WaterAid hires DFID Business Development Manager

WaterAid UK works with partners around the world to transform millions of lives every year by improving access to clean water, toilets and hygiene.

As part of its ambitious new Global Strategy, WaterAid is proactively investing in a newly shaped Institutional Funding and Partnerships Team. The DFID Business Development Manager is a critical role focused on strengthening WaterAid’s strategic relationship with the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), by driving growth in its restricted funding and building opportunities for programmatic collaborations.

Society partnered with WaterAid on a cross-sector search to identify strategic networkers with significant DFID exposure, a track record of securing high value business and creating new funding pipelines, and an ability to combine strategy with operational delivery.  

Francesca Lemanczyk was appointed following a competitive process. She joins from Plan International, where as Senior Programme Development Manager she managed a team of Bid Specialists and played a leading role in creating DFID engagement strategies. Prior to that, she led the commercial and business development strategy for Save the Children’s work on child protection and gender equality, specifically focusing on DFID. Francesca brings with her comprehensive technical expertise of DFID modalities, and a strong network across international development.

Francesca commented, “I’m really excited to start this new role with Water Aid, an organisation which I’ve always held in high regard. I’m looking forward to learning more about how their approaches will make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation.”