Who is Water Mission?
Water Mission is a rapidly growing Christian engineering nonprofit working to end the global water crisis by building safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in developing nations and disaster areas. Guided by love, excellence, and integrity, we are driven to share clean, safe water and God’s love with all. To date, we have served more than 5 million people in 56 countries. Working at Water Mission is as much a calling as it is a career, and we are searching for people with the courage, passion, and drive to help us change the world. Read more about What We Believe, our Statement of Faith, and our Christian Mission.
What is the opportunity?
The Engineering Manager, Technical Innovation is responsible for leading the Technical Innovation Group. The Technical Innovation Group is focused on atypical project challenges, new technology potentials, and field quality concerns within Water Mission safe water, sanitation, and hygiene projects worldwide and will be responsible for managing team members focused on these efforts. This will require a commitment to servant leadership, quality communication, sound engineering principles, and excellent analytical skills. This full-time position is based out of Charleston, SC, and reports to the Director of Engineering and Innovation.
Though Water Mission engineering lends well to a variety of engineering backgrounds, preference will be given to electrical engineering in fulfilling this position. The purpose is to address specific electrical needs currently present within Water Mission (with a particular emphasis on solar power).
Travel to remote locations in developing countries is required. As needs arise, candidates need to be prepared to travel one to three months out of the year (i.e., multiple trips during a single calendar year totaling one to three months), with trip lengths ranging from one to four weeks.
The Engineering Manager, Technical Innovation will:
- Work in a posture of humble service to God and others
- Commitment to the values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity
- Manage the Innovation Group projects focused on atypical project challenges, new technology potentials, and field quality concerns, which will include leading of team members that are focused on these efforts
- Ensure that the projects are done in accordance with approved engineering and construction standards within Water Mission
- Ensure that projects related to topics outside of approved standards receive the appropriate review and approval from applicable ministry leaders
- Ensure that projects are performed in a way that is consistent with Water Mission reporting procedures and documentation protocols
- Ensure that all Innovation Group projects and efforts are of high quality, including accuracy of minor details
- Develop and manage project scopes, schedules, and budgets on all projects
- Manage multiple simultaneous projects and efforts
- Maintain excellent communication with ministry leadership, staff members across multiple countries and time zones, and with outside entities
- Manage competing priorities and concurrent deadlines
- Work across engineering disciplines and gain a base level of understanding as necessary
- Investigate and/or design new technologies or concepts for project implementation
- Create and to lead others in the creation of engineering designs, calculations, construction drawings, and specifications
- Work within cross-cultural environments and to overcome stereotypes and language barriers
- Solicit and coordinate input from outside engineering experts on a variety of engineering, technology, design, and construction applications
- Prepare and give presentations to other departments, country program office staff, strategic partners, outside organizations, government officials, donors, and volunteers
- Work with other members of the Engineering & Innovation Department to propose measures to strengthen engineering skills and effectiveness across the ministry
- Partner with other departments to incorporate the Living Water strategy into Innovation Group efforts
- Be prepared to lend support to disaster response activities as needed at headquarters, in field offices, and in unknown remote locations
What is required?
- Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering preferred (Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and other Engineering degrees considered)
- Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) preferred
- 5-10 years of engineering experience preferred, with a minimum of 2 years in project management and in managing teams
- Knowledgeable skills with office computer programs (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook) and familiarity with engineering programs such as AutoCAD, EPANET, Microsoft Project, etc.
- Excellent relationship skills
- Excellent analytical skills
- High attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills
- Experience in developing countries preferred, not required
- Foreign language skills beneficial, not required
- Ability and willingness to travel up to one to three months out of the year (i.e., multiple trips during a single calendar year totaling one to three months) required
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 25 percent of the time, mostly in developing countries. Most international trips are 1-4 weeks in length and require this person to ride in long car rides on rough terrain, stand for extended periods of time in hot weather, and lift heavy things.