Program Director – WASH

Job Title: Program Director -WASH
Location: Living Water International Zambia, Lusaka
Reports to: Country Director

Job Summary:
Living Water International Zambia is seeking an exceptional, visionary, and results-driven Program Director to provide transformative leadership and strategic oversight for its national Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs. This senior executive role is ideal for a highly experienced and mission-aligned professional who combines deep technical expertise with proven leadership and management acumen to deliver high-impact, scalable, and sustainable development outcomes.

Please also note that this position is part of the senior management team and will be responsible for providing programming and technical implementation guidance to the program components of WASH promotion, Community Engagement for Sustainability, and Church engagement.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Program Director will lead the design, execution, and continuous improvement of WASH programs, ensuring they are technically sound, cost-effective, and aligned with both national development priorities and Living Water International’s global strategy. This role requires a transformational leader with strong strategic thinking, decision-making, and team development skills—capable of managing complex engineering projects, inspiring high-performing teams, and cultivating strategic partnerships across sectors.

The Program Director will be pivotal in driving program innovation, operational excellence, and institutional growth to expand access to safe water, improved sanitation, and hygiene services for vulnerable communities across Zambia.

SELECTION COMPETENCIES

1. Strategic Program Leadership & Oversight
The role demands a strong, visionary leader with at least 8 years of senior management experience, capable of driving strategic vision, leading multidisciplinary teams, and managing complex organizational change. Leadership strengths include performance management, team capacity building, adaptive management, and stakeholder diplomacy. The leader should excel at motivating diverse teams, fostering innovation, and ensuring operational excellence under pressure.

The candidate must possess the following skills:

• Strategic Visioning: Sets and drives long-term impactful strategies that generate transformative impact.
• Influential Leadership: Leads through influence, builds consensus, and inspires diverse teams toward common goals. Must have a track record of leading management teams. Demonstrated excellence leading management-level teams as direct reports and experience in leading remote teams.
• Operational Excellence: Focused on quality, cost-effectiveness, and accountability to optimise program performance, ensuring accountability, and delivering results under pressure.
• Change Management: Comfortable navigating and leading through change. Adept at managing organisational change, fostering innovation, and driving institutional resilience.
• Stakeholder Diplomacy: Strong interpersonal, communication, and representation skills. Strong communicator and negotiator with a proven track record of engaging high-level stakeholders.

2. WASH Experience
The candidate must bring extensive WASH experience, with technical expertise in the planning, designing, and implementing WASH infrastructure such as boreholes, water supply systems, and sanitation facilities. Experience includes overseeing feasibility studies, technical assessments, and ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory standards. The ability to influence WASH policy, mobilise partnerships, and lead large-scale, climate-resilient, and sustainable WASH programs is essential.

3. Christian Commitment
A strong Christian commitment is central to the role, requiring a practising Christian with a personal relationship with Christ, active involvement in their local church, and the ability to provide a positive Christian witness. The leader must embody servant leadership, ethical conduct, and a mission-driven passion to improve lives through sustainable WASH solutions, while engaging and mobilising church and community stakeholders.

4. Qualifications and Experience
The candidate must possess the following:

• Master’s in Public Health.
• MBA as an added advantage
• Bachelor’s in Social Sciences (Development studies, Social work, etc).
• Monitoring &Evaluation as an added advantage
• Strong experience in WASH programming.
• Strong leadership skills at the Senior Management level for not less than 8 years.
• Good experience in reporting and proposal writing.
• Basic knowledge in Finance and Budgeting experience.
• Analytical with good presentation skills
• Strong Christian Background with personal knowledge of Christ as Saviour.
• Experience in managing Multi-million dollar budgets, Donor compliance and reporting, and
• Financial risk mitigation to safeguard program delivery and institutional integrity.

5. Stakeholder Engagement & External Relations
The candidate must have a proven ability to:

• Represent programs with donors, governments, and partners
• Influence WASH policy at national or regional platforms
• Mobilise strategic partnerships and community/church engagement
• Diplomatically and persuasively communicate with excellent negotiation skills
• Represent LWI Zambia in key sector platforms, leveraging influence to shape policy and advocate for increased investment in WASH.

6. Application Process
Please provide a two-page CV with a minimum of three (3) references (two professional references from immediate work supervisors and one from a spiritual leader), and a daytime telephone contact number. Please indicate current and expected remuneration (gross salary and benefits). Please indicate “Application for Program Director- WASH ” in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please send your application to [email protected] by Sunday, 11th May 2025.