Job Description
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
