Who We Are

The Water Project (TWP) unlocks human potential by building and connecting global networks of local leaders, communities of generous supporters, and an informed public to provide sustainable water and sanitation programs to needlessly suffering communities in developing countries. We are committed to bringing people together to solve the problem of finding clean water. Whether it's our local teams in the field, our international staff, our donors and fundraisers, or the communities we serve – we believe that people are the greatest solution to the water crisis.

At The Water Project, we prioritize the well-being of our team. We provide competitive salaries and excellent benefits, which include fully covered medical/dental/vision insurance, a 401(k) match, and a generous vacation policy (ask anyone!).

What The Role Is

We are seeking a builder and doer — a leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and people management to drive revenue growth. The Director of Marketing at The Water Project is both a visionary strategist and a hands-on executor, equally skilled at managing a team to deliver results and personally stepping in to ensure nothing is left undone. This role requires someone who can set the direction, inspire and empower others, and also roll up their sleeves to deliver outcomes that drive measurable growth in engagement and revenue. You will report directly to the President CEO and be a member of the senior leadership team.

As a revenue leader, working alongside the Director of Philanthropy, you will play a central role in advancing The Water Project’s mission by driving growth in both engagement and giving. You will own the Marketing function, taking full responsibility for its performance and impact. Currently, this includes direct management of a Marketing Content Manager, oversight of two Kenya-based Marketing staff, and coordination with contractors and vendors supporting graphic design, video editing, digital advertising strategy, and public relations. This role demands a proactive, results-oriented leader who thrives on building, implementing, monitoring, and improving systems that drive measurable growth.

You are someone who takes initiative, solves problems directly, and inspires the team by example. You don’t just plan strategies — you deliver them, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. At the same time, you know how to manage and develop people, holding them accountable while equipping them to succeed. You balance leadership with personal execution, moving fluidly between setting vision, managing a team, and getting the work done yourself.

Responsibilities Include:

• Own and lead the Marketing function, taking full accountability for outcomes.

• Ensure fundraising strategies are at the core of marketing execution — particularly in direct marketing, donor acquisition, retention, and stewardship. Understand and apply best practices in direct response fundraising, and evaluate fundraising strategies to ensure they will help The Water Project meet or exceed its revenue goals.

• Lead and collaborate with your team to develop impactful and compelling narratives that inspire donors, deepen engagement, and strengthen long-term relationships.

• Lead, manage, and empower a team while also stepping in directly to ensure execution — modeling excellence, ensuring follow-through, and driving programs to completion.

• Directly manage a Marketing Content Manager, oversee Kenya-based Marketing staff, and coordinate with contractors/vendors providing graphic design, video editing, digital advertising strategy, and public relations.

• Develop and implement comprehensive, multi-channel marketing and communications strategies — from digital and social media to direct mail, automated journeys to paid campaigns — ensuring alignment with mission and growth goals.

• Establish and monitor KPIs, reporting mechanisms, and evaluation systems to measure campaign and channel effectiveness. Design and lead data-informed tracking, measurement, and growth; leverage key metrics to refine strategy and demonstrate impact.

• Collaborate with external support to design and execute both paid and organic campaigns, analyze performance data, identify opportunities, and optimize reach and engagement.

• Develop short- and long-term plans and budgets for the marketing and communications program; monitor progress, assure adherence, and evaluate performance against objectives.

• Build, execute, oversee, and optimize automated donor journeys. Ensure journeys are aligned with brand voice, fundraising goals, and donor experience standards. Track and analyze donor engagement data, using insights to improve journey performance and donor retention.

• Research and develop a deep understanding of potential and existing donors. Analyze and interpret data to ensure strategies and campaigns matter to our audience segments and drive fundraising performance.

• Collaborate with the senior leadership team to align marketing strategies with organizational goals.

• Create, fill, and maintain annual marketing content calenders in collaboration with the Marketing Content Manager.

• Stay current on best practices and trends across marketing, digital/social media, branding, public relations, and online engagement — and apply them to TWP’s context.

• Oversee brand management, ensuring consistent application of message and identity across all touchpoints.

• Leverage AI tools and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, Marketing Cloud) to enhance performance and efficiency.

Who You Are

• You understand the mechanics of fundraising, particularly direct marketing, and can discern whether strategies, campaigns, or vendor proposals will translate into real fundraising success.

• You are a strategic and hands-on leader who moves seamlessly from big-picture strategy to detailed execution.

• You lead through messaging — crafting a clear, consistent brand voice and compelling content that resonates with donors, empowers creators, and mobilizes audiences.

• You thrive on strategy-to-execution thought leadership: you can set vision, define goals, manage a team to execute, and step in yourself to deliver results when needed.

• You are action-oriented and organized, with the ability to plan, set objectives, and drive projects to completion within established parameters.

• You monitor organizational approaches and productivity, analyze metrics, and identify opportunities to increase effectiveness.

• You establish clear roadmaps for both short- and long-term priorities, guiding your team’s daily work while also building sustainable systems.

• You are a data-savvy strategist, comfortable with analytics tools and Excel/Google Sheets, skilled at measuring ROI across channels, and confident using insights to refine strategy and demonstrate impact.

• You blend creative storytelling with data-driven decision-making, aligning messaging with TWP’s mission while optimizing campaigns for performance.

• You work collaboratively and cross-functionally to ensure alignment and effectiveness.

• You take full ownership of outcomes, balancing creativity, rigor, and accountability in everything you do.

• You have direct experience with audience segmentation and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, Marketing Cloud).

Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or 5+ years of experience in these or related fields.