This role is no longer accepting applications.
About Water Foundation
The Water Foundation works with and through partners to advance lasting solutions to secure safe water for people, restore and sustain freshwater ecosystems, and build climate resilience. The Water Foundation does this as a public foundation through direct grantmaking, field building, and campaign strategy development. By working with both high-level decision-makers and community leaders, the Water Foundation helps funders identify and act on opportunities to better manage water. The Foundation’s current work builds on its efforts to secure and implement innovative policy, pilot on-the-ground innovations, amplify calls for equity and justice, and engage in new models of grantmaking and fundraising for the field.
As a funder with a singular focus on water, the Foundation deploys a strong team with deep expertise in water and collaboration to move resources to the groups that can most effectively improve water systems for the benefit of people and nature. The Water Foundation’s partners span a broad spectrum: conservation organizations, environmental justice groups, Tribes, agricultural associations, water providers, academics, business groups, and local, state, and federal agencies.
The Water Foundation’s culture is driven by the following organizational values:
Collaboration: Strategize, act, and learn in partnership with colleagues internally and externally to advance our collective goals. Deepen connections across and between water sector networks and related issues like climate, health, nature, food, and equity.
Humility: Recognize and center the knowledge, experiences, and leadership of our partners and the communities we serve, while honoring the power of nature. Listen to and learn from our partners and nature, so that we support a community-led and nature-based vision for a resilient water future.
Sustainability: Advance resilient, intergenerational solutions that sustain the environment and those who depend upon it while honoring the intrinsic value of nature and strengthening organizations and communities that seek an equitable, alternative vision for the future.
Transformation: Shape our strategies, work, and practices for systemic change toward a collaborative, just, and sustainable water future in the US.
Justice: Align our policies, practices, and resources so that all people and ecosystems have genuine opportunities to thrive.
More information about the Water Foundation can be found at www.waterfdn.org.
What is the Water Table?
The Water Table started in 2015 as an experiment to see whether funders could do more by joining forces and collaborating across the philanthropic water sector on larger-scale water issues. It has become a committed funder collaborative dedicated to identifying and activating promising water solutions through strategic philanthropic investments.
The Water Table has helped direct hundreds of millions of philanthropic dollars by providing a forum for funders to learn together, align resources, and act on water.
We strengthen water philanthropy in three ways:
- Shape and align strategies: Develop ambitious, multi-year strategies in partnership with partners.
- Facilitate learning and collaboration: Cultivate a peer-learning environment that fosters trusting relationships so our members can candidly discuss needs, questions, interests, and aspirations.
- Mobilize additional resources for water: Bring new funders and funding to build a coordinated water field that can deliver solutions at scale.
The result is better collaboration, smarter investments in water, and maximum impact.
In early 2022, the Water Foundation became home to the Water Table. By joining forces, the Water Foundation and the Water Table have a greater capacity for impact. The integration of capital, relationships, and expertise under one roof helps grow the field of water philanthropy. It leads to more—and better coordinated—resources available to support the leaders and solutions needed now and the innovations needed to face what’s coming.
More information about the Water Table can be found at https://waterfdn.org/water-table/
The Opportunity
The Water Foundation is looking to add two Officers to the Water Table team to provide funder engagement, strategy, and programmatic support. This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals looking to join a small and dynamic team, working in collaboration with funders to respond to one of the defining challenges of our time. These positions offer opportunities for growth with an inspiring network of colleagues.
The Water Table Officers will support the Table’s ambitious vision to advance effective, innovative, and lasting water solutions for people and nature by growing, aligning, and deploying philanthropic resources. The Officers will support the Table, Water Foundation, and partners to:
- Develop and elevate a compelling, inclusive vision for water as a nexus issue linking health, climate, equity, land use, food, and more.
- Advance systemic water solutions that lead to a sustainable water future.
- Mobilize and align water philanthropy, leveraging and influencing public and private funding.
- Facilitate and grow a learning community of water funders.
- Support the development and funding of critical and shared resources for water.
The Officers will partner with the Water Table Director to execute the Table’s overall mission. They will play a pivotal role in linking strategy, mobilizing resources, and ensuring a broad spectrum of perspectives are represented in meeting the Table’s goals.
Key Responsibilities
Empowering Collaboration
- Support the Table’s strategic direction by bringing forward programmatic research, expertise, and learnings.
- Represent and champion the Table’s vision and impact with members, partner funders, grantees, and the broader community.
Project Management
- Provide project management, logistical, and administrative support across all work streams and events & meetings.
- Conduct research, prepare materials, and manage events to facilitate effective communication and collaboration.
Funder Engagement & Relationship Management
- Educate and cultivate relationships with members and partner funders to increase awareness and secure funding for Table priorities.
- Find points of connection and facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing among funders to deepen engagement, address shared challenges, and leverage collective expertise.
Project & Resource Mobilization
- Develop and execute work plans that support Table members to mobilize resources for water effectively.
- Identify compelling water funding opportunities, match funders with projects, and coordinate aligned fundraising strategies.
Priority Development & Strategy
- Support the development of new and emerging Table priorities.
- Support the ongoing refinement of existing priority strategies to maximize impact and resource allocation.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal Water Table Officer candidates bring a strong foundation of organizational skills and collaboration to everything they do. They are passionate about making a positive impact in advancing water resilience and equity and motivated by the field-building work of the Table.
Ease with multiple audiences in external settings and relationship-building skills are essential for success. As consummate team players, the Officers will foster strong partnerships across four critical stakeholder groups: Water Table members, prospective funders, the field (grantees, water partners, affinity groups), and fellow Water Foundation staff. A commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of each group is imperative.
The ability to see the critical path forward is necessary to ensure efficient execution of the Table’s work. A strategic mindset will allow the Officers to understand and synthesize member foundations’ strategies, discern action required after meetings, and recognize overlaps and connections between programmatic work, grantees, and funders.
Officers will have the breadth to navigate high-level strategy and hands-on implementation effectively. From organizing events and convenings to ensuring work plans move forward, the Officers will enable and lead project management and execution. They need to juggle multiple projects simultaneously, thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and adapt to evolving priorities.
Excellent writing skills for funder communications, proposals, and reports are essential. Officers will create inclusive, compelling narratives to help engage new funders and drive storytelling with strong data analysis.
The Water Table team will be a close-knit group (team of 3) that works closely with colleagues across the Water Foundation. We value collaboration, open communication, and a sense of humor.
Experience in the water sector, philanthropy, or familiarity with funder collaboratives is a welcomed asset but not required.
We are looking for a minimum of 5 years of experience in project management, event planning, programmatic, and/or fundraising roles.
Desired Qualifications
With the understanding that no person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:
- Detail-orientation: Maintain focus on key priorities; closely track workplans and reporting commitments; craft professional and compelling materials. Bring precision and a strategic approach to managing calendars and schedules.
- Collaborative mindset: Build relationships, exemplify strong interpersonal skills, and complement the Water Table Director in bringing different perspectives and personalities to this work.
- Clear communicator: Understand and articulate the work of the Water Table clearly and effectively; communicate well with staff, funders, and partners; constantly and consistently support an effective flow of information and activity.
- Adaptable and proactive: Adapt to changing conditions in a dynamic work environment. Regularly bring forward suggestions and recommendations on next steps, anticipate the needs of the Water Table funders and partners.
- Committed to follow through: The Water Table regularly has several parallel conversations/projects with various members. It is important that the Water Table Officer tracks these initiatives and helps keep them moving forward.
- Relationship driven: Build and nurture strong, collaborative relationships. Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to understand and address Table member needs.
- Technologically proficient: Demonstrate general facility with the technical tools necessary to accomplish the responsibilities outlined above (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc.).
Compensation & Benefits
The Water Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. The starting salary range for the position is $109,000 to $126,000, depending on experience. The Water Table Officer is a remote position and will require easy access to a major airport as US. intermittent travel will be required. The Water Foundation follows public health agency guidelines with respect to Covid-19 and requires testing for in-person events.
The Water Foundation strongly encourages Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Trans and Gender non-conforming people; individuals from under-resourced communities; immigrants; differently abled people; and others with diverse perspectives and experiences to apply.
To Be Considered
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
GoodCitizen has been exclusively retained by Water Foundation to lead this search. For questions, please contact:
Melissa Merritt
Managing Director
Direct: 206.792.4300
melissa@goodcitizen.com
Celene Haque Tanner
Engagement Manager
Direct: 206.462.6189
celene@goodcitizen.com
Gabe Sapuay
Senior Associate
Direct: 206.792.4221
gabe@goodcitizen.com