We are a Kenyan organization committed to accelerating water access in rural areas by championing professionalized management with a focus on small and medium-sized piped water systems. We leverage innovative service delivery models (SDMs), appropriate technologies, and strategic Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to achieve sustainable, efficient, and reliable water services for underserved communities. With a national presence in Kenya and working with 100+ rural water utilities to improve their functionality and commercial performance, a common challenge among the rural water systems in Kenya & Africa.

Position Information

• Duty Station: Turkana County, with regular travel to Samburu, Marsabit and West Pokot
• Programme: TUMAI MAJI – Pathway 2: Water and Sanitation Service Delivery
• Reports to: Pathway 2/Water and Sanitation Service Delivery Lead
• Supervises: Three (3) County WSP Capacity Strengthening Officers

Purpose of the Position

The Specialist will provide technical leadership, supervision, quality assurance and cross-county coordination for WSP capacity strengthening and integrated WASH service delivery under Pathway

The position will ensure that county-level interventions translate into measurable improvements in WSP performance, service reliability, financial sustainability, investment readiness, institutional capacity and inclusive access to water and sanitation services. Beyond leading System B implementation, the Specialist will contribute to the wider TUMAI MAJI programme by coordinating with Systems A, C and D to align service delivery interventions with basin-level water resource priorities, institutional and governance reforms, and investment mobilisation efforts. The role will also support joint planning, stakeholder engagement, field monitoring, programme learning and reporting, ensuring that interventions across the four systems are complementary and contribute to improved water security and sustainable water and sanitation services in the target ASAL counties.

Key Responsibilities

Technical leadership

• Lead the technical implementation of the WSP capacity-strengthening component.
• Establish common approaches, tools and methodologies for WSP and service-provider strengthening.
• Translate Pathway 2 outputs and indicators into practical county implementation plans.
• Ensure integration of water supply, sanitation/FSM, governance, finance, infrastructure, investment and climate resilience.
• Provide technical advice to the Pathway 2 management team and consortium partners.

Supervision and mentoring

• Directly supervise and mentor the three County WSP Capacity Strengthening Officers.
• Review and approve county workplans and technical deliverables.
• Conduct regular technical supervision visits.
• Identify implementation bottlenecks and coordinate corrective actions.
• Build the officers' technical capacity and promote peer learning across counties.

WSP performance strengthening

Provide technical oversight on:

• WSP performance assessments;
• performance-improvement strategies;
• governance and management;
• customer-management systems;
• billing and revenue collection;
• NRW reduction;
• operational efficiency;
• asset management and preventive maintenance;
• service reliability; and
• KPI and performance-monitoring systems.

Investment and financial sustainability

• Guide development and implementation of county and WSP water investment plans.
• Ensure investment priorities respond to service gaps, asset condition, climate risks and affordability.
• Support linkage of investment plans with WSP business plans and financial projections.
• Guide development of investment-ready project concepts.
• Coordinate with finance and investment partners on resource mobilisation and private-sector engagement.

Rural and small-provider service models

• Provide technical guidance on delegated management and other sustainable service-delivery models.
• Support professionalisation of rural and small water providers.
• Promote sustainable O&M, revenue and governance arrangements.
• Guide transition from project-supported systems to sustainable local management.

County institutional strengthening

• Strengthen coordination between county governments, WSPs and other providers.
• Support clarification of institutional roles and accountability.
• Promote institutionalisation of tools, systems and practices.
• Ensure county capacity remains after project completion.

Cross-cutting integration

Ensure that county interventions incorporate:

• Climate resilience;
• Gender and social inclusion;
• Affordability;
• Digitalisation;
• Innovation;
• Private-sector participation;
• Sanitation/FSM linkages; and
• Environmental and social considerations.

Monitoring, learning and reporting

• Participate in programme inception activities
• Consolidate performance information from the three county officers.
• Maintain a cross-county action and performance tracker.
• Lead technical reviews and learning events.
• Document good practices and lessons from Northern Kenya.
• Contribute to quarterly and annual programme reporting.
• Track progress against Pathway 2 indicators and corrective actions.

Key Deliverables

The Specialist will produce or oversee:

• WSP Capacity-Strengthening Methodology and Tools
• Consolidated County Implementation Workplans
• County Officer Supervision and Mentoring Plans
• Consolidated WSP Performance-Improvement Tracker
• Cross-County Technical Review Reports
• DMM/PPCP and Investment-Readiness Progress Reports
• Investment Planning and Investment-Readiness Tools
• Cross-County Learning and Knowledge Products
• Quarterly Technical Performance Reports
• Inputs to Annual Programme and Results Reports
• Institutionalisation and Capacity-Transfer Strategy
• Final Technical Handover and Sustainability Package

Minimum qualifications

• Masters degree in Water/Water Resources Engineering, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Development Studies, Public Policy, Management or a related field.
• Relevant Bachelor's degree.
• Professional registration/membership where applicable is an advantage.

Experience

At least 10 years relevant professional experience, including:

• WASH Service Delivery in Kenya;
• Water Sector Reforms in Kenya;
• Both Urban/Peri-Urban and Rural Water Systems;
• WSP Institutional and Performance Strengthening;
• County Government Engagement;
• Water Infrastructure/Service Operations;
• Governance And Institutional Strengthening;
• Investment Planning and Resource Mobilisation;
• Private-Sector/Service-Provider Engagement; And
• Supervision Or Coordination of Multidisciplinary Teams.

Regional experience

Demonstrated experience working in Northern Kenya and/or ASAL counties is strongly preferred.

The candidate should demonstrate the ability to work with county governments, WSPs, rural providers, communities, private-sector actors and development partners.

• Lead technical implementation of the WSP capacity-strengthening component and establish common approaches, tools and methodologies.
• Translate Pathway 2 outputs and indicators into county implementation plans and integrate water supply, sanitation/FSM, governance, finance, infrastructure, investment and climate resilience.
• Supervise and mentor three County WSP Capacity Strengthening Officers; review and approve workplans and technical deliverables, conduct supervision visits and coordinate corrective actions.
• Provide technical oversight on WSP performance assessments, performance-improvement strategies, governance, customer management, billing and revenue collection, NRW reduction, operational efficiency, asset management, service reliability and performance monitoring.
• Guide county and WSP water investment plans, investment-ready project concepts, business plans and financial projections, and coordinate resource mobilisation and private-sector engagement.
• Provide guidance on sustainable rural and small-provider service-delivery models, professionalisation, sustainable O&M, revenue and governance arrangements, and transition to local management.
• Strengthen coordination between county governments, WSPs and other providers, and support institutional roles, accountability and capacity.
• Ensure county interventions incorporate climate resilience, gender and social inclusion, affordability, digitalisation, innovation, private-sector participation, sanitation/FSM linkages and environmental and social considerations.
• Consolidate performance information, maintain cross-county trackers, lead technical reviews and learning events, document lessons, contribute to programme reporting and track Pathway 2 indicators.

• WASH service delivery and water sector reforms
• WSP institutional and performance strengthening
• Water infrastructure and service operations
• Investment planning and resource mobilisation
• Governance and institutional strengthening
• County government and stakeholder engagement
• Private-sector and service-provider engagement
• Supervision, mentoring and coordination of multidisciplinary teams
• Monitoring, learning and programme reporting
• Experience working with rural water systems and ASAL counties

• Masters degree in Water/Water Resources Engineering, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Development Studies, Public Policy, Management or a related field.
• Relevant Bachelor's degree.
• Professional registration/membership where applicable is an advantage.