Our client, Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), is a commercial statutory authority responsible for the effective management of Fiji's water and wastewater systems. WAF provides quality drinking water and wastewater services to more than 157,000 metered residential and non-residential customers in urban areas and supports the development of rural water-supply systems.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a key member of the Executive Management Team, the Chief Operations Officer will provide strategic leadership across the Water Authority of Fiji’s national water and wastewater operations. The role is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient delivery of water treatment, distribution, wastewater collection and treatment services across Fiji, while driving operational excellence, asset performance, emergency preparedness, regulatory compliance and customer service outcomes. 

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership of WAF’s national water and wastewater operations, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient service delivery.
• Oversee the operation and maintenance of water treatment plants, water supply networks, wastewater collection systems and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Drive operational performance, asset reliability and preventative maintenance programmes across WAF’s infrastructure network.
• Lead initiatives to reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and strengthen water supply security nationwide.
• Manage emergency preparedness, disaster response and business continuity planning to ensure service continuity during disruptions and emergencies.
• Ensure compliance with environmental, public health and drinking water quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead and develop a large operational workforce while fostering a culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with regulators, government agencies, communities, landowners and other key stakeholders.
• Drive operational excellence through digital transformation, automation and modern operational technologies.
• Manage operational budgets, costs and resources to maximise efficiency and organisational performance.

• Degree qualification in Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience managing water and wastewater treatment operations within a utility or similar environment.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership role with demonstrated people leadership capability.
• Strong operational leadership experience managing large workforces and complex service delivery environments.
• Demonstrated success in driving operational improvement and organisational change initiatives.
• Strong commercial and financial management capability, including budgeting and cost control.
• Knowledge of water sector regulations, environmental and public health compliance requirements.
• Experience with automation, telemetry, instrumentation and operational technology systems.
• Current membership of a relevant professional body would be an advantage.

If you have any queries, please send them to [email protected] with the subject line as "WAF- COO". 

Applicants must apply online by Monday, 26 October 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.