(Senior) Director, Safe Water Now

About Evidence Action

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 9 countries, our team of 800+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

• Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains. 
• Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children. 
• Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives. 

At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.

About the Safe Water Now Team

Safe drinking water was recognized as a human right nearly 15 years ago – yet a quarter of the world’s population remains without it. Contaminated water is deadly, especially for young children – and climate change is escalating the crisis. New evidence shows one in four deaths among children under five can be prevented simply by treating drinking water. 

Evidence Action is building the foundation for safe water for all, charting a path to the first generation raised on clean water – one where more children live to see their fifth birthday. To date, our work across Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi have saved the lives of 15,000 children under five years old, reaching 15% of Malawi’s and 10% of Uganda’s population. In 2023, we expanded this work to India via an ambitious initiative to scale safe water nationwide, with the goal of reaching 17M people initially. This work is in close partnership with the government's Jal Jeevan Mission, which has invested $45B in water infrastructure serving rural households.  

This work is at the frontier of safe water delivery, and through our delivery and technology work, we are seeking to expand the global population that has access to safe drinking water. For instance, we have: 

• Created a first-of-its-kind taxonomy of 28 water point types in India’s water infrastructure.  We are now actively innovating with leading engineering centers to design technologies that work within this infrastructure.  
• Re-designed chlorination devices to work within high-pressure water systems, which in some Indian states constitute a large portion of waterpoints. 
• Iterated on five generations of chlorine dispenser design to reduce costs 50% while increasing durability. 

We are fortunate to have dedicated resources to scope the expansion of our work to new countries and to explore and test innovative models, which can bring safe water to new market segments. The Director or Senior Director, Safe Water Now role will be critical to driving the strategy, fundraising, and execution to make this vision a reality.

The Role 

As Director or Senior Director, Safe Water Now, you will define and deliver against Evidence Action’s Safe Water strategy. This global portfolio has received >$100M in funding to-date and is delivered through 500 hundred employees across four countries. The right candidate will have a transformative impact in this role, driving safe water access for millions of people - and saving tens of thousands of lives globally. You will lead a team of 10 (likely growing to 15) to build a roadmap across delivery, innovation, expansion, and fundraising for Evidence Action’s largest program. We are seeking a strong people manager with an exceptional track record of fundraising, strategic leadership, and program management.

Reports to: Executive Vice President, Accelerator and Programs

Responsibilities

Strategy, Innovation and Optimization (40%)

• Define our strategic approach to key issues, including our expansion priorities; the optimal mix of delivery technologies; how/when to pursue partnerships; and our mix of direct delivery vs technical assistance. 
• Drive an innovation roadmap to develop the next generation of safe water interventions - unlocking incremental impact and reach in future years. 
• Run pilots tackling major unknowns in safe water delivery, testing new target populations (e.g. urban delivery), new delivery models (e.g. vouchers), and new technologies (e.g. electrochlorinators).
• Take promising interventions to scale in new geographies or mainstream into our existing programs.
• Build and facilitate collaboration channels across geographies and programs to enable cross-programmatic learning and optimization. 

Fundraising and External Relationships (40%)

• Own end-to-end fundraising pipeline to maximize our impact, including leading fundraising of $10-15M+ annually for our global ambitions. 
• Lead team in building a strong pipeline of institutional and individual donors interested in scaling safe water access. 
• Develop relationships with global health, WASH, and climate stakeholders, including donors, implementers, bi/multilaterals, and researchers. Represent Evidence Action at conferences and lead our engagement in the global community.
• Inspire, engage with, and update existing donors, including regular calls and oversight of grant reports.
• Lead development of compelling proposals and external-facing program materials, in collaboration with the External Relations team.

Program and People Management (20%) 

• Support scale up of access to safe water in India, developing a cost-effective delivery model which can be mainstreamed into government systems nationwide, with the initial goal of reaching 17m people in two states- and tens of millions more through policy advocacy and expansion-, in partnership with our Indian technical partner. 
• Support safe water delivery across three countries, with the goal of reaching 9m people, in partnership with the Africa regional team.
• Lead expansion of safe water programs to new countries to expand our impact - with a current focus on West Africa.
• Lead, build, and coach a team of 10-15, supporting individual growth and fostering a high-performing, learning-oriented culture.

• 12+ years of relevant experience, with a Bachelor's degree or higher

• Experience managing large, multi-country programs in international development, ideally in a matrixed organization
• Experience managing and expanding successful initiatives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment
• Strong capacity for fundraising, including cultivating new relationships and growing existing ones. Proven track record leading successful fundraising for large global development programs at $5M+ level annually
• An understanding of evidence and cost effectiveness, with the ability to analyze data to solve problems. You are comfortable using imperfect data to make thoughtful decisions
• A people manager, coach, and culture builder
• Willing to travel 20% of the time
  

Position Location

This role location is flexible, though we have a preference for a country where Evidence Action has an office. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the country where they are located.

The expected role range for this role if based in the US is listed below. We consider multiple factors when determining the base salary for a role, including but not limited to: role scope, program budgets, internal equity, and a candidate’s qualifications and/or prior experience.

Note: Pay and benefits will be commensurate with the role specifications, local statutory requirements, and the cost of labor in the markets where we operate.

The expected US pay range for the full-time role is $130,000 - $180,000 per year. Salary will be based on the level of the role (Director or Senior Director), which we'll determine on a candidate-by-candidate basis.

For US based roles, Evidence Action provides comprehensive benefits including international health care, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plans with a matching component, generous and flexible leave options, as well as other employee perks on a reimbursement basis. For more information visit our careers page or ask our recruiting team!

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to representation and inclusion. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.