About the job Water & Sanitation Sector Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Organizational Reform & Change Management – Utilities

Project Duration: Up to 12 months (project-based engagement)

Location: Rwanda (with travel to WASAC branches and treatment plants as required)

Client: WASAC Group Ltd

Consulting Firm: Right Seat Ltd

About the Assignment

Right Seat Ltd is supporting WASAC Group Ltd through a critical organization-wide transformation following its recent demerger into Group, Utility, and Development entities. The assignment focuses on organizational review, structure implementation, and culture change management to strengthen service delivery, operational efficiency, and performance culture across the water and sanitation sector.

To ensure that all organizational and HR interventions are grounded in operational realities, we are seeking an experienced Water & Sanitation Sector Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join the consulting team.

Role Purpose

The Water & Sanitation SME will provide technical and sector-specific expertise to ensure that organizational design, staffing models, and change initiatives align with the practical realities of water and sanitation utility operations and support WASACs strategic performance targets.

Key Responsibilities

Provide expert advisory input on water and sanitation utility operations to inform organizational structure, role design, and staffing models.

Review and validate organizational recommendations to ensure alignment with:

• Service coverage expansion
• Operational efficiency.
• Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW)

Support the review of existing organizational and staffing proposals to identify gaps, redundancies, and misalignments from an operational perspective.

Advise on competency requirements for key technical and operational roles within utilities.

Support structure implementation by providing sector input into staff placement, recruitment profiles, and transition planning.

Contribute to change management initiatives by contextualizing interventions for plant-level, field-based, and operational staff.

Support cross-entity coordination between oversight, development, and utility functions.

Ensure recommendations align with Rwandas water and sanitation regulatory and institutional framework.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Bachelors degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Water Resources Management, Public Policy, or a related field (postgraduate qualification is an advantage).

Minimum of 8 years experience in water and sanitation utilities or related public infrastructure services.

Proven experience with:

• Utility operations and service delivery models
• NRW reduction initiatives
• Utility reform, restructuring, or performance improvement programs

Strong familiarity with Rwandas water and sanitation sector and regulatory environment.

Experience working alongside multidisciplinary consulting teams (HR, organizational development, or change management) is an advantage.

Strong analytical, advisory, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Reporting & Engagement

The incumbent will work closely with the Lead Consultant, HR Specialists, and Change Management Experts.

Engagement is project-based for the duration of the consultancy (up to 12 months).

• Provide expert advisory input on water and sanitation utility operations to inform organizational structure, role design, and staffing models.
• Review and validate organizational recommendations to ensure alignment with: Service coverage expansion, Operational efficiency, Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW).
• Support the review of existing organizational and staffing proposals to identify gaps, redundancies, and misalignments from an operational perspective.
• Advise on competency requirements for key technical and operational roles within utilities.
• Support structure implementation by providing sector input into staff placement, recruitment profiles, and transition planning.
• Contribute to change management initiatives by contextualizing interventions for plant-level, field-based, and operational staff.
• Support cross-entity coordination between oversight, development, and utility functions.
• Ensure recommendations align with Rwandas water and sanitation regulatory and institutional framework.

• Strong analytical skills
• Advisory skills
• Stakeholder engagement skills

• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Water Resources Management, Public Policy, or a related field (postgraduate qualification is an advantage).
• Minimum of 8 years experience in water and sanitation utilities or related public infrastructure services.
• Proven experience with Utility operations and service delivery models, NRW reduction initiatives, Utility reform, restructuring, or performance improvement programs.
• Strong familiarity with Rwandas water and sanitation sector and regulatory environment.
• Experience working alongside multidisciplinary consulting teams (HR, organizational development, or change management) is an advantage.