• Job Title: Urban Water Supply and Utility Manager
• Pay band: Grade F
• Reports to: Lagos State Programme Lead 
• Location: Lagos, Nigeria
• Travels: At least 60%-time travel to support partners and communities in Lagos state and occasional travels to Abuja and Bauchi.
• Duration: Fixed-term, 2 years 

Team description 

WaterAid Nigeria has recently completed its 2023-2028 country programme strategy which sets a 5-year building block towards delivering a more influencing led programme over a 10-year horizon. This new country strategy rather than reflect a progression from previous country programme strategies, outlines key shifts in focus required to catalyse change and achieve maximum impact for our work in Nigeria.

WaterAid Nigeria’s Programme Directorate is responsible for engaging with multiple stakeholders in the programmatic value chain to ensure delivery of quality programmes in line with the CP strategy and quality programme standards. With the state as the focus of our work to maximise impact, the position of the Urban Water Supply and Utility Manager for Lagos State is expected to take significant responsibility to support water suppliers and utilities and galvanising state-level actors (policy makers, civil society, private sector and citizens) towards playing their roles to achieve increased access to WASH services in the state.

Job purpose

WaterAid is implementing the Urban Water and Sanitation Access Project (UWASAP) in Lagos to improve universal access to sustainable, resilient, and affordable WASH services for users; intensify hygiene and sanitation behavior change campaigns to maximize the benefits of good WASH services; and strengthen governance and institutional arrangements to deliver improved WASH services.

The Urban Water Supply and Utility Manager will support the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) to manage operation, maintenance, and improvement of the utility’s systems for a mini scheme within the mega city. They will also support LWC to set up functional mechanisms to manage water distribution, wastewater collection, and stormwater drainage systems in collaboration with sector players ( private sector, CSO). The Utilities Manager plans, organizes, and supports the work of LWC the utility; developing new ways to improve services or reduce costs; develops and implements goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards. In addition, the role will support Lagos Water Corporation and the Lagos State Regulatory Commission to coordinate activities associated with their mandates in relation to utility effectiveness in operations and maintenance.

Accountabilities 

Urban Programme Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Monitor and take responsibility for the delivery of quality work for programs in all thematic areas; ensure that all WaterAid Nigeria programs in Lagos are grounded in WaterAid program quality standards and approaches; make informed decisions about program management to maintain quality and ensure execution of plans.
• Develop operational plans and budgets for program implementation. Manage and monitor expenditures against strategic and annual plan budgets in accordance with financial guidelines, ensuring value for money and acting, where appropriate, within the framework of delegations of authority.
• Monitor the qualitative and quantitative results and impacts of the program and the work of partners to ensure successful delivery according to the overall plan. 
• Build the capacity of partners in implementing and maintaining the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) system and ensure that project reporting templates are developed according to WaterAid guidelines. 
• Ensure that projects are created and approved in Project Center by project managers/officers and that these projects are updated monthly (changes, results framework, traffic lights). 
• Contribute to the process of developing new project proposals, identification of new project areas, selecting new partner Organizations, population etc.
• Ensure programme designing, planning and budgeting are in line with the Country Programme Strategy (CPS) and Guidelines of the organization and donor’s requirement. 
• Negotiate and manage service contracts with vendors to ensure optimal pricing and service levels.
• Reviewing operational metrics such as energy usage, production levels, and labor costs to ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Interact directly with project engineer to achieve timely and successful completion of projects and system start-up.
• Monitor progress of the team and take necessary corrective measures.
• Drive, achieve and maintain agreed quality and standard.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports detailing usage, costs, and variances.
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce overall consumption and costs.

Working with Partners

• Ensure that Partner Organizations are fully informed of the program’s guiding principles and mainstream them towards implementation of sustainable WASH services
• Supervise and support Urban Programme being implemented by partner NGOs in different urban setup in Lagos State
• Continuous review of partners progress against plan, identify the loopholes, provide appropriate feedback & support to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the programme.
• Ensure provision of comprehensive hardware and software support to partner organizations and sector actors.
• Monitoring the performance of service providers such as contractors or utility companies to ensure that services are being delivered satisfactorily
• Support scheduling regular maintenance for equipment such as boilers, air conditioning systems, pumps, or water treatment facilities
• Overseeing the development of new utility systems or facilities
• Support partners capacity in investigating customer complaints to determine cause and recommending solution
• Build, develop and grow community relationships vital to the success of each community project
• Support utilities to conduct regular audits of utility usage and equipment to identify potential areas of improvement

Learning and Knowledge Management

• Advocate/facilitate networking and alliance buildings in respective programme areas
• Represent in various meeting/workshops/seminars, coordinate & facilitate all field visits, meetings with respective partner organizations, donor and other stakeholders
• Promote a culture of knowledge management for WaterAid and partners in Lagos state
• Encourage effective documentation and sharing of lessons through workshops, seminars, exhibition visits, meet-and-greet, etc
• Represent WANG in various assigned working groups, working committees, networks, alliances, workshops and meetings.
• Carry out other inter-organizational tasks and /or initiatives, as directed by the State Programme Lead.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, hydrogeology, Business Administration or other relevant subject
• Ten years of increasingly responsible experience in municipal utility maintenance, construction and repair of water systems, sewer systems and other Public Works activities, three years of which were in an administrative or supervisory capacity.
• Proven track record of reducing operational costs while maintaining or improving service levels
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance issues for utilities.
• Wide ranging experience in Strengthening of Urban Utilities Systems to support sustainable delivery of services.
• Experience working with partners implementing grant funded projects.
• Strong programme/project management skills, including the ability to initiate, plan, manage and monitor programmes & projects; technical ability to develop programme plans/design log frames etc
• Experience of managing multiple project stakeholders including community level stakeholders; donors; government officials etc
• Experience of project documentation for use in influencing; writing case studies and success stories
• Excellent Leadership as well as superior people management skills with the ability to develop and motivate teams
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including strong presentation skills

Personal skills

• Strong analytical skills
• Strong written communication skills, including experience in writing project narrative reports
• Good planning & organisational skills. Able to manage own time, as well as plan and prioritise own and others work
• Above average competence in the use of IT tools.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft suite of computer applications-Word , Excel , PowerPoint etc.
• Experience in budget and financial management
• Experience of leading, managing and motivating others and driving change
• Commitment to WaterAid’s values and a working style that reflects these.

Apply

If you are interested in the position and have the right skills and attributes, complete the application form by clicking this LINK

The closing date for this application is 9 April 2024

WaterAid is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages positive applications from qualified and eligible applicants, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, change of sex, religion or convictions, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.

Who we are

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation.

Since we started in 1981, we’ve remained resolutely focused on tackling these three essentials that transform people’s lives.

Without all three, people can’t live dignified, healthy lives. With all three, they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty, and change their lives for good. Children grow up healthy and strong, women and men get to earn a living, whole communities start to thrive. It sounds normal and it should be.

WaterAid is fully committed to protecting those with whom it comes into contact. WaterAid is committed to ensuring that wherever we work in the world there is no tolerance for the abuse of power, privilege or trust. WaterAid reinforces a culture of zero tolerance towards any form of inappropriate behaviour, abuse, harassment, or exploitation of any kind. The safeguarding of our beneficiaries, staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf, is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All staff and volunteers are required to share in this commitment through our Global Code of Conduct. We will conduct the most appropriate pre-employment references and checks to ensure high standards are maintained.

For more information about safeguarding at WaterAid, please visit our safeguarding webpage at: 

https://www.wateraid.org/uk/safeguarding-at-wateraid

We’re committed to changing normal forever—are you?