.