Partnerships Director, Country Partnerships

What is the opportunity?

The Country Partnerships Director will develop global institutional and country-level partnership strategies and manage institutional partnerships. This includes planning, developing, and executing strategies with existing partners, as well as developing new partnerships through engagement, research, cultivation, and relationship management. The Country Partnerships Director will align institutional and corporate funding opportunities at the country level to maximize Water Mission’s impact. This position requires substantial contact, strong collaboration with cross-departmental teams, and the ability to manage complex internal processes. The role requires strategic contact, project management, and strong collaboration with leadership and partners. The Country Partnerships Director will serve as a leader on the Global Partnerships team, supporting team processes, operations, effectiveness, and a healthy team culture. This position can be based remotely or at Water Mission’s headquarters in North Charleston, SC, and will report to the Senior Director of Global Partnerships. 

A successful Director, Country Partnerships will:

General Duties  

• Maintain a strong Christian witness and model servant leadership to colleagues, partners, the communities we serve, and the public. 
• Engage and participate in prayer before and after team meetings.
• Lead and participate in biblically based staff devotions.
• Maintain high-level knowledge of Water Mission’s organizational objectives, programmatic strategies, projects, and activities. Stay informed of local, regional, national, and global news and issues to support the organization effectively.
• Effectively communicate about the global water crisis and Water Mission’s solutions, vision, mission, and values to various audiences. 

Staff and Team Oversight and Administration (20%) 

• Directly supervise existing and future Regional Partnerships Directors, new staff, and consultants in similar roles. 
• Develop job descriptions, recruiting strategy, and capacity-development plans for team members. 
• Work with staff to develop performance and revenue goals and conduct routine reviews. 
• Ensure individual work programs are designed to deliver on department and organizational 5-year business goals.  
• Lead the development of annual budget setting for institutional and country partnerships in coordination with the Senior Director of Global Partnerships and other GP team members. 
• Monitor budget spending and provide oversight to improve value for money for fundraising-related expenditures continuously.

Partnership Strategic Engagement and Management (40%) 

• Represent Water Mission effectively to external stakeholders, driving engagement and relationship building to identify and highlight alignment for potential partnership.
• Develop broad networks in the US and globally with institutional partners to build strategic partnerships for funding and co-funding opportunities.
• Identify industry thought leadership opportunities.  
• Determine partnership engagement strategies in collaboration with programs staff, develop and execute annual plans. 
• Ensure partnership goals, acquisition targets, stewardship plans, and budget goals are met and accurately recorded in Raiser’s Edge along with relevant communication.
• Proactively keep partners informed by providing timely and appropriate touchpoints. Adjust according to their preferred mode and frequency of project reporting.
• Contribute to and ensure quality and alignment of grant proposals and partnership agreements with Ministry objectives. 

Partnership Development Capacity Building and Support to Water Mission Teams (30%) 

Pre-Positioning

• Provide institutional funding trends analyses, recommendations, guidance, and reports to supervisor and key leadership staff as requested. 
• Collaborate with program staff for relationship engagement recommendations at the field level.
• Lead routine partnership/country meetings monthly.
• Evaluate priority funding strategies, proposal guidelines, and funding opportunities.
• Analyze partner strategies and make priority recommendations.
• Manage internal pre-positioning efforts for identified bids, including alignment with country and Ministry strategies, and local implementation and grant administrative capacity.  

Build Partnership Capacity in Other Ministry Teams 

• Act as a subject matter expert for the program and international staff on institutional funding. 
• Provide advice, training, and tools to ensure that country and regional teams have access to the right knowledge and information to assess partnership opportunities and manage relationships at the country or regional level.
• Provide templates, resources, and tools for the Disaster Response Teams during active responses, as needed. 
• Review and provide feedback on country-led contracts, MOUs, grant agreements, and other partnership agreements.

What is required?

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
• 10+ years of experience in international development, business development, or similar field. 
• 7+ years of relevant experience in partnership management and donor relations with proven results and growing strategic engagements.
• Demonstrated technical skills and expertise in the WASH sector. A focus on grants, reporting, or institutional relationships, especially with USAID, is a plus. 
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with a team, set strategy, and influence cross-functional teams to drive execution and results.
• Experience in managing teams to deliver revenue targets and other key performance targets.
• Experience working for or in partnership with multilateral development banks, bilateral government donors, and WASH sector funders is preferred. 
• Bachelor’s degree required; additional education is a plus, preferably in international development, business, or engineering fields.
• Experience in strategic planning, business development, revenue projection, project management, and public speaking.
• Demonstrated ability to understand the institutional partnership landscape and analyze data and sector trends.
• Lead or co-lead vision trips with partners. Lead or co-lead design and development of regional partner summits or meetings.
• Cross-cultural communication experience.
• Capacity to manage a robust and diverse portfolio of partners; flexible and able to pivot to new strategies when necessary.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate ideas and feedback constructively.
• Excellent PowerPoint and presentation skills.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge is a plus but not required.
• Home internet bandwidth strong enough to support video conferencing and other job-related responsibilities.
• Ability to travel domestically for up to one week, four to eight times a year.
• Ability to travel internationally for up to two consecutive weeks, approximately two or three times a year.
• Flexibility to work periodic nights and weekends as required for organizational needs.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Commitment to the values and mission of the organization and ending the global water crisis.