About Viva con Agua
Viva con Agua (VcA) is an international network organisation committed to promoting universal access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation through the joyful means of art, music, and sport. Our mission is ALL IN FOR WATER, achieved by:
activating individuals and organisations, through the universal languages of music, sport, and art, to participate in a process of positive societal change;
inspiring people to engage creatively and enthusiastically with the global issues of water, sanitation, and hygiene;
engaging in committed, synergy-oriented partnerships that bring our local supporters together to develop a stable platform for initiating positive societal change; and
implementing WASH projects in various countries worldwide that make a positive impact on communities' access to water.
VcA currently engages over 2,800 active volunteers across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa, further supported by a network of artists, athletes, and musicians who contribute their creativity and passion.
Together with our partner Grünbeck and local partners, we are implementing a WASH project in Kibera, Nairobi. The project pairs a hardware component – borehole drilling, solarisation, and a Reverse Osmosis system serving a local school and community – with a software component: WASH behaviour-change delivered through the Universal Languages for Change (UL4C) approach, strengthening hygiene practice, sustainable water infrastructure management, and Operation and Maintenance.
Location Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya (with regular travel within Nairobi County)
Job Purpose
The Consultant provides on-site day-to-day field leadership for the project, integrating its engineering and community/behaviour-change strands into a single, well-governed intervention. The role oversees borehole drilling and solarisation through to completion, leads community behaviour-change activities, and serves as the project's principal liaison with national and county government agencies and utility providers.
Responsible To Reports directly to the VcA WASH Programs Coordinator
Main Responsibilities
Hardware: Engineering oversight
Oversee the drilling contractor and technical consultants to ensure borehole works meet agreed national specifications, quality, and safety standards
Oversee design and installation of the solar-powered pumping and distribution system and the Reverse Osmosis system, ensuring technical soundness and value for money
Review technical designs, BOQs, and contractor deliverables
Conduct site supervision and sign off on milestones
Ensure compliance with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Water Resources Authority permitting and county development approvals; coordinate procurement for the hardware component
Software: Behaviour-change sensitisation
Design and deliver behaviour-change and hygiene-promotion activities (handwashing, water safety, sanitation) tailored to the Kibera context
Work closely with the Kibera Arts Centre, local artists, and influencers to implement WASH behaviour-change promotion activities
Recruit and train community health volunteers and support water-user structures
Facilitate the formation or strengthening of a water-users' committee or vendor group to operate and maintain the borehole and water kiosk after handover
Develop or adapt IEC/BCC materials and mainstream gender, disability, and social-inclusion considerations across all community-facing activities
Government and stakeholder engagement
Act as the project's principal contact point with Nairobi City County, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Water Resources Authority, Water Sector Trust Fund, Water Services Regulatory Board, and the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation
Secure and maintain all permits, licences, and endorsements required for drilling, solarisation, and public-health activities
Build constructive relationships with other actors, NGOs, and community leadership, and contribute to advocacy for pro-poor, community-owned water services
Project management
Develop and manage workplans and support procurement for the hardware and software components
Manage community volunteers, technical consultants, and day-to-day relationships with contractors, suppliers, and implementing partners
Monitor progress against indicators, ensure data quality, and adapt implementation
Prepare timely narrative and financial reports; uphold safeguarding, health-and-safety, and risk-management standards on site
Qualifications and Experience
A degree in Water or Environmental Engineering or a related field; a combination of engineering with public health or social science is an advantage
Minimum five (5) years' WASH programme experience spanning both infrastructure delivery and community behaviour-change work
Proven track record engaging government institutions, sector regulators, and utilities
Sound understanding of Kenya's WASH framework, including the Water Act, WASREB regulations, devolved water governance, and NEMA/WRA licensing processes
Experience in informal settlements, in Kibera or a comparable context, with proven project-management skills covering budgeting, procurement, M&E, and reporting
Skills and Competencies
Strong technical grasp of borehole drilling and solar-powered water systems
Skilled facilitator and trainer in community mobilisation
Multi-stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and diplomacy skills, with sound budget management and donor-reporting proficiency
Excellent written and verbal communication in English and any local dialect
Able to work independently and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced informal settlement, with commitment to safeguarding, gender equity, and inclusion
Strong coordination and facilitation skills
A collaborator, able to work in a multicultural environment
Self-motivated and self-directed
Willingness to learn and to share knowledge
Contract Terms and Duration
Duration: 12 months, fixed term
Duty station: Kibera, Nairobi, with regular travel within Nairobi County as required
Reporting line: WASH Programs Coordinator
Remuneration: commensurate with experience
Mode of Payment
The Consultant will receive a lump-sum monthly fee upon submission and acceptance of a monthly progress report by Viva con Agua. The monthly fee is determined based on the qualifications and experience of the applicant. The Consultant is entitled to travel costs, daily subsistence allowance (DSA), and accommodation when assigned to travel outside the Kibera project area.
How to Apply
Submit a cover letter and CV, including three professional references, quoting "Project Coordinator Consultant Kibera" in the subject line, to procurement@vivaconagua.org.
📅 Deadline: September 25, 2026, 23:59 hours EAT. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Viva con Agua is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified women, persons with disabilities, and candidates from communities in and around Kibera to apply.