Senior Manager, Partner Services

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Who is Water Mission?

Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Guided by love, excellence, and integrity, we are driven to share clean, safe water and God’s love with all. To date, we have served more than 7 million people in 57 countries. 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 Christian Mission.

What is the opportunity?

The Senior Manager, Partner Services is responsible for the oversight and effectiveness of the Partner Services team in representing Water Mission with excellence in the areas of guest reception, donor response, gift processing, and acknowledgment. The Senior Manager is a vital role that supports internal and external-facing communication and stewardship initiatives of Water Mission. He/she will provide day-to-day leadership and direction to the Partner Services team to strengthen relationships with the ministry and ensure communications, gift processing, and gift and communications documentation metrics are met. The ideal candidate will have experience with best-in-class service and data management and the ability to direct a service-oriented and data-driven team. This position reports to the Director of Partnership Services and Administration and is located at Water Mission’s headquarters in North Charleston, SC.

A successful Senior Manager of Partner Services will perform the following:

Leadership and Development

• Maintain a strong Christian witness to colleagues, vendors, donors, volunteers, those we serve, and the general public.

• Oversee departmental donor response through a relational perspective.

• Equip and lead the Partner Services team to invite guests, donors, and prospective donors to partner with us through prayer, scripture, encouragement, and giving.

• Equip and lead the Partner Services team to assist guests, donors, and prospective donors with website navigation, financial transactions, account maintenance, and problem resolution in a timely manner and with a relational heart.

• Equip and lead the Partner Services team to help with outbound calls, including appreciation calls to donors, volunteers, and churches, volunteer scheduling and information-sharing, and donor event RSVPs.

• Ensure all communication through Partner Services is of the highest standard and is recorded in Water Mission’s CRM (Raiser’s Edge) and supporting platforms, as needed.

• Maintain high-level knowledge of Water Mission’s organizational objectives, programmatic strategies, projects, and activities.

• Meet or exceed all ministry quality standards in following procedures and guidelines regarding professionalism, timeliness, and accuracy.

• Perform supervisory duties, including, but not limited to: interviewing and hiring; ensuring milestones, goals, and deadlines are met; budgeting and expense monitoring; approval of administrative tasks related to time and expenses; and onboarding team members.

Reception Management

• Oversee the reception desk for Water Mission to ensure best-in-class service and hospitality to guests, which includes, but is not limited to, badge creation and distribution for visitors, working with the Charleston Engagement team to support tours, greeting walk-ins and scheduled visitors, answering incoming calls, etc.

Gift Processing Management

• Read and interpret complex donor requests; analyze needs; research project information, donations, and previous communications in donor records; compose responses; and document conversations.
• Ensure data integrity and CRM database cleanliness by maintaining knowledge of best-in-class gift processing and data hygiene practices, updating and documenting procedures as necessary, and monitoring of data integrity and CRM database quality.
• Identify and implement process improvements driving Partner Services departmental efficiencies to meet additional gift volume and growing ministry needs.
• Train and equip staff on all departmental software.

Financial Reporting

• Ensure that upon the receipt of major gifts, action items, and follow-up tasks are executed and documented by the team; track outstanding commitments, communicate payment schedules, and produce reminders. Ensure members of the Partnerships Team and the Executive Vice President of Partnerships and Communication are appropriately informed of all necessary gift detail and follow-up required.
• Ensure accuracy in gift coding and reconciliations of income between the CRM and ERP systems.
• Ensure pledges are properly documented and reminders are provided as needed.

Marketing and Events Support

• Review direct mail pieces and response devices, and online campaigns, to ensure accurate recording of donations.
• Establish donation pages and supporting documentation that includes appropriate appeals, funds, and campaigns.
• Ensure all Third-Party websites and matching company websites have appropriate company information and compliance statements analyzed and completed.

Data Management

• Support the Director of Partnership Services and Administration in the strategic management and day-to-day operations of the donor database (Raiser’s Edge).

• Develop database policies and procedures for the Director of Partnership Services and Administration’s approval.

• Assist in the development of reports, mailings, and analysis from the donor database, utilizing IT collaboration as needed. Produce and distribute accurate and timely cyclical reports related to revenue and data.

• Work with IT to monitor data exchanges between Raiser’s Edge and other software systems (i.e., Luminate Online) to ensure data is exchanged appropriately and efficiently.

What is Required?

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.

• BS or BA Degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Communications, or a related field.

• Eight-plus years of related experience and/or training, including at least four years in direct people management.

• Technical proficiency in database management, computer systems, and software solutions; Blackbaud suite of products preferred.

• Ability to interact with business and ministry partners in a positive, uplifting manner.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and quickly solve problems as they occur.

• Strong internal and external customer service focus and follow-through.

• Strong attention to detail and process orientation; exceptional written communication skills.

• Commitment to excellence in work.

• Experience with training and managing data entry and department staff.

• Home internet bandwidth strong enough to support video conferencing and other job-related responsibilities is required.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

• Flexibility to work periodic nights and weekends as required for ministry operations.

• Commitment to the values and mission of the organization and ending the global water crisis.