Regional Manager, Infrastructure at Splash International
Job Description
Job Summary
The Regional Manager of Infrastructure is a senior technical and delivery leader responsible for the regional design, adaptation, and high quality implementation of Splash’s WASH infrastructure programming across African country programs. This role translates global infrastructure strategy and standards into country specific designs and delivery approaches, supports country teams in navigating complex implementation challenges, and ensures that infrastructure is delivered as a reliable, high quality component of Splash’s integrated program model.
This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role. The Regional Manager of Infrastructure ensures fidelity to Splash’s infrastructure standards, strengthens cross-country delivery systems, and supports consistent execution across multiple implementation contexts. While this role does not serve as the primary government facing lead, it ensures that regional infrastructure systems, tools, and technical oversight enable Country Directors and the Executive Director of Splash Africa to build and sustain effective government partnerships.
The Regional Manager of Infrastructure is accountable for regional infrastructure quality, delivery performance, and adaptation over time. Success in this role is measured by whether infrastructure is appropriately designed, delivered safely, commissioned successfully, and functioning to standard, on schedule, and within agreed budgets.
During country and city launch and pilot phases, the role maintains primary accountability to the Global Director of Infrastructure, with a heavy focus on design, redesign, standard setting, partner onboarding, and rapid iteration. As countries transition out of pilot, primary accountability shifts to the Regional Director of Program Delivery, with the role focusing on program delivery, quality assurance, fidelity, partner performance, and systems strengthening.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership for Infrastructure Programming
- Support the design and strategic direction of WASH infrastructure programming across the region.
- Ensure infrastructure approaches align with Splash’s global technical standards, delivery model, and country contexts.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen infrastructure design, delivery efficiency, cost effectiveness, and long‑term sustainability across regional programs.
Country Program Support
- Provide technical leadership and hands‑on support to country teams, and specifically to the Manager of Infrastructure Quality, and implementing partners across active countries.
- Support the adaptation and implementation of infrastructure designs within diverse urban school environments.
- Establish and oversee quality assurance processes to ensure infrastructure is delivered safely, consistently, and with high fidelity across countries and partners.
- Support alignment between infrastructure delivery, operations and maintenance readiness, and broader program sequencing.
Partner Engagement and Technical Assistance
- Work closely with implementing partners, contractors, consultants, and government counterparts to strengthen infrastructure delivery capacity and shared ownership of quality outcomes.
- Provide coaching, training, and technical assistance on infrastructure design, construction supervision, contractor management, quality control, and commissioning processes.
- Support partners in meeting Splash standards while adapting approaches to local regulatory, environmental, and operational contexts.
Program Design and Innovation
- Provide ongoing support to regional and country‑level infrastructure design processes, particularly during country and city launch and pilot phases.
- Identify opportunities to improve technical designs, delivery methodologies, constructability, and cost efficiency based on field experience and learning.
- Contribute to the refinement of infrastructure standards, tools, and guidance to support scale, replication, and long‑term systems sustainability.
Monitoring, Learning, and Adaptive Management
- Collaborate with Regional Impact & MLE team members to integrate infrastructure delivery data, quality metrics, and field learning into program decision‑making.
- Use program data and implementation experience to identify risks, address delivery challenges, and adapt infrastructure approaches over time.
- Document and share lessons learned to strengthen regional and global infrastructure practice.
Cross‑Team Collaboration
- Work closely with country leadership, program delivery teams, behavior change colleagues, and operations and finance teams to ensure infrastructure is integrated into a cohesive, high‑quality program package.
- Contribute to cross‑functional initiatives including program design, proposal development, cost modeling, and organizational learning.
- Act as a key connector between global infrastructure leadership and country‑level implementation teams.
External Representation and Thought Leadership
- Represent Splash in technical working groups, sector forums, and partner engagements related to WASH infrastructure delivery.
- Contribute to internal and external knowledge products, presentations, and discussions that showcase infrastructure learning, innovation, and program impact.
Regional Level Engagement
- Lead and coordinate infrastructure delivery across multiple countries, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with regional program priorities.
- Act as the regional bridge between country teams and global infrastructure leadership, supporting problem-solving and delivery at scale.
- Drive regional learning, planning, and performance management for infrastructure across Zambia, Ethiopia, and Malawi.
Educational Qualifications, Experience, & Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management, or a closely related discipline is required.
- A Master’s degree in Engineering, Infrastructure Management, Water Engineering, or a related field is advantageous but not required.
- Professional engineering registration or membership with a recognized engineering institution is desirable.
- Minimum 8 years of professional experience in infrastructure delivery, engineering project management, or construction management.
- Demonstrated experience managing WASH infrastructure projects such as water supply systems, sanitation infrastructure, and institutional plumbing installations.
- Understand and convey the context specific challenges and infrastructure considerations for urban schools in East and Southern Africa.
- Experience working across multiple sites, regions, or countries.
- Proven track record of managing or supervising infrastructure delivery teams, including site engineers, infrastructure managers, or technical project staff.
- Strong experience working with contractors, engineering consultancies, and construction firms.
- Experience reviewing engineering drawings, technical specifications, and Bills of Quantities (BoQs).
- Experience managing infrastructure delivery in the NGO, development, or public sector is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with government ministries, donors, and implementing partners is strongly preferred.
Core Competencies
- Infrastructure Project Management: Ability to oversee infrastructure delivery across multiple projects and countries, ensuring consistency, quality, and accountability.
- Technical Engineering Oversight: Strong capability to review designs, BoQs, construction methodologies, and technical solutions.
- Leadership & Team Management: Ability to guide, mentor, and support In-Country Infrastructure Managers while holding teams accountable for delivery.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to contribute to infrastructure strategy, analyze program performance, and identify opportunities for improvement. Identify and challenge government opinions with regard to context specific infrastructure.
- Contractor & Stakeholder Management: Skilled in managing relationships with contractors, engineering consultants, government stakeholders, and internal teams.
- Quality Assurance & Risk Management: Ability to identify risks early, enforce standards, and ensure infrastructure is delivered safely and effectively.
- Communication & Coordination: Strong ability to communicate clearly across technical and non-technical audiences and maintain strong upward and downward information flow.
- Problem Solving & Decision Making: Ability to address implementation challenges pragmatically and make informed decisions in complex field environments.
