JOB DESCRIPTION
Title: Inline Manager, Nigeria
Reports to: Operations Director
Employment Type: Full-time
About Impact Water
Want to help make safe drinking water a reality for every student, everywhere?
Impact Water is a nonprofit that provides point-of-use water treatment systems and safe water education to public schools in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. Today, we support more than 24 million students in over 60,000 schools.
Our model is simple and practical. We install point-of-use water treatment systems in schools, keep them resupplied, and maintain them so they keep working year after year. Our field teams visit schools regularly to train teachers on safe water practices, check that water is actually being treated, and teach students why they should only drink treated water.
We work closely with national and subnational governments, and over the next five years we are supporting them to take greater ownership of safe water in their schools, from budgeting and procurement to delivery and monitoring. Our goal is for every public school in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda to have safe drinking water by 2030, provided as a routine government service.
Position Overview
We are seeking an Inline Manager to lead the day-to-day management and continuous improvement of the Inline water treatment programme in Nigeria, ensuring that Inline systems installed in schools remain functional, are properly maintained and consistently deliver treated drinking water to students. Impact Water has been implementing programmes in Nigeria since 2017 and serves over 40,000 schools across 22 states.
A key priority for the Inline Manager is to lead and coordinate the transition from the existing replaceable-cartridge Inline system to the new refillable Inline system. This covers field validation, phased rollout planning, technician capacity development, and monitoring of the performance and reliability of the new system in schools.
The ideal candidate has experience managing technical service delivery, maintenance or after-sales operations across multiple locations within a social enterprise, NGO or development organisation. They are a hands-on manager who combines technical problem-solving, people leadership, strong field execution and disciplined reporting, and they are willing to travel frequently to supervise technicians and verify work in schools.
Above all, we are looking for a curious, can-do problem solver who thinks technically, takes initiative and figures things out independently. They come in with humility, build strong relationships with the existing Inline team and technicians, learn from their experience, and take ownership of making sure the right thing gets done in schools.
Key Responsibilities
Lead People
Lead and manage the Inline team, including the office team and technicians. Set clear goals, hold regular check-ins, give honest feedback, and hold each person accountable for quality work and results. Support their growth so the team can run Inline operations reliably as the programme scales
Coordinate the Inline office team and technicians: allocate work clearly, set expectations and monitor performance against assigned responsibilities and targets
Plan and deliver onboarding, refresher and technical training for technicians on installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, cartridge replacement and refilling, and quality standards
Ensure technicians understand approved standard operating procedures, safety requirements, reporting expectations and school engagement protocols
Travel frequently to conduct field supervision visits and spot checks across states, verifying completed work and providing practical coaching and feedback. Ensure the highest level of integrity and performance from technicians
Identify capacity gaps and develop appropriate coaching, mentoring and performance-improvement plans
Lead the Refillable Transition
Field validation: coordinate validation of the refillable Inline system, ensuring system functionality, cartridge durability, chlorine depletion, water quality and user experience are monitored and documented
Transition planning: develop plans covering stock management, deployment sequencing, technician readiness, school-level implementation and post-deployment monitoring
Phased rollout: lead the transition from the replaceable-cartridge system to the refillable system in line with approved technical specifications and rollout plans
Product feedback: work with the technical team and suppliers to communicate field feedback, document product defects and support product improvements before and during scale-up
Risk tracking: track transition progress, identify implementation risks and recommend adjustments to ensure a safe, efficient and cost-effective rollout
Lead Technical Operations & Quality
Ensure Inline systems across supported schools are functional, properly installed and maintained in line with Impact Water's technical and operational standards
Coordinate routine and corrective maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, replacements and reinstallation, with maintenance schedules and follow-up so that reported faults are resolved promptly
Oversee checks of treated water, including chlorine residual testing where applicable, and ensure quality concerns are investigated and addressed
Review recurring system failures and field challenges, identify root causes and implement measures to improve system reliability and longevity
Work with school leadership and designated water focal persons to promote appropriate use of and care for Inline systems, and resolve school-level issues affecting functionality, including access, infrastructure challenges and damage, documenting and escalating concerns where needed
Systems, Data & Finances
Lead the day-to-day implementation of the Inline programme against approved workplans, targets, budgets and standards, with clear operational plans, schedules and performance indicators across programme states
Ensure timely, accurate collection and verification of operational data through Salesforce, SurveyCTO and other approved tools, following up on discrepancies and underperformance
Monitor key indicators, including system functionality, maintenance completion, technician productivity, unresolved faults and cartridge and refill status, and report regularly to the Operations Director with updates, risks and recommendations
Use operational data and field observations to identify trends, inform decisions and drive continuous improvement in processes, tools and training materials
Forecast requirements for cartridges, chlorine, repair parts and tools, and maintain stock monitoring and reconciliation to minimise stock-outs, wastage, losses and unnecessary procurement
Coordinate with Logistics, Procurement, Finance and Administration to ensure timely procurement, storage and distribution of materials to field teams
Prepare budgets and expenditure forecasts, monitor spending against approved budgets, flag variances and ensure operational expenditure represents value for money
Identify and manage operational, technical, logistical and field safety risks, take timely corrective action, escalate strategic issues to the Operations Director, and ensure compliance with Impact Water policies, safeguarding, health and safety procedures and technical standards
Required Qualifications
Experience & Track Record
At least 5 years of relevant experience in operations management, programme implementation, field operations or technical service delivery
Demonstrated experience supervising technicians, field teams, service agents or geographically dispersed teams
Experience managing maintenance, installation, distribution or after-sales service operations across multiple locations
Demonstrated ability to develop workplans, coordinate implementation, monitor budgets and deliver results against operational targets
Experience in field monitoring, data collection, data review and operational reporting
Skills & Competencies
Ownership and leadership: takes a personal interest in results, sets the example for the team and sees to it that the right thing is done
Humility and relationship-building: comes in ready to learn from the existing Inline team and technicians, and builds trust with them quickly
Technical problem solver: thinks through technical issues independently, gets to the root cause and finds practical solutions
Initiative and a can-do attitude: figures things out and gets on with it without waiting to be told
Curiosity: asks questions, wants to understand how things work and why they fail, and keeps looking for better ways
Open to feedback and committed to learning and growing
Strong people-management skills, with the ability to lead, motivate, coach and hold field teams accountable
Strong planning, coordination and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines
Strong problem-solving and practical technical troubleshooting abilities
Good analytical skills and the ability to interpret operational data, identify performance gaps and translate findings into action
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, with a high level of comfort using digital data collection, reporting and CRM systems
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear reports and work effectively with field staff, school personnel and senior management
High levels of organisation, attention to detail, integrity and sound judgement
Willingness and ability to travel frequently across states and LGAs in Nigeria
Knowledge & Network
Knowledge of preventive and corrective maintenance and quality assurance practices
Knowledge of local languages and Nigerian field operating contexts
Preferred Qualifications
A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Water Resources, Public Health, Operations Management, Project Management or a related discipline
Professional training or certification in project management, operations management or a relevant technical field
Experience in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), public health, education or international development programmes
Experience with Salesforce, SurveyCTO, TaroWorks or similar CRM, field data collection and operational reporting platforms
Practical experience supporting the testing, introduction, deployment or scale-up of a new product, technology or service-delivery model
Experience delivering public services across multiple states in Nigeria
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
Health insurance
21 days of paid time off (PTO)
Career growth and professional development opportunities
Regular performance feedback and learning opportunities
The opportunity to contribute to improving access to safe drinking water for schoolchildren
Location & Travel
This position is based at the Impact Water Nigeria head office in Lagos. The role requires regular travel to the states where the Inline programme operates, to conduct spot checks on installed systems, assess functionality and maintenance quality, supervise and evaluate technicians' fieldwork, provide technical support and training, and follow up on operational challenges. The successful candidate must be willing and able to undertake and coordinate frequent domestic travel. Target start date: as soon as possible.
Reporting Structure
This position reports to the Operations Director. The Inline Manager supervises the Inline office team and technicians, and works closely with the Logistics, Finance and Administration and Programme teams to ensure effective and coordinated delivery of Inline operations.
Application Process
To apply, please submit an application here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Impact Water is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those with lived experience in our countries of operation.
