Senior Director of Engagement

Water Mission; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Water Mission, a leading nonprofit organization, is seeking a Senior Director of Engagement. This role involves designing and executing community engagement strategies to fuel fundraising efforts, with a focus on mobilizing volunteers and fostering meaningful donor relationships. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership, extensive experience in nonprofit management, and a commitment to the mission of providing safe water solutions globally.

Benefits

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Qualifications

• 10+ years of leadership experience in volunteer engagement and fundraising.
• At least 5 years of experience leading and developing teams.
• Proven success overseeing large-scale grassroots campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Design and scale engagement programs for volunteers and community partners.
• Ensure strategic oversight for fundraising initiatives.
• Lead a high-performing team for volunteer engagement and partnerships.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Public speaking

Fundraising

Community mobilization

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in nonprofit management or related field

Job description

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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 Senior Director of Engagement is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing and scaling Water Mission’s volunteer, peer-to-peer, and grassroots fundraising programs, turning community engagement into a robust and measurable contributor to the donor pipeline. This leader provides strategic vision and oversight to programs that activate individuals, churches, schools, and businesses through meaningful service and giving experiences—including Walk for Water, peer-to-peer campaigns, and volunteer leadership networks. As Water Mission prepares to launch a major comprehensive capital campaign and expand revenue from $40M to over $100M in the coming years, this role plays a critical part in unlocking new giving communities and fueling top-of-funnel growth. The Senior Director will work closely with peers in Marketing & Communications, Investor Partnerships, and Global Partnerships to ensure engagement efforts are aligned and integrated across the larger advancement team—helping supporters grow from awareness and participation to deeper involvement and long-term partnership. This leader must bring vision, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to our mission of ending the global water crisis through faithful service. This position reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and works in close collaboration with the Senior Directors of Marketing & Communications, Investor Partnerships, and Global Partnerships. It is a full-time position based in Charleston, SC.

A successful Senior Director of Community Engagement 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, and global activities.
• Stay informed of local, national, and global trends relevant to volunteerism, fundraising, and sector engagement.
• Effectively communicate the mission and scope of Water Mission to diverse audiences.
• Serve as a spokesperson for Water Mission at events, partner engagements, and speaking opportunities.

Community Mobilization Strategy

• Lead the strategic design and expansion of scalable engagement programs that activate volunteers, ambassadors, and community partners across the U.S.
• Provide strategic oversight for the Walk for Water program, ensuring participation, fundraising impact, and regional growth.
• Ensure volunteers and peer fundraisers are equipped with training, content, and tools—developed in partnership with the Marketing & Communications team and delivered by the Engagement team.
• Develop structures that move participants from episodic involvement to deeper, long-term engagement.
• Guide the expansion of a national volunteer network representing churches, schools, businesses, and regional leaders.
• Direct the strategic implementation of the High Impact Volunteer Model, empowering staff to recruit and develop volunteer leaders.
• Oversee systems and strategies for onboarding, training, and recognition, ensuring alignment with Water Mission’s identity as a Christian ministry.
• Ensure effective use of platforms such as VolunteerLocal, NeonOne, Smartsheet, and Raiser’s Edge to track engagement and support growth.
• Lead the strategy for all peer-to-peer fundraising efforts, ensuring the team develops and manages high-impact campaigns and activations.
• Oversee the testing and scaling of innovative formats (e.g., DIY giving, student-led campaigns, workplace challenges).
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to shape campaign messaging, create toolkits, and equip ambassadors.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications and Partnership Operations to evaluate and implement digital platforms, tools, and innovations (e.g., text-to-give, mobile-first donation experiences) that enhance community engagement and peer-driven fundraising.
• Work in close partnership with Investor Partnerships and Global Partnerships to strategically grow church and business relationships through community-led giving.
• Design and scale sector-specific strategies to increase engagement from Christian institutions, faith-aligned businesses, and local organizations.
• Serve as a bridge between grassroots mobilization and Water Mission’s broader donor engagement strategy.
• Serve as a bridge between grassroots mobilization and Water Mission’s broader donor engagement strategy.
• Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing team responsible for volunteer engagement, peer-to-peer fundraising, and sector partnerships.
• In collaboration with the CAO and Advancement leadership, assess and implement an optimal team structure and operational model over the first year.
• Oversee budgeting, planning, and performance management to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and servant leadership across the Engagement team.

What is required?

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, or related field preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in volunteer engagement, community mobilization, fundraising, or nonprofit initiatives.
• At least 5 years of experience leading and developing employee teams, with a track record of cultivating healthy team culture, managing through change, and supporting staff growth.
• Proven success overseeing large-scale events, grassroots campaigns, or sector-based engagement strategies.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, and program-scaling skills.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and public speaking abilities.
• Experience working cross-functionally across departments such as marketing, fundraising, and data/operations.
• Passion for mobilizing people around a mission and building communities of long-term support.
• Willingness to travel up to 15% domestically and internationally; availability to work periodic evenings and weekends as required.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management, Strategy/Planning, and Business Development

• Industries

  Non-profit Organizations and Engineering Services

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Medical insurance

Vision insurance

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