Professional Job Guide: Water Supply Manager (DP World Project) at WaterAid

Factor	Detail
Organization	WaterAid Nigeria
Project Focus	DP World-funded Initiative: Sustainable, climate-resilient WASH services.
Location	Bauchi State, Nigeria
Core Mission	Manage the delivery and long-term sustainability of solar-powered water infrastructure through effective partner mobilization and technical excellence.
Experience Required	Minimum 8 years in municipal utility maintenance, water systems construction, and repair, with 3 years in a supervisory/administrative capacity.

The Strategic Mission: Climate Resilience and Efficiency

The Water Supply Manager is a critical technical and leadership role responsible for translating high-profile private sector investment (DP World) into lasting, resilient water access for underserved populations in Bauchi State.

The uniqueness of this mission lies in two simultaneous objectives:

1. Technical Innovation & Resilience: Successfully overseeing the construction and implementation of solar-powered water schemes—a mandate that requires expertise in renewable energy integration, water system design, and climate adaptation.
2. Operational Efficiency & Sustainability: The successful candidate must demonstrate a proven track record of reducing operational costs while simultaneously maintaining or improving service levels. This is a mandate to move beyond construction and establish robust, financially viable utility management models with partners.

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Core Responsibilities & Success Metrics

This role demands a blend of deep technical knowledge, administrative oversight, and capacity-building skills.

Key Challenge Areas

Challenge Area	Description	Required Action / Focus
Program Quality Assurance	Ensuring all interventions (especially the solar water schemes) meet WaterAid’s strict program quality standards and are aligned with global best practices for sustainability.	Continuous monitoring, quality checks, and informed decision-making to maintain execution plans and standards.
Water System Strengthening	Moving beyond simple infrastructure delivery to establish systems that can be maintained locally and affordably in the long term.	Applying wide-ranging experience in strengthening water supply systems, including maintenance scheduling for complex equipment (pumps, treatment facilities).
Partner Capacity Development	Ensuring Partner Organizations (POs) internalize and implement the program’s guiding principles for sustainable and climate-resilient WASH services.	Active communication, training support, and mentorship for POs implementing grant-funded projects.
Knowledge Management	Protecting and disseminating the lessons learned from this specific, innovative DP World project across WaterAid and the wider WASH sector.	Facilitating documentation, running workshops, and encouraging effective lesson-sharing mechanisms.

Measures of Success (Key Outcomes)

Success in the first two years of this fixed-term contract will be defined by:

1. The timely and high-quality construction of planned solar-powered water schemes.
2. Demonstrable evidence of reduced operational costs within partner-managed water utilities, achieved without service degradation.
3. The establishment of robust, regular maintenance schedules and asset management systems for all new and existing equipment.
4. Clear documentation and sharing of the climate-resilient model developed under the DP World project.

A Day in the Life

As the Water Supply Manager, your time is divided between site oversight, technical administration, and partner engagement:

• Morning (Field Focus): Travel to project sites in Bauchi State to conduct quality checks on construction progress (solar installation, pipe-laying, reservoir construction). Meet with the construction team and engineers to resolve technical challenges.
• Mid-Day (Strategic Focus): Review grant expenditure and operational cost reports. Identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the current maintenance model. Develop a revised maintenance schedule for a key water treatment facility.
• Afternoon (Partner & Admin Focus): Hold a coordination meeting with the primary Partner Organization to discuss their adherence to sustainability principles and mentor them on utility management best practices. Document a key lesson learned from the solar scheme commissioning process for wider circulation.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate for this high-impact role is a seasoned technical expert who also possesses strong administrative and soft skills.

Technical Must-Haves

• Proven technical background in water utility maintenance, construction, and repair of municipal water/sewer systems.
• Specific expertise or strong knowledge of solar-powered infrastructure and technologies used in WASH.
• Demonstrated ability to implement cost-saving measures and efficiency improvements in a utility setting.
• A robust understanding of how to strengthen water supply systems for long-term delivery, not just short-term installation.

Leadership & Partnering Skills

• Administrative experience (minimum 3 years) in a supervisory capacity managing public works or utility teams.
• Experience working effectively with implementing partners in a grant-funded NGO environment.
• Strong commitment to effective documentation and knowledge sharing across a complex network.
• Membership of a relevant professional body and an existing WASH sector network are strong advantages.

This role offers a unique opportunity to lead a donor-critical project, combining deep technical implementation with innovative climate-resilient solutions and long-term utility sustainability.