Background

Water.org is a non-profit organization that has transformed thousands of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America by providing access to safe water and sanitation over the past twenty-one years. Founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org works with local partners to deliver innovative solutions for long-term success.

What You'll Do

As Compliance Specialist, you will play a central role in building and strengthening the systems that allow Water.org to operate with integrity across the globe — because the financial partnerships and institutional relationships that bring safe water and sanitation to millions of families depend on a compliance foundation that earns trust at every level. You'll work across legal entities, countries, and teams to keep Water.org's governance, data privacy, and third-party due diligence programs running with rigor and care.

• Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance Ownership: Manage compliance program activities across Water.org's global footprint, supporting corporate governance, entity registrations, and good-standing requirements across multiple countries and legal entities.
• Data Privacy Program Management: Support and strengthen Water.org's data privacy practices — including handling data subject requests and navigating multi-jurisdiction privacy frameworks — so that partners and program participants can trust how their information is handled.
• Counterparty Due Diligence and Sanctions Screening: Run counterparty due diligence and sanctions screening processes (including OFAC and anti-bribery compliance) that protect Water.org's partnerships and ensure responsible engagement with every organization we work with.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work as a trusted partner — not an enforcer — alongside Legal, Finance, HR, and regional country teams to embed compliance practices into day-to-day operations across a diverse, global organization.
• Program Building and Process Maturation: Help shape a compliance program that is still growing, bringing structure, documentation discipline, and independent ownership to workstreams that need someone who can lead without waiting to be directed.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; degree in Legal Studies, Business, Compliance, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in compliance, legal operations, risk management, or process-focused roles, preferably supporting global or multi-jurisdictional programs within an international nonprofit, NGO, or mission-driven organization.
• Working knowledge of data privacy, third-party due diligence, and sanctions/anti-bribery compliance is a plus.
• Strong organizational, process management, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a global, multicultural environment.
• Proficient in written and spoken English and committed to Water.org's mission, values, and ethical standards.

An Ideal Candidate Brings

• Corporate, multi-jurisdictional compliance experience across multiple legal entities; this is valued as much as, or more than, nonprofit-sector experience specifically, given Water.org's multi-country structure and operations.
• A self-starter mindset: comfortable owning compliance processes end to end with minimal day-to-day direction, and reporting outcomes rather than needing close oversight.
• Experience building or significantly maturing a compliance program, not just administering an established one, along with comfort partnering across Legal, Finance, HR, and regional teams as a collaborative advisor rather than an enforcer.

Benefits

This position offers country-specific benefits and market-based, competitive salary as well as periodic review for merit and incentive pay based on organizational and personal achievement.

• Manage compliance program activities across Water.org's global footprint, supporting corporate governance, entity registrations, and good-standing requirements across multiple countries and legal entities.
• Support and strengthen Water.org's data privacy practices — including handling data subject requests and navigating multi-jurisdiction privacy frameworks.
• Run counterparty due diligence and sanctions screening processes (including OFAC and anti-bribery compliance).
• Work alongside Legal, Finance, HR, and regional country teams to embed compliance practices into day-to-day operations.
• Help shape a compliance program that is still growing, bringing structure, documentation discipline, and independent ownership to workstreams.

• Strong organizational skills
• Process management skills
• Stakeholder engagement skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a global, multicultural environment
• Proficiency in written and spoken English
• Working knowledge of data privacy
• Working knowledge of third-party due diligence
• Working knowledge of sanctions/anti-bribery compliance

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Degree in Legal Studies, Business, Compliance, or a related field preferred
• 5+ years of experience in compliance, legal operations, risk management, or process-focused roles
• Experience supporting global or multi-jurisdictional programs within an international nonprofit, NGO, or mission-driven organization preferred
• Corporate, multi-jurisdictional compliance experience across multiple legal entities
• Self-starter mindset
• Experience building or significantly maturing a compliance program