Project Manager, WASH (OCHA Project)

Position: Project Manager, WASH (OCHA Project) - National Position

Reports to: Program Manager, West Nile

Job location:  West Nile, Arua

Starting date: November 2026  

Vacancy closing date: 6th October 2026 

Duration position: 10 months contract 

Working hours: Fulltime (40 hours per week) 

Please note: The recruitment for this position is contingent upon confirmation of project funding. The position will only be filled subject to the availability and confirmation of the required funding.

About ZOA

We are here for people who have lost everything due to armed conflict or natural disaster.

ZOA, as an international NGO, supports people who have lost everything due to armed conflict or natural disaster. Together, we can come to their aid in emergencies and remain faithful to communities as they recover – providing new opportunities for them to help themselves again. The work of ZOA is coordinated from the Netherlands. We are active in multiple countries in Africa, South America, the Middle East Region, and Asia. We work with approximately 900 employees worldwide and with (local) partners. We invite you to join our team of committed colleagues.

Our work in Uganda

In Uganda, ZOA has offices in Kampala, West Nile (Arua), Acholi (Gulu), and Karamoja (Amudat). ZOA Uganda works both in relief and recovery on the themes of food security & livelihoods, education, and conflict management with a special focus on land Rights.

About the OCHA Project

From October 2026 to July 2027, ZOA will implement WASH activities as a consortium partner with other partners implementing Protection and Nutrition related activities. The funding from OCHA will be used to meet immediate lifesaving needs including:

• Extending water supply systems
• Rehabilitating reserve tanks and water system components
• Support operations of motorised water supply systems
• Rehabilitate water points
• Facecal desludging
• Support to household latrine construction
• Latrine block construction
• Emergency preparedness and response in flood prone areas

ZOA Uganda is looking for a Project Manager to be based in Arua Office.

Your challenge

The Project Manager – WASH with support from the Programme Manager West Nile , is responsible for oversight of the OCHA WASH project. The Project Manager will provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight of the OCHA-funded WASH project, ensuring timely delivery of quality, accountable, and inclusive WASH services to refugees and host communities in accordance with donor requirements, Sphere standards, national policies, and organizational procedures. They will manage project resources, supervise staff, coordinate stakeholders, oversee monitoring and reporting, and ensure effective integration of protection, gender, disability inclusion, safeguarding, and accountability to affected populations throughout project implementation.

The PM will support and motivate 3 Project Coordinators and 3 Project Officers to deliver quality implementation in all WASH activities. The PM will also work closely with the consortium partners, building a collaborative and accountable working relationship.

The PM is overall accountable and responsible for implementation of WASH activities under the OCHA funded humanitarian project in Kiryandongo, Palorinya and Rhino Camp refugee settlements. He/She will oversee implementation of activities in two Outcome areas:

• Improved access to safe, reliable and equitable water supply for vulnerable communities in Palorinya, Rhino Camp and Kiryandongo refugee settlements.
• Reduced risk of WASH-related disease outbreaks through emergency sanitation and hygiene support for vulnerable refugee and host-community communities in Palorinya, Rhino Camp and Kiryandongo refugee settlements.

Your main tasks and responsibilities

Project planning and implementation

• Lead in project planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of progress in line with donor and ZOA requirements.
• Develop detailed work plans, procurement plans, spending forecasts, and activity schedules.
• Ensure implementation is aligned with project objectives, targets, and timelines.
• Conduct regular meetings and direct day-to-day supervision of the field staff to ensure the project is on track towards meeting the work plan requirements, ensuring targets and deliverables are completed by established deadlines.

Donor Compliance and Grant Management

• Ensure compliance with OCHA Humanitarian Financing guidelines, partner agreements, and organisational policies.
• Monitor project deliverables, indicators, and reporting obligations.
• Maintain adequate project documentation and audit-ready records.

Budget and Financial Oversight

• Manage project budgets in collaboration with finance staff.
• Monitor expenditure against approved budgets and spending plans.
• Ensure efficient use of resources and timely budget utilisation.
• Identify and address budget variances and financial risks.

Technical Oversight of WASH Interventions

• Provide overall supervision of WASH activities, including water supply systems, sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion, and operation and maintenance mechanisms.
• Ensure interventions comply with Sphere standards, Uganda Refugee Response standards, and government regulations.
• Promote quality, sustainability, and accountability in service delivery.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent the organisation in WASH Sector Working Groups, refugee response coordination meetings, and district-level forums.
• Maintain effective collaboration with UN agencies, local authorities, implementing partners, refugee welfare councils, and host community leaders.
• Foster complementarity and avoid duplication of services.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure routine monitoring of project indicators and progress against targets.
• Review activity reports, field assessments, and monitoring data.
• Support learning, adaptive management, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Ensure community feedback and complaint mechanisms are functional and responsive.

Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Supervise project staff, consultants, and field teams.
• Set performance objectives and provide coaching and technical support.
• Promote teamwork, staff wellbeing, and adherence to organisational values and safeguarding standards.
• Ensure the project team has clear objectives, with weekly and monthly targets, to ensure quality implementation of project outputs and outcomes, with regular face to face meetings (weekly or monthly)
• Ensure that project staff are conversant with their job description, ZOA’s internal regulations, standards, policies and donor regulations;
• Supervises and carries out periodical evaluation of the performance of the staff assigned to the project(s) against established performance objectives in a timely manner
• Ensures capacity building on key project concepts and approaches with support from PQ department and/or other ZOA and partner staff; recommends strategic training opportunities for the team;
• Ensures effective leave management within the project team, in liaison with the field Finance and Administration Associate Manager;

Finance and procurement

• Uses ZOA’s ERP system to track and maintain oversight of project expenditure (including partner finances), rregularly monitor projects expenditures (using the BVA) to ensure spending is made in line with the budget approved with the donor
• Ensure timely initiation of procurement requests and follow up on progress
• Provide appropriate code for expenses
• Ensure full utilization of the project approved budget, and timely adjustments and communication with the finance team to ensure good budget management.

Risk Management and Safeguarding

• Identify operational, financial, security, environmental, and safeguarding risks.
• Develop and monitor mitigation measures.
• Ensure safeguarding, protection mainstreaming, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) are integrated into all project activities.

Reporting and Communication

• Prepare and submit timely, accurate, and high-quality narrative reports for the donor and internally.
• Document project achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and success stories.
• Provide regular updates on project progress, risks, and corrective actions.

Mainstreaming Cross-Cutting Themes

• Ensure gender, age, disability inclusion, conflict sensitivity, environmental sustainability, and protection principles are integrated throughout the project cycle.
• Promote meaningful participation of women, persons with disabilities, older persons, youth, refugees, and host communities in project planning and implementation.
• Monitor equitable access to WASH services and address barriers to inclusion.

Accountability

• Sensitize all stakeholders (participants, service providers, partners, government and other) on feedback and complaint mechanisms implemented by ZOA Uganda;
• Upon receipt of a complaint or feedback, ensure that it is correctly documented following correct reporting procedures;
• Work closely with MEAL team to ensure regular analysis of feedback and complaints registered to inform the program of changes in operational trends and context to help in improving the intervention and adaptive management.

Your profile

Identity

• The candidate is expected to fully support the vision, mission and Christian values 0f ZOA (see https://www.zoa-international.com/corporate-identity)

Knowledge & Experience:

• University degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Water Resource Engineering, environmental or public health or other related fields.
• At least 5 years successful project cycle management experience in a similar position; - Experience managing large programmes for INGOs is an added advantage;
• Experience managing large projects funded by institutional donors is an added advantage;
• Having led a project in partnership with a local NGO is an added advantage;
• Excellent spoken and written command of English;
• Language skills in relevant local languages of the duty station is an added advantage.
• Experience of working with People with Disabilities is a plus
• Experience working in the refugee settlement context is advantageous

Skills:

• Participative leadership with clear command of overall operations;
• Sensitive towards HRM and organizational issues;.
• Good communication, writing and facilitation skills;
• Innovative, creative and enthusiastic;
• Good computer skills: Ms Excel and Ms Word;
• Self-motivator, able to work with limited supervision;
• Able to ride a motorbike in field conditions, holding a valid driving license.

Attitude/behaviour:

• High level of networking capacities, with interpersonal, organizational and intercultural sensitivity
• Commitment to inclusion for People with Disabilities
• Able to plan and coordinate and work in an organized manner
• High level of integrity
• Motivated to work independently / self-managing
• Be a self-starter
• Commitment to ZOA’s mission, vision and values (see https://www.zoa-international.com/corporate-identity)

Special conditions/circumstances

The PM will be based at the ZOA Arua Office in West Nile Programme Area with regular travel to field locations, sub counties and for meetings with project stakeholders is expected.

Visits to Kampala and other ZOA programme locations may also be requested for coordination, training and learning. The postholder is expected to regularly ride a motorcycle in rural conditions/on unmade roads.

The role is 1.0 FTW (40 hrs./week). Working hours and benefits are outlined in the ZOA Uganda Employee Handbook.

Our offer

• ZOA offers a challenging role in a dynamic context, and you will be part of an inspiring and motivated team.
• We offer good benefits and remuneration which suits the NGO sector.

Do you need more information?

For more information about ZOA, please visit our website www.zoa-international.com.

Interested and ready to apply?

All interested and qualified candidates please apply directly via the link, at the latest by 6th October 2026

CV’s of no more than 5 pages in length are appreciated. Please provide at least 3 references related to your previous employment listed in the application. References of previous positions held should not be older than five years.

Only selected candidates will be contacted and invited to participate in the process of Interviews. 

ZOA operates with an equal opportunities policy and is committed to diversity in the workplace.
Qualified women and men, people of all nationalities, and cultural backgrounds, and candidates with disabilities, women, Refugees are encouraged to apply.

Please note that, as part of its recruitment process, ZOA carries out background and reference checks (Including COTER - Counter Terrorism Check) for all candidates. As ZOA participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a written questionnaire, the ‘Statement of Conduct’, which will be sent to past employers regarding misconduct (such as sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment).

Please note that ZOA does not solicit for funds during any recruitment process. To report any unethical conduct, please use; report.uganda@zoa.ngo or report@zoa.ngo or Call: 080-020-0121 Tollfree.