Senior Project W Manager at Aquaya Institute

About the Senior Project W Manager position

• The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector needs to catch up to the data revolution. Project W aims to support decision-makers in achieving sustainable WASH services at scale through accessible data-driven insights. Project W is a centralized WASH data directory and analytics platform for stakeholders to learn, respond, and invest in effective services. Project W currently includes over 4,500 secondary datasets from over 40 countries. Additional components of Project W may include WASH-related literature, technology, jobs, grants, conferences, and other topics. Project W may also compile original datasets to fill existing information gaps.
• The Senior Project W Manager (‘Senior Manager’) is responsible for all facets of Project W’s execution. The Senior Manager is responsible for managing the vision and progress of Project W to build a public, accessible, and innovative data platform. The Senior Manager will help recruit and supervise the relevant tasks of a Data Editor and/or several Junior Data Editors (as they are hired) who will work directly on data collection, entry, and editing.

The Senior Manager’s key responsibilities will be as follows:

• Management: Drive the Project W program by overseeing the activities, budget, timeline, and team, including managing junior staff.
• Web platform: Finalize the Project W beta web platform development, and liaise with the web developer and team.
• Data integration: Expand the web platform to integrate primary and secondary datasets on rural water supply systems and population centers in conjunction with the scale-up of a multi-country water quality testing program.
• Engagement: Obtain feedback from potential users and other stakeholders to refine Project W to address critical data-for-decision-making gaps.
• Expansion: Create the work plan for the next phase of Project W in collaboration with the Project W task force (Senior Management, advisors, and other staff
• This position may be remote (for a particularly strong candidate) but preferably based in person in Nairobi, Kenya, or Accra, Ghana.

Criteria for the position
The following qualifications are necessary for this position:

• Demonstrated experience building and/or managing web-based data platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in project leadership, with experience or interest in driving projects from start-up to growth.
• A general understanding of the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector.
• Graduate degree in data science, WASH, or a related field.
• Experience or interest in international development.
• Fluent English speaker with excellent writing and editing skills.
• Excellent IT and analytical skills (coding software, Microsoft Office). Experience building wireframes is a plus.

We are also looking for the following skills and attributes:

• Strong work ethic and a commitment to delivery.
• Outstanding organization and time management skills, with an attention to detail and an ability to establish systems to manage constant information flows and deliver on deadlines.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for data science/data analytics through past freelance work, professional network involvement, teaching, or volunteer service.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and provide feedback to strengthen capacity and data quality.
• Ability to work productively with remote teams.
• Proven ability to work closely with a small team and to successfully manage multiple and changing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining a positive and productive attitude and a good sense of humor!