Background

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will provide strategic leadership across all functions of Global Support teams (Finance, IT, Talent, Global Safety and Security, and Risk) and Global Programs teams (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Adaptation, Strategy, Influence, and Technical Support) to ensure world-class support and services to Water For People’s country programs and therefore enhance positive impact on the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. As a member of the Global Leadership Team (GLT), the COO will pioneer this new position and help drive strategic initiatives on staff localization and decision-making at the most local level possible. The COO will contribute to strategic planning and specifically provide financial and administrative oversight and programmatic support across the organization.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Finance, Economics, Law, or equivalent work experience
• At least 10 years of senior leadership experience overseeing a combination of areas that might include finance, programs, operations, administration, and compliance in an international development organization
• At least 5 years of work experience physically located in Latin America, Africa, or Asia in an international development organization.
• At least 5 years of experience collaborating with a Chief Development Officer or similar role around a combination of revenue tracking, revenue projection, budgeting, and grant management activities.
• At least 5 years of experience implementing or ensuring provision of programmatic expertise to system strengthening approaches to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), public health and nutrition, or climate change adaptation in Latin America, Africa, or Asia
• Ability to communicate complex topics in a variety of forums, tailoring communications to effectively fit and influence the targeted audience, with an approachable style and confidence
• Experience collaborating with senior leadership, board members, and other key internal and external stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated success in building and managing diverse teams, empowering and leveraging talent.
• Ability to lead the entire range of problem-solving work from problem definition to analysis, recommendation, and the development of implementation plans.
• Passion for building organizations and thinking big.
• English language skills.

• Provide strategic leadership across all functions of Global Support teams (Finance, IT, Talent, Global Safety and Security, and Risk) and Global Programs teams (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Adaptation, Strategy, Influence, and Technical Support)
• Ensure world-class support and services to Water For People’s country programs
• Enhance positive impact on the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world
• Serve as a member of the Global Leadership Team (GLT)
• Pioneer this new position and help drive strategic initiatives on staff localization and decision-making at the most local level possible
• Contribute to strategic planning
• Provide financial and administrative oversight and programmatic support across the organization

• Ability to communicate complex topics in a variety of forums
• Tailoring communications to effectively fit and influence the targeted audience
• Approachable style and confidence
• Collaborating with senior leadership, board members, and other key internal and external stakeholder groups
• Building and managing diverse teams
• Empowering and leveraging talent
• Leading the entire range of problem-solving work from problem definition to analysis, recommendation, and the development of implementation plans
• English language skills

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Finance, Economics, Law, or equivalent work experience