Strategic Engagement Lead

About Water.org

1 in 4 people around the world lack access to safe water and 2 in 5 people don’t have access to a safe toilet. We are working every day to change this. We are Water.org. We’re here to bring water and sanitation to the world. We want to make it safe, accessible, and cost-effective because we believe that water is the way to empower a bright future that we can all share in, worldwide. We are an international nonprofit organization based in Kansas City, Missouri that has positively transformed millions of lives around the world through access to safe water and sanitation. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, we pioneer market-driven financial solutions to the global water crisis. For more than 30 years, we’ve been providing women hope, children health and families a bright future.

Summary

The Strategic Engagement Lead is responsible for coalescing and overseeing communications programs and initiatives that effectively promote the unique value of the organizations within the remit of the CEO and Co-Founders. This position will oversee the development and optimization of targeted communication, relationships, and events that advance the mission and strategically position us to attract resources and partnerships.

Department Accountabilities

• Strategic Vision + Leadership
• Organizational Governance + Oversight
• Corporate + Business Development
• External Stakeholder Engagement
• Event Strategy and Management
• Strategic Communications

Job-Specific Accountabilities

Strategic Communications Planning + Implementation

Provides strategic direction for external engagements as well as planning and authoring co-founder messaging, communication, and collateral development. Identifies and delegates resources and appropriate actions to internal and external partners, ensuring timely and high-quality deliverables that meet business needs.

External Engagement

Leads landscaping of events that benefit the organizations’ goals around revenue and impact. Identifies, vets, and oversees execution of key opportunities for external engagement involving the co-founders. Creates and oversees a targeted plan for each event, including objectives, timelines, resources, collateral, and metrics, as applicable.

Relationship Management

Builds, vets, and leverages key relationships with event organizers, allied enterprises, stakeholders, and/or strategic partners. Assesses inbound requests for co-founder engagements and manages correspondence in partnership with revenue and public relations functions.

Information + Business Advice

Serves as a subject matter expert for communications and engagement strategy. Drives alignment and integration of the organizations’ communication and engagement plans. May participate in and/or lead cross-functional workgroups, projects, and committees, and interact with individuals or groups representing diverse backgrounds, interests, and points of view.

Complexity + Problem Solving Skills

• Ability to cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders to develop a unified and comprehensive strategic positioning approach via key relationships, communication channels, and events.
• Ability to manage and align multiple complex initiatives and external relationships, requiring adaptive thinking and solutions to unique circumstances and strategic, organization-level requirements.
• Superior communication and presentation skills, including highly developed skills to motivate, influence, and persuade.

Key Competencies

• Customer Focus – Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer-centric solutions.
• Optimizes Work Processes – Knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Communicates Effectively – Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Values Differences – Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Nimble Learning – Learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
• Tech Savvy – Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.
• Resourcefulness – Securing and deploying resources effectively and efficiently.

Management Responsibility

• Individual contributor with no subordinates.

Travel Requirement

• Up to 15% of domestic and international travel

Requirements

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, or related field and/or equivalent related work experience.
• 12 or more years of progressive responsibility with communication strategy, strategic event management, and/or business development. Demonstrated track record developing and fostering key relationships at the C-suite and/or high-profile individuals.
• Deep foundational knowledge of the social impact and/or impact investment space.
• Proficient (written and verbal) in English.

Location

This position's desired location is within the United States. The following states are preferred: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC.

Benefits

Being authorized to work in the country posted is a precondition of employment.

Salary and Benefits

This position offers a base salary of 140,000-165,000. In addition, this position is eligible to participate in our annual incentive plan up to 15%. This position offers full-time benefits inclusive of medical/dental insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement program, paid time off, paid holidays and more as well as periodic review for merit and incentive pay based on organizational and personal achievement.

Water.org is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing an inclusive environment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, military and veteran status, genetic information, and any other status protected by law.We provide qualified applicants and employees reasonable accommodation, when necessary, to enable individuals to complete the application process and/or perform the essential functions of the job. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. We strive to build and maintain a diverse team that will advance our mission and work and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.