Admin Officer – Resilient Water Accelerator

Contract: Permanent, Full time, 35 hours per week

Location: London, United Kingdom subject to right to work.
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel).

60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £33,223 - £34,894 per year with excellent benefits

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA)

The climate crisis is a water crisis. Around the world, people are feeling the effects of climate change through water, including flooding, droughts, sea level rise, and irregular rainfall. Climate change is affecting seasonal and long-term water availability, meaning we can no longer rely on rain, river flows and aquifers. The Global Commission on the Economics of Water has said that the world is facing the prospect of a 40% shortfall in freshwater by 2030; and water and wastewater contribute 10% of global emissions. To adapt to this new reality and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, we need to re-think how water resources are managed and delivered for different users over time. This provides an exciting opportunity to rethink how we create investment opportunities that promote resilient water management for people and the planet.

The Resilient Water Accelerator is designed to increase the flow of private and public finance into water projects that help the most climate-vulnerable communities build resilience to climate change. Despite the high need, only 3% of total climate finance flows go towards water. Our mission is to demonstrate the business case for increased and enhanced public and private investment in water-related deals in emerging economies that strengthen resilience for climate-vulnerable communities and are replicable so that millions more can benefit. We are working to increase the speed, scale and replicability of water investment by creating a pipeline of bankable projects, bringing together the right mix of financing with the right commercial structures and partners, and supporting improvements in the enabling environment. We are undertaking work to understand local markets and context, develop templates, shared resources, and data, to build proof of concept projects to provide a springboard for increased action on resilient water. And we are developing thought leadership on how to make water more investible.

About the RWA team

The Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA), wholly owned subsidiary of WaterAid, is a global organisation that aims to: 

• Address the climate impacts on water to strengthen resilience in vulnerable communities.  
• Secure greater investment from public and private sources in water infrastructure and services. 
• Ensure this work can be replicated and scaled to increase long term water security. 

To achieve this, we work with policy makers, experts, investors and communities to identify critical climate risks to water and shape a business case for priority projects. 

We work to ensure these projects act as positive examples of a new approach to programme development in the water and climate sectors. 

This role will play an essential part in delivering our international programme of work. 

About the role

As our Admin Officer, you will play a critical role in our Global Platform team — helping to link the different parts of the Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) together and co-ordinate with our partners around the world to drive sustainable change.

The Resilient Water Accelerator is a newly formed not-for-profit organisation, which, as a wholly owned subsidiary of WaterAid, means both organisations retain a close and collaborative relationship. This is an exciting opportunity to be on the ground floor as we build new structures and culture for this unique startup organisation, as it works towards delivering on its mission. 

In this role, you will:

Provide support and solutions as the RWA puts in place new structures and systems

o   You will work with SMT to explore the practical and regulatory steps towards building our own high-performing systems. 

o   Help develop solutions to interfacing with WaterAid’s systems (e.g. financial and HR). 

Take the lead in engaging with WaterAid’s finance processing systems

o   Process payments 

o   Develop contracts and due diligence 

o   Prepare invoices and work with the team to develop budget forecasts 

o   Ensure quality and consistency of our financial reporting 

Support SMT and wider team

o   Help with the monitoring and co-ordination of SMT meetings, action and responsibilities 

o   Support planning and project management across the team

o   Support in the design and maintenance of a shared platform with core information and contacts, key information and core RWA documents.  

o   Provide support with diary management (team and individuals)

Support Hiring and Training 

o   Support the recruitment and onboarding process for new staff, organising recruitment campaigns, working with WaterAid’s People Team, and liaising with candidates. 

o   Supporting staff activities, including logistics for travel and accommodation for training, aways days and in-person meetings 

Logistics 

o   Provide support to the Chief Executive of the RWA 

o   Provide support to the newly established RWA Board of Directors, through the Board Secretariat function 

o   Work with colleagues across the RWA team to process and manage information  

Requirements

To be successful, you will need:

• Ability to act on your own initiative to ensure momentum of our work is maintained 
• Strong attention to detail 
• Strong team player and willingness to be flexible to respond to changing priorities. 
• Ability to produce high quality written work in English with a strong eye for detail 
• Experience of diary management and event co-ordination
• Experience in administration – contracts, payments and project management procedures 
• Passionate about climate adaptation and water security, and driven to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable communities 

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Knowledge of project management tools or design software  
• Experience working with a consortium of partners from both the public and private sectors   
• Experience of providing support to a Board of Directors.
• Experience working in or closely with one of the RWA’s priority countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Malawi, Morocco, and Nigeria)  

Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on Monday 4 August 2025. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 11 and/or 18 August 2025.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening question and upload your CV and cover letter

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre‑employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Benefits

• 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

Our Global Commitment:

Our people promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change!