Project Manager - WASH

Position: WASH Project Manager
Department: Programs
Reports to: Head of Program, with a matrix line to the Sector Lead – WASH
Location: Uganda, Isingiro (with regular travel across assigned districts and project locations)


Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 24 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, our 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs, and approximately 1,800 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.


Job Summary

The WASH Project Manager provides overall field-level operational, programmatic and managerial leadership in the planning, coordination and implementation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions across assigned districts and project locations in Uganda, particularly within refugee settlements and host communities in Isingiro, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and Kikuube.
The position is responsible for managing the implementation of emergency WASH interventions, ensuring timely access to safe improved sanitation, effective fecal sludge and solid waste management, and appropriate hygiene services for refugees, new arrivals, persons with disabilities and vulnerable host-community populations.
The WASH Project Manager oversees the construction of household latrines, emergency communal latrines and bathing shelters, latrine emptying and desludging services, solid waste management and community-based hygiene promotion interventions. The position also supports WASH preparedness and rapid response during disease outbreaks, refugee influxes, and other humanitarian emergencies.
The role is responsible for translating approved project strategies, designs and budgets into effective field-level implementation, providing leadership to WASH project teams and implementing partner, ensuring technical quality, managing project resources and coordinating with relevant government institutions, UN agencies, refugee coordination structures and other humanitarian stakeholders.
The position ensures that all interventions adhere to relevant national WASH standards, Sphere Standards, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), environmental and social safeguards, protection mainstreaming, disability inclusion and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) commitments. It further ensures meaningful participation of affected persons and local leaders throughout the project life cycle to promote community ownership, contextualization, accountability and sustainability of WASH interventions.
Engagement:
Internal: Head of Program; Sector Lead – WASH, Climate and Emergency Management; MEAL Department; Finance Department; Procurement and Logistics; Human Resources and Administration; and PDQ Department.
External: District Local Governments and relevant technical departments Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); UN agencies, particularly UNHCR, UNICEF; donors; refugee settlement commandants and coordination structures; implementing partners; local NGOs; civil society organizations; community representatives and local leadership structures.


Essential Job Duties


Project Planning, Design and Technical Programming



Lead the development of WASH project implementation plans, detailed activity schedules, and procurement plans in line with approved project proposals and organizational priorities.
Support the development of WASH project proposals, concept notes, technical designs, bills of quantities (BoQs), budgets and implementation strategies for humanitarian and emergency programming.
Conduct and coordinate WASH needs assessments, technical assessments, vulnerability assessments and community consultations to inform project design and prioritization.
Lead the identification and prioritization of WASH needs among refugees, new arrivals, persons with disabilities, extremely vulnerable households and host communities.
Develop and or rollout appropriate implementation approaches for household sanitation, emergency communal sanitation facilities, bathing shelters, fecal sludge management, solid waste management and hygiene promotion.
Ensure that WASH interventions are informed by sanitation needs, public health risks, population movements, environmental conditions and existing service delivery gaps.
Ensure appropriate technical designs, specifications, BoQs and implementation methodologies are developed and reviewed before construction, rehabilitation or service delivery activities commence.
Promote integrated WASH programming, including WASH in Nutrition, WASH in Health Facilities, WASH for Protection and climate-resilient WASH approaches.
Ensure that project implementation plans are aligned with approved project designs, donor requirements, ACF country strategies, national WASH policies and relevant humanitarian frameworks.
Identify emerging WASH needs, implementation gaps and opportunities for program adaptation and scale-up.



Operations Management and Implementation

Manage and coordinate the day-to-day implementation of WASH project Interventions across assigned districts and refugee settlements, ensuring timely, efficient and quality delivery of planned activities.
Provide overall implementation oversight of sanitation and hygiene interventions, ensuring that activities are delivered in accordance with approved project targets, technical specifications, budgets and implementation schedules.
Coordinate the construction of household latrines, prioritizing new-arrival households, persons with disabilities, extremely vulnerable households and other populations with limited access to adequate sanitation.
Oversee the construction and maintenance of emergency communal latrines and bathing shelters in refugee settlements and other targeted communities, ensuring adequate capacity, accessibility, safety, privacy and gender sensitivity.
Ensure appropriate planning and implementation of emergency sanitation interventions in response to new refugee arrivals, disease outbreaks, flooding and other public health emergencies.
Coordinate and supervise latrine emptying, desludging and fecal sludge management services, ensuring safe collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of fecal sludge in accordance with applicable environmental and public health standards.
Ensure that latrine emptying and desludging activities are undertaken using appropriate equipment, trained service providers and safe operational procedures, with particular attention to occupational health and safety.
Lead the planning and implementation of hygiene promotion activities, including household hygiene education, community mobilization, sanitation behavior change, handwashing promotion, safe water handling and menstrual hygiene management.
Ensure that hygiene promotion interventions are evidence-based, culturally appropriate, inclusive and responsive to the specific public health risks and sanitation practices within refugee settlements.
Ensure that WASH infrastructure and services are accessible and appropriate for women, men, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Ensure meaningful participation of affected persons, community representatives and local leaders throughout the project life cycle, including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, to promote community ownership, context-specific interventions, accountability and the overall sustainability of WASH services and facilities.
Conduct regular field visits and technical supervision of construction works, sanitation service delivery and hygiene promotion activities to verify progress, workmanship, functionality and compliance with technical specifications.
Ensure that contractors, suppliers, implementing partners and community-based service providers deliver services in accordance with contractual obligations, approved designs, quality standards and environmental safeguards.
Identify implementation bottlenecks, technical challenges and operational risks and institute appropriate corrective measures in consultation with relevant technical and support departments.
Ensure effective coordination between field teams, implementing partners, contractors, local authorities and community structures to facilitate smooth implementation.
Ensure timely identification, planning, requisition and procurement of project requirements, including construction materials, sanitation equipment, hygiene supplies, tools and services through established ACF systems and procedures.
Coordinate with Procurement, Logistics and Finance to ensure timely processing of requisitions, procurement, delivery and availability of required materials and services, and Monitor procurement and supply chain processes, following up on outstanding requisitions and deliveries to prevent implementation delays.
Ensure effective utilization of project resources, operational planning and expenditure monitoring in collaboration with Finance and other support departments

Technical Quality Assurance and Standards Compliance

Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for all WASH interventions, ensuring compliance with approved technical designs, specifications, BoQs and relevant national and international standards.
Ensure that household and communal sanitation facilities meet applicable technical requirements for structural safety, durability, accessibility, privacy, gender sensitivity and environmental protection.
Ensure that emergency communal latrines and bathing shelters are appropriately located, adequately designed and maintained, with appropriate consideration for lighting, security, menstrual hygiene management and the safety of women and girls.
Ensure that household sanitation interventions are appropriate to local soil conditions, groundwater levels, flood risks, settlement patterns and available construction materials.
Conduct regular technical inspections, construction quality assessments, site verification and completion checks before recommending acceptance and handover of completed facilities.
Ensure proper documentation of construction progress, technical supervision, completion certificates, handover records and operation and maintenance arrangements.
Promote the application of Sphere Standards, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), relevant WASH Cluster guidelines, Ministry of Water and Environment standards and applicable public health and environmental regulations.
Identify technical capacity gaps among staff, contractors, implementing partners and community structures and provide appropriate coaching and technical guidance

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

Coordinate the implementation of project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning activities across assigned locations in collaboration with the MEAL Department.
Ensure regular monitoring of project outputs, outcomes, implementation quality and expenditure against approved targets, indicators and implementation plans.
Ensure timely, accurate and quality data collection, entry, verification and reporting through DHIS2 (ACF's online MEAL information management system).
Ensure regular updating of project implementation data, indicator tracking and beneficiary information in DHIS2 to support performance monitoring, analysis and evidence-based decision-making.
Monitor progress against key WASH indicators, including household latrine construction, communal latrine construction, bathing shelters, latrine emptying, fecal sludge management, solid waste management and hygiene promotion coverage.
Ensure that field teams maintain accurate records of completed facilities, sanitation services delivered, households reached, hygiene promotion sessions and beneficiaries served.
Coordinate with field teams and the MEAL Department to strengthen data quality assurance, address reporting gaps and ensure timely submission of routine and ad hoc reports.
Coordinate periodic program reviews, outcome assessments, post-distribution monitoring (PDM), needs assessments, construction verification exercises and lessons-learned activities.
Ensure timely preparation, consolidation and submission of quality donor reports in accordance with contractual requirements, approved reporting formats and deadlines.
Coordinate the preparation and submission of project progress reports, WASH updates, assessment findings and other required reports to District Local Governments, OPM, UN agencies and other relevant authorities.
Consolidate and analyse implementation data, achievements, indicator performance, challenges, expenditure updates and emerging needs to inform management decisions and donor reporting.
Ensure consistency and alignment between narrative reports, indicator performance, beneficiary data and financial reporting in collaboration with MEAL, Finance and relevant technical teams.
Coordinate the preparation of supporting evidence, documentation and data for donor reporting, government reporting, monitoring visits, program reviews and verification exercises.
Document good practices, innovations, challenges and lessons learned to inform program improvements and future project design.
Ensure that monitoring processes capture the experiences, participation and outcomes of different population groups, including women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Promote evidence-based adaptive management and ensure that community feedback, monitoring findings and lessons learned inform adjustments to project implementation.

Coordination, Representation and Stakeholder Management

Represent ACF in regional, and district WASH coordination platforms, including refugee WASH coordination meetings and relevant technical working groups across assigned operational locations.
Maintain effective working relationships with District Local Governments, OPM, UN agencies, implementing partners, NGOs, community-based organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
Coordinate with UNHCR, UNICEF, District Water Offices, District Health Offices and other relevant stakeholders to promote complementary and coordinated WASH service delivery within refugee settlements and host communities.
Participate in joint WASH needs assessments, sanitation assessments, technical assessments, monitoring missions and emergency response planning activities.
Coordinate with relevant stakeholders on sanitation service delivery, including communal latrine management, desludging, fecal sludge disposal and solid waste management.
Promote effective information sharing and coordination between field teams, implementing partners, local authorities and country-level program management.
Identify opportunities for local partnerships, collaboration and private-sector engagement to strengthen sanitation service delivery and waste management systems.
Participate in relevant district-level coordination meetings, technical working groups, emergency response planning sessions and other stakeholder engagements.
Support donor engagement, field visits, project reviews and monitoring missions by providing accurate and timely operational updates and field-level evidence.

People Management and Team Leadership

Provide line management, technical supervision and performance management of WASH project teams across assigned districts and project locations.
Support the recruitment, onboarding, deployment, capacity development and performance appraisal of project personnel in collaboration with relevant departments.
Ensure effective task allocation, work planning and performance monitoring among WASH Officers, Assistants, hygiene promoters, community mobilizers and other assigned project personnel.
Provide technical guidance and coaching to project staff on household sanitation, emergency communal latrines, bathing shelters, latrine emptying, fecal sludge management, solid waste management and hygiene promotion.
Promote teamwork, collaboration and accountability among technical teams, support functions, contractors and implementing partners.
Strengthen staff and partner capacities in emergency sanitation, hygiene promotion, environmental health, waste management and inclusive WASH programming.
Ensure appropriate staffing and deployment arrangements to facilitate implementation across multiple refugee settlements and host-community locations.
Foster a positive, inclusive, safe and results-oriented working environment, promoting staff wellbeing and adherence to organizational policies and values.
Identify capacity gaps and support continuous professional development and coaching of field teams.

Risk Management, Accountability and Compliance

Identify, assess and manage field-level program, operational, contextual, financial, environmental, security and safeguarding risks across assigned operational locations.
Develop, implement and regularly review risk mitigation measures and operational continuity plans.
Ensure effective Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), including accessible community feedback and complaints mechanisms, transparent information sharing, community consultation and meaningful participation in program decisions.
Ensure protection mainstreaming, gender equality, disability inclusion, child safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) across all WASH interventions.
Ensure that household latrine construction, communal sanitation facilities and bathing shelters are designed and implemented with appropriate consideration for safety, privacy, dignity and accessibility.
Ensure that hygiene promotion and sanitation activities are inclusive and address the specific needs and barriers faced by women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Ensure that humanitarian assistance is delivered impartially, equitably and in accordance with humanitarian principles, prioritizing people based on needs and vulnerabilities.
Ensure compliance with ACF internal policies, procedures and operational requirements, including the appropriate and timely use of established organizational tools, platforms and systems.
Ensure proper utilization of ACF digital systems, including the Travel Application, Procurement Link System, DHIS2 and other relevant program, logistics, finance and administrative management platforms.
Ensure timely submission, updating and approval of requests, transactions, reports and supporting documentation through the respective ACF systems.
Promote adherence to internal controls, documentation requirements and audit trails to ensure transparency, accountability and effective project management.
Ensure compliance with donor requirements, financial and administrative procedures, humanitarian principles and relevant national and international standards.
Ensure incidents, safeguarding concerns, complaints and operational irregularities are reported and managed through established organizational procedures.

Other duties as required (5%)

Other duties as assigned by the supervisor and Senior leadership management

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and performance management of multidisciplinary project teams and field personnel across assigned districts and project locations.
Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, deployment, capacity development and performance appraisal of project personnel in collaboration with the relevant departments.
Ensure effective task allocation, work planning and performance monitoring across program teams and assigned field locations.
Promote teamwork, collaboration and accountability among technical teams, support functions and implementing partners.
Strengthen staff and partner capacities in emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, early action and multisectoral humanitarian response.
Ensure appropriate staffing and deployment arrangements to facilitate rapid emergency mobilization and response across multiple operational locations.
Foster a positive, inclusive, safe and results-oriented working environment, promoting staff wellbeing and adherence to organizational policies and values.
Identify capacity gaps and support continuous professional development and coaching of field teams.

IV. Fiscal Responsibility

Support the development and management of project budgets, ensuring that expenditure is aligned with approved budgets, work plans and donor requirements.
Monitor project expenditure and budget utilization in collaboration with the Finance Department, identifying variances and recommending appropriate corrective actions.
Ensure effective planning and utilization of project resources, including construction materials, sanitation equipment, hygiene supplies, transport and operational resources.
Ensure that procurement plans, requisitions and expenditure forecasts are aligned with approved implementation schedules and project budgets.
Ensure appropriate verification and documentation of completed works, delivered services, supplies and project-related expenditures in accordance with ACF procedures and delegated approval authorities.
Physical Demands


While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

Must be willing to reside within the project implementation area/district.
The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

VII. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Required Qualifications

A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Public