Description
Water Systems Infrastructure and
Performance Director
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
The Program/Department Summary
Mercy Corps is present in the DRC since August 2007 with a current workforce of more than 300 national and expatriate employees and operational presence in Goma and Beni (North Kivu Province), in Bunia (Ituri Province), and in Tshikapa, Kalonda West and Ndjoko Punda (Kasai Province). As a leading NGO in DRC working with more than 40 partners in 2024, Mercy Corps reached 2.12 million people in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Kasai with integrated programs that ensured equitable access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in humanitarian and development settings; supported a comprehensive, rapid response to ongoing humanitarian needs; promoted economic and livelihood development to strengthen food security and resilience; as well as institutional capacity strengthening and social cohesion to foster peace and good governance.
In October 2020, Mercy Corps started the five-year USAID’s Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity, with a budget of $51 million to be implemented in 5 locations across North and South Kivu. Building on the successes of Mercy Corps’ IMAGINE program, and those of other WASH actors in Eastern DRC, USAID’s Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity (SWASSA) has brought together a consortium of 3 international partners to focus on water and sanitation.
Early 2025, following USAID budget cuts, the SWASSA project was terminated. This abrupt stop left to the end of contract of the entire SWASSA team, the closure of field offices and unfinished infrastructures on site. In parallel, the armed group AFC/M23 took control of several cities in the east of the country, including Goma, Bukavu, and the peri-urban areas of Sake and Bweremana. The fighting led to the destruction of water infrastructure and the mass displacement of populations. Faced with this dual crisis, urgent and coordinated action is needed to restore, finalize, and sustain water supply systems, while strengthening local governance and community resilience.
In response to the end of US funding, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo brought together UNICEF and Mercy Corps in April 2025, to explore the possibility of a partnership between both actors. Following this initial meeting, it has been decided that UNICEF will establish this partnership, allowing Mercy Corps to complete SWASSA suspended work in North Kivu through World Bank funding. The overall project is piloted by the the Unité de Gestion du Projet de Développement du Système de Santé (UG-PDSS), which is attached to the Ministry of Health and responsible to coordinate World Bank funded health projects.
This project allows to complete WASH infrastructures, strengthen local capacities (including in the private sector), and reinforce the governance. The budget is 5M USD, the team is about 25 people (based in Goma) and the project will start in September 2025. It has been called the “SWAP-PED” (Sustainable Water Project – Projet d’Eau Durable) project.
The Country Office plans to fundraise for additional projects that will complement SWAP-PED and strengthen MC WASH programming in DRC.
The Position
The role of the Water Systems Infrastructure and Performance (WSIP) Director is to provide key delivery support to enable the MC DRC WASH Programming to deliver sustainable water services. Mercy Corps is seeking a talented (international) professional with extensive experience in the governance of the development of water supply infrastructure and service delivery. The WSIP Director will lead activities to assess water system infrastructure and operational reliability of utilities and water service providers. The WSIP Director will mainly engage in a wide variety of technical and management activities aimed at expanding and improving the water service delivery, including the development of drinking water service delivery systems, the development of new approaches with the Regies Provincials, Decentralized Territorial Entities (DTEs) and Water Users Associations (ASUREPs), and capacity building and training for private water service providers.
We are looking for (international) candidates with experience in the management of peri-urban water supply systems and a good understanding of performance management. Applicants should have knowledge of Public-Private Partnership contractual models for water services and water sector governance and be able to articulate trade-offs between design options and operational costs at short and long term of different service delivery models.
The WSIP Director will be responsible for setting strategy, ensuring quality implementation and overseeing all activities. He/she will be responsible for ensuring compliance with donors regulations, working closely with private and public partners as well as supervising a dedicated team. In addition, he/she will work closely with the WASH Programs Director to identify potential delays and to resolve key risks, ensuring that the program is delivered on time. The WSIP Director is expected to manage his/her team in an empowering and collaborative manner, with a focus on capacity building. He/she will be responsible for risk mitigation, crisis management, health and safety, with an emphasis on adherence to gender and safeguard best practices.
It must be noted that WASH programming in DRC includes the upcoming SWAP-PED funding, as well as any future related WASH projects.
Responsibilities
- Support multi-criteria analysis for feasibility studies, field information and data collection.
- Oversee water network assessments which should cover the following components: technical management, operation and maintenance, financial management, organizational structures, customer service and energy efficiency.
- Perform various types of analysis including actual infrastructure condition and cost, cost recovery and financial models, and basic performance indicators such as unremunerated water and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Provide advice for planned infrastructure investments, including analysis of trade-offs between design options and short- and long-term operating costs and commercial viability.
- Work on infrastructure planning and supervision, including design and build tenders, procurement support, and QA/QC.
- Implement tasks related to improving the financial performance, business practices and customer service of water service providers.
- Serve as the key point of contact between MC projects and target water service providers related to business- and operationalperformance.
- Liaise with international/local short-term technical assistance providing advice on specific improvement activity areas.
- Support the WASH Program Directors in programmatic design and proposal coordination for WASH programming opportunities.
Qualifications
- Possess a bachelor’s degree (Bac+3) in business administration, economics, public policy, urban planning, engineering, or any other relevant field; Masters level is preferred.
- Must have at least 10 years of relevant working experience in the water and sanitation sector and a thorough understanding with water utilities/operating service providers.
- Knowledge of the governance of water supply infrastructure development and finance (public and private). Specific knowledge of structuring and implementing Public-Private Partnerships is an advantage.
- Demonstrated experience in technical interventions such as contracting for water services, unremunerated water, metering, and local actor ownership of water and sanitation services.
- Experience in one or more of the following: development and management of small and medium enterprises; development and implementation of business plans; design and implementation of capacity building programs; technical management and financial management; and improving business efficiency.
- Good communication and analytical skills with the ability to write well-structured technical reports and perform critical business plan reviews.
- Must have computer proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, MS-Project, etc.
- Experience working with donor funded projects and with different partners.
- Fluency in French and English is required; fluency in Swahili is appreciated.
- Work experience in East Africa and DRC ideally.
Management lines
Supervisory Responsibility: Water/Sanitation/Security/Safety/Environment Engineer, Water/Infrastructures Engineer, GIS & CAD Engineer.
Reports Directly To: Director of WASH Programs.
Works Directly With: Deputy WASH Programs Director, Program Delivery Managers (M&E, Market Service Delivery)
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Success Factors
The successful WSIP Director will combine a strong collaborative working style with relevant technical expertise and a deep understanding of the challenges of implementing infrastructure projects in this kind of context. S/he should be an adept project Director, with the ability to implement quickly and accurately, troubleshooting and problem solving before issues arise, meet deadlines and process information to support the evolution of the program.
S/he will demonstrate adaptability, flexibility in approach, and a strong sense of equity. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and strengthen the capacity of his/her team to grow with the program, ensuring a team who are not only technically brilliant but who have an understanding of the USAID regulations and Mercy Corps minimum standards. S/he will have strong coaching and mentoring skills and be able to apply them in difficult situations with a cross-cultural team.
Due to the nature of this program, and the operating environment, the successful candidate must have a high level of internal resilience. In this program, patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination and a sense of humor are all important factors for success.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Goma (unaccompanied), and it requires travels to the implementation sites, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in group accommodation (individual apartment within a guest house) provided by Mercy Corps with the necessary amenities and security arrangements.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development .
Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
