Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 60 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. 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 our Statement of Faith and Our Christian Mission.
What is the Opportunity?
The Vice President (VP) of Standards and Excellence is responsible for leading the Standards and Excellence division. This division is responsible for:

• Designing program strategy and standards in collaboration with International Operations.
• Training and supporting International Operations to ensure quality and excellence are achieved in all programmatic activities.
• Auditing Country Programs and the Disaster Response Program to ensure adherence to standards and a consistent approach to program delivery and execution.

Specifically, this role will oversee Program Design and Standards, Engineering and Innovation, and Project Excellence. This position will direct overall department operations, including strategic planning, forecasting, budgeting, and staffing to ensure that the departments are managed effectively and align with Water Mission’s vision, mission, values, and strategic initiatives. The VP is a member of Water Mission’s Senior Leadership Team and provides input into the overall strategy and direction of the ministry. This full-time position reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is based in Charleston, SC. Key direct reports for this position include Sr. Director of Program Design and Standards, Sr. Director of Engineering & Innovation, and Director of Project Excellence.
This role has four primary areas of focus:
Strategic Program Leadership and Development

• Lead in the development of Water Mission’s program strategy and standards to maximize growth and impact in alignment with Water Mission’s mission, vision, and values. Work collaboratively with the VP of International Operations and other division leaders to achieve this task.
• Ensure best practices and standards are designed, implemented, and achieved globally for Water Mission Programs.
• Lead, direct, coach, develop, and empower staff in the Standards and Excellence division to ensure Water Mission’s strategy and Business Plan are executed in a God-honoring way.
• Be an active participant in the WASH sector, staying current with trends and issues within the sector, to help shape Water Mission’s Program strategy accordingly.
• Actively participate in strategy development as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Program & Division Management

• Promote Water Mission’s vision, mission, and values and ensure they are the foundation of all work done within the division.
• Coach, direct, develop, and empower Water Mission’s Standards and Excellence division in successfully developing Program strategy and standards, and providing training and support to International Operations.
• Develop division and department goals and action plans with clear, measurable targets that align with Water Mission’s Business Plan.
• Monitor and evaluate division and department performance against budgets, goals, and key metrics as established in the Business Plan. Take action when necessary.
• Oversee country program visits and audits to assess country program adherence to established strategy and standards. Ensure these visits are done collaboratively with the goal of continuous improvement for all involved.
• Monitor and evaluate the use of best practices and standards throughout the Ministry, regularly reporting to senior leadership on progress. Work with the VP of International Operations when corrections or improvements are needed.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the division, ensuring the team stays informed of new developments within the WASH sector. Seek innovative solutions that are cost-effective, scalable, and replicable.
• Work collaboratively with other division leaders to ensure the successful execution of all work within the Standards and Excellence division. This includes developing and maintaining cross-divisional processes, policies, procedures, and communication channels that are efficient and effective.
• Ensure compliance with local laws and standards and Water Mission’s policies and procedures when designing and implementing program strategy and standards.

Representation and Partnership Management

• Act as the primary representative for Water Mission (along with the position’s direct reports) in relevant technical working group meetings and conferences and contribute to global community WASH standards and protocols. Build close relationships with other WASH technical experts at foundations, academic institutions, NGOs, faith-based organizations, government bodies, organizations such as WHO and United Nations, and other global WASH organizations.
• Facilitate the building of strategic technical alliances with appropriate government bodies, significant donors, strategic partners, academic institutions, INGOs, church networks, and media.
• Lead collaborative efforts with WASH partners in the sector to further Water Mission’s Vision and Mission.
• Collaborate cross-divisionally to support the grant process, including application, management, fulfillment, and reporting.
• Ensure that Water Mission’s brand is a mark of WASH quality, representing best practices.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to Water Mission staff, Board of Directors, partners, volunteers, and donors as needed.
• Assist Partnerships and Communications Leadership in developing partner and donor relationships.

Team Leadership and Spiritual Care

• Model a high standard of personal Christian leadership and integrity through lifestyle and work relationships and provide spiritual guidance to staff in alignment with Water Mission’s vision, mission, and values.
• Maintain a strong Christian witness to colleagues, vendors, donors, those we serve, and the public.
• Directly manage the Sr. Director of Program Design and Standards, Sr. Director of Engineering and Innovation, the Director of Project Excellence, and other direct reports as needed.
• Perform supervisory duties including, but not limited to, overseeing staff training and development, prioritizing project requests, managing workloads and deadlines, setting goals, meeting schedules, and milestones, conducting performance reviews, and assisting in recruiting and hiring direct and indirect reports.Champion initiatives for the care and well-being of Standards and Excellence staff.
• Encourage staff to demonstrate Christian values and behaviors in their work, focusing on love, excellence, and integrity.
• Participate in and lead prayer and devotional meetings.

What are the requirements?

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and Core Values of love, excellence, and integrity.
• Alignment with biblical principles of servant leadership.
• Excellent relationship-building skills with staff, partners, and those we serve.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, program development, project management, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 7 years of senior leadership experience, preferably in non-profit sector. Experience working in a matrix organization is preferred.
• 3 years of people management experience.
• English fluency is required; Spanish fluency is preferred.
• Substantial experience in the WASH sector and sustainable development work in developing countries.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally – 4 to 8 trips a year.
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours, including nights and weekends, when necessary.
• Ability to thrive in a high-growth, highly fluid environment that can be unstructured at times.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Direct experience in collaborating with outside partners and organizations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and project management skills.