Director of Partnerships

Title: Director of Partnerships

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Employment Type: Full-time

About Impact Water

Want to help make safe drinking water a reality for every student, everywhere?

Impact Water is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to ensure safe drinking water is available to as many students as possible through scalable and lasting solutions. Today, we serve over 24 million students across 60,000+ schools in Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya, addressing a global crisis where hundreds of millions of students still lack access to this fundamental human right.

Our approach works. Strong partnerships with schools and governments. Low-cost, point-of-use treatment technologies. Continuous engagement with students and school staff. Data-driven operations. The result? Cost-effective solutions that deliver measurable health benefits, at just $0.25 per student per year, sustainably maintained across tens of thousands of schools.

By 2030, we're committed to achieving universal coverage of safe drinking water in schools across all three countries where we operate.

Now we're ready to scale globally. Our proven model is designed for replication in support of the SDGs and beyond. Join our team of social entrepreneurs as we expand our services to the remaining schools across Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, then help other nation states adopt universal coverage of safe drinking water in school policies around the world.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director of Partnerships to lead our institutional fundraising strategy and accelerate our path to universal safe drinking water coverage across our three countries of operation by 2030. This senior leadership role will develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies across foundations and corporations while building the systems and relationships needed to sustain our global scaling efforts.

The ideal candidate will bring 8+ years of institutional fundraising experience, with a proven track record of securing six-figure grants and a deep understanding of the international development and WASH funding landscape.

This position is within a small team where you'll need to be resourceful and work independently to get things done. Our development team is in its early stages with lots of opportunity to shape how things work. We're looking for someone who embraces the challenge of building systems and processes from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive institutional fundraising strategy targeting $5-15M annually across foundations and corporations
• Lead prospect research and qualification to build a robust pipeline of institutional funding opportunities
• Create and maintain a strategic fundraising calendar aligned with organizational priorities and funder cycles
• Establish fundraising targets, metrics, and reporting systems to track progress and optimize approach

Relationship Management & Cultivation

• Identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with major institutional funders in the WASH, education, climate, and global development sectors
• Serve as primary relationship manager for top-tier foundation and corporate prospects
• Coordinate closely with CEO and Chief Development Officer on high-level donor engagement and strategy
• Represent Impact Water at conferences, donor meetings, and sector events to expand network and visibility

Grant Development & Management

• Oversee the complete grant lifecycle from prospect identification through award management and reporting
• Lead development of compelling grant proposals, concept notes, and donor presentations
• Manage submission processes and coordinate internal teams to meet proposal requirements and deadlines
• Ensure compliance with all grant requirements and maintain excellent stewardship relationships

Strategic Partnerships

• Identify and develop strategic partnerships that enhance fundraising potential and programmatic impact
• Explore innovative funding mechanisms

Required Qualifications

Experience & Track Record

• 8+ years of institutional fundraising experience with demonstrated success securing six-figure grants
• Proven track record raising from major foundations (family foundations, corporate foundations, private foundations)
• Background in international development, WASH, education, climate, or related sectors

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with ability to craft compelling narratives
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills
• Strategic thinking with ability to develop multi-year fundraising plans and adapt to changing landscapes
• Project management excellence with ability to manage multiple complex proposals simultaneously
• Data-driven approach with experience using CRM systems and fundraising analytics

Knowledge & Network

• Deep understanding of the foundation and corporate giving landscape, particularly in WASH/development sectors
• Existing relationships with relevant funders strongly preferred
• Knowledge of grant writing best practices and compliance requirements
• Understanding of nonprofit governance and financial management

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with organizations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Previous experience at organizations with similar scale and complexity ($5M+ annual budgets)

Location & Travel

This position can be based remotely within the United States with preference for candidates in major metropolitan areas with strong foundation presence (New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago). The role requires regular domestic and international travel for donor meetings, conferences, and program visits.

Reporting Structure

This position reports to the Chief Development Officer and works closely with the CEO. While initially an individual contributor role, you'll have the opportunity to build and manage your own team over time.

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive health insurance
• 403b with employer matching
• Flexible work arrangements with expectation of regular travel
• Professional development budget and conference attendance opportunities