The client is a global non-profit multi-stakeholder organization focused on advancing responsible freshwater stewardship through a recognized standard that supports credible, transparent, and measurable practices. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the strategic and operational leader, advancing the mission, scaling impact, and ensuring financial sustainability. The CEO represents The client globally, strengthening its role as a leading standard-setter and convener in water stewardship, and enabling organizations to embark on or advance their water stewardship journeys through certification to The client’s standard.
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO translates strategic priorities into actionable plans, deepens cross-sector partnerships, and elevates The client’s influence in global sustainability, climate resilience, and water governance. Strategic leadership includes evaluating the current strategy and multi-year growth plans, including how certification services support greater adoption of the standard. The CEO is expected to strengthen The client’s authority on water stewardship standards and certification, identify emerging risks and opportunities related to water, climate, biodiversity, and supply chains, and convert emerging policy, regulatory, and market trends into practical pathways for organizations to begin, strengthen, and retain certification while keeping the standard both ambitious and practicable.
The CEO will align strategy with national and regional public-sector water and climate agendas and ensure coherence between strategy and programs by developing metrics and targets to measure impact and guide decision-making. Externally, the CEO serves as the primary ambassador, building and maintaining relationships with corporate leaders, governments, multilateral organizations, NGOs, and financial donors to position The client as a trusted convener across sectors. The CEO is also expected to represent The client in relevant global public policy and private sector forums and to elevate the standard as a benchmark for informing and measuring the implementation of best practices in water stewardship.