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 Strategic Partnerships Director, Corporate Relations (SPDCR) will be responsible for planning, developing, and executing the corporate partnerships strategy and will engage in the development of new partnerships through research, identification, cultivation, and stewardship. This position is based in Charleston, SC, and will report to the Vice President of Partnerships and Communications. He/she will work closely with a cross-department team to set the plan for intentional partnerships in the corporate space that will further the work of Water Mission. This will include creating and supporting the continuous development of sector-specific strategies and other best practices.
The SPDCR will also fulfill critical communication functions, including representing the Strategic Partnerships Department at external and internal events with the aim of cultivating new and enhanced corporate partnerships across all sectors of Water Mission’s work. Thus, the Director should have excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as a proactive and strategic approach to development. This position requires substantial contact and strong collaboration with Water Mission teams as well as colleagues at the Global Water Center and therefore the ability to navigate complex internal processes and procedures. Similarly, the role requires strategic contact and strong collaboration with different levels of leadership and teams with partners, thus the ability to navigate the complexity of international corporations and understand the objectives of multiple stakeholders is critical.
Job Responsibility 1 – Leadership and Engagement
The SPDCR will act as the focal point for and provide leadership to critical corporate partnerships, serving as an active member of the Strategic Partnerships Department for many of Water Mission’s highest potential partners. He/she will:
- Maintain a strong Christian witness to colleagues, vendors, donors, charitable beneficiaries, and the general public.
- Effectively communicate the mission and scope of Water Mission to various audiences.
Job Responsibility 2 - Strategy
The SPDCR will seek to develop strategies that increase brand awareness for Water Mission, generate revenue, and enhance engagement opportunities with the ministry. Specifically, the Director will guide the evolution and implementation of Water Mission’s strategic approach to private sector engagement, growing a portfolio that includes partnerships that generate revenue, GIK, new technologies, and organizational capabilities that support the work of and furthers the goals of Water Mission.
He/she will:
- Maintain a high-level knowledge of Water Mission’s organizational objectives, programmatic strategies, projects, and activities.
- Collaborate with program teams to leverage technical capacity and expertise to develop effective strategies for corporate engagement.
- Seek to build alignment between the objectives of strategic corporations and Water Mission by understanding the partner’s CSR program, including employee engagement strategies and corporate communications objectives.
- Determine strategic directions, develop annual plans, and execute against said annual plans as well as track/guide progress to goals, to ensure that they are maximizing the potential of complex partnerships.
Job Responsibility 3 – Build Relationships and Present Opportunities
The Director will focus on building relationships and presenting opportunities that are in line with the organization’s strategic objectives and within the framework of Water Mission’s philosophy of biblical stewardship. He/she will:
- Develop and execute the corporate engagement strategy to drive short-and long-term integrated direct response partnership efforts.
- Research and pursue corporate partnerships with interests that cross Water Mission's multiple program areas.
- Closely monitor grant funding opportunities from corporate entities globally.
- Cultivate a portfolio of strategic corporations for Water Mission and pursue funding and GIK opportunities based on organizational priorities.
- Lead outreach efforts based on formative research and leadership guidance, generating new leads for the team’s strategic portfolios.
- Support key funding initiatives, which include opportunities related to Where Most Needed funds, disaster response, critical areas within country programs, and special opportunities like the Global Water Center, as directed.
- Proactively build relationships with stakeholders at corporate entities.
- Develop letters of inquiry and proposals and present partnership opportunities.
Job Responsibility 4 - Stewardship
The SPDCR will oversee stewardship or ongoing cultivation of partners that remain strategic to Water Mission. He/she will:
- Lift key partners awareness of the impact, ministry, and vision for ongoing partnership as a means of solving the global water crisis, saving lives now and for eternity through customized impact reporting.
- Track and assess ongoing grant allocations from strategic corporate partners, coordinating communication between Water Mission and team leadership, as well as technical and country office colleagues to understand how the grant/gift progresses.
- Proactively seek to keep partners informed, connected, and feeling valued by providing timely and appropriate touch-points. Adjust according to their preferred mode and frequency of project reporting.
- Ensure goals, acquisition targets, and stewardship plans and budget goals are met and accurately recorded in RE along with relevant communication.
What is required?
- Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ
- Five years of relevant experience in partnership management with proven results including the evolution and growth of strategic engagements
- Proven ability to work independently, set strategy and influence across cross-functional teams to drive execution and results
- Demonstrate and model best practices in partnership management
- Bachelor’s degree required; additional education preferred, preferably in marketing, communications, business, or engineering field
- Experience with strategic planning, revenue projection, and group facilitation
- Cross-cultural communication experience
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate ideas and feedback in a constructive way
- Excellent PowerPoint and presentation skills
- Experience with Raiser’s Edge a plus, but not required
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team
- Ability to travel domestically for up to one week, 4-8 times a year
- Ability to internationally for up to 2 consecutive weeks, approximately 2 times a year