People and Organisational Development Manager

People and Organisational Development Manager

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract, Full Time, 40 hours per week

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal subject to the right to work.

Salary: Grade F competitive 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.2

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the Team

The WaterAid POD team leads on the development of people plans that align WaterAid’s people with our aims and objectives and ensures that WaterAiders have the skills and opportunities to maximise the impact they can make.

About the Role

As our dedicated and dynamic POD Manager, you will deliver the Country Programme strategy and impact by providing hands-on leadership across all people and organisational development functions, ensuring efficient, compliant, and high-quality internal operations and support managers and the Country Management Team (CMT) with consistent policy implementation, people insights, and operational oversight to enable capability, wellbeing, and a safe, positive workplace.

In this role, you will support the Country Director (CD) and CMT by leading workforce planning and people strategy, coordinating annual people plans, advising on talent and succession, adapting global HR frameworks, and enabling effective organisational change and restructuring.

In this role, you will:

• Advise leadership, coach managers and enable people-related change in an inclusive, values-aligned manner.
• Oversee and assure inclusive end-to-end recruitment and onboarding processes.
• Oversee performance management and lead employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives
• Manage employee relations and safeguarding issues, ensuring compliance with policy, legislation, and safeguarding standards.
• Drive HR policies, operations, and reward practices to ensure compliance, consistency, and data-informed decision-making.
• Guide the POD team, support partner organisations, and provide HR insights to strengthen programme delivery.
• Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.

To be successful, you will need:

• At least five years of experience in HR operations, including change management, culture building, recruitment, performance management, employee relations, and HR policies.
• Experience in coordinating HR processes, coaching line managers, and providing senior-level HR guidance without holding a head-of-function role.
• Experience in supervising or mentoring HR staff and building capability within a People/HR team including that of the implementing partners.
• Hands-on experience managing HR systems, maintaining accurate HR data, and preparing HR reports for management use.
• Experience supporting the development or adaptation of local HR policies and ensuring alignment with national labour law in Nepal.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion, integrity, and sound professional judgement.
• Proficiency in English and Nepali languages (in both speaking and writing.

Although not essential, we also prefer you to have:

• HR/Legal background
• Expertise in Safeguarding
• Diversity and Inclusion experience
• Master’s degree
• HR experience in an INGO
• Local languages

View full job description here

Closing Date: Applications will close on 09 February 2026. 

How to Apply: Click ‘Apply’ to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and an essential 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 post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to the applicable laws in the respective countries to comply with our Safer Recruitment policy. All our UK-based vacancies require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Our Benefits

As a global organisation, WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. Alongside our inspiring mission and meaningful work, we offer a range of benefits tailored to each country’s context and policies. These will be shared during the process.

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!