Country Director - The Dominican Republic

Country Director Location: Santiago/Moca, Dominican Republic, with regular field travel Reports to: Senior Director of International Programs Position Type: Full-time,employed directly through Wine To Water Dominican Republic. Standard schedule follows the Dominican 44-hour workweek, with flexibility for field travel, community events, and occasional evenings/weekends.

Direct Reports: Dominican Republic program, operations, and administrative support About Wine To Water Dominican Republic Wine To Water is a Christ-centered organization. We are driven by our faith to love and serve all people. Wine To Water Dominican Republic (WTW DR) is a locally registered nonprofit strengthening household and community water security through safe-water technologies, education, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.

Programming spans rainwater harvesting, household water filtration, WASH education, WASH in Schools, community capacity building, and long-term monitoring and follow-up. The organization also operates a ceramic-filter production facility being developed as a broader learning, innovation, volunteer, and partner-engagement hub.

Wine To Water is transitioning to a federated model in which country offices progressively assume greater responsibility for governance, program quality, financial management, M&E, communications, partnerships, and revenue generation. The Country Director will help WTW DR prepare for and implement this transition while maintaining alignment with Wine To Water's global mission, values, standards, and strategic direction.

Position Summary

The Country Director is the senior in-country leader and legal representative of WTW DR, providing strategic, programmatic, financial, operational, and institutional leadership so the organization is effective, accountable, locally grounded, and increasingly sustainable. As the sole senior leader in-country, the Director is ultimately responsible for the functioning of the entire office: its people, its programs, and its operations, including areas without dedicated staff support.

The Director leads the country team, oversees program quality, strengthens governance, develops diversified revenue, cultivates strategic partnerships, and represents WTW DR with communities, government, donors, corporate partners, civil society, and Wine To Water's global team. Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership, Governance & Compliance Lead the development and execution of WTW DR's annual strategic and operational plans, aligned with community priorities, the Dominican context, and Wine To Water's global direction. Translate organizational priorities into realistic objectives, budgets, work plans, and measures of success. Build WTW DR's governance systems, including identifying, recruiting, and engaging a functioning local Board of Directors, and serve as its primary operational liaison. Ensure WTW DR maintains registrations, policies, records, and reporting required under Dominican law and organizational agreements. Identify strategic opportunities and organizational risks and communicate recommendations to the Board and global leadership.
2. Program Quality, Facility Oversight & Learning Provide strategic oversight of WTW DR's Household Water Security portfolio, which currently includes rainwater harvesting, household filtration, WASH education, WASH in Schools, and emerging water and sanitation initiatives. Ensure programs are community-centered, evidence-informed, and built for long-term sustainability rather than technology distribution alone. Hold program leadership accountable for accurate data collection, participant verification, follow-up, and reporting, and use evidence to improve programs and guide growth decisions. Oversee the ceramic-filter production facility, including production quality, technical staffing, and its use as a training, volunteer, donor, and partner-engagement site, ensuring it supports WTW DR's programmatic and revenue objectives.
3. Team, Financial & Operational Leadership Lead, supervise, and support WTW DR's in-country team and contractors, with clear roles, accountability, and a culture grounded in integrity, empowerment, and direct communication. Ensure effective recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning so programs and relationships continue through team transitions. Lead preparation and management of the annual country budget, ensure internal controls and financial documentation, and oversee the administrative and operational systems supporting office, field, and program activities.
4. Partnerships, Fundraising & External Engagement Develop and steward a diverse partnership portfolio: communities, schools, government, foundations, corporations, universities, and technical partners, that strengthens program quality, revenue, and sustainability. Manage a country-level partnership and fundraising pipeline, prepare proposals and reports, and lead a diversified annual revenue plan spanning grants, corporate partnerships, volunteer engagement, and mission-aligned filter revenue. Serve as WTW DR's primary in-country spokesperson, guide storytelling and communications in coordination with WTW's global team, and coordinate safe, ethical volunteer and corporate-engagement experiences. Represent WTW DR in global leadership and Filter Build activities, contributing impact information and participating in donor engagement as needed. Required Qualifications Legal authorization to live and work in the Dominican Republic required; WTW may sponsor a work permit for an exceptionally qualified candidate, subject to Dominican Ministry of Labor approval. Valid driver's license with ability to legally operate a motor vehicle in-country. Professional fluency in Spanish and strong working proficiency in English. Demonstrated leadership experience in nonprofit management, international development, public health, WASH, or a related field. Experience managing teams, budgets, programs, and partnerships. Meaningful professional or field experience in the Dominican Republic, with an understanding of rural and underserved communities. Demonstrated ability to build relationships with communities, donors, government institutions, and civil-society organizations. Experience with fundraising, proposal development, or other resource mobilization. Strong financial judgment and experience with budgeting, reporting, and responsible resource management. Ability to travel regularly within the Dominican Republic and occasionally internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

University degree in international development, public health, nonprofit management, or a related field. Five or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience. Experience with WASH, household water treatment, or community-based infrastructure. Experience supporting a nonprofit Board or building organizational governance systems.

Experience overseeing technical production, quality assurance, or a training/visitor-engagement site. Key Competencies Strategic and practical leadership with sound, accountable decision-making Collaborative, culturally responsive team leadership Relationship building and partnership stewardship Financial and operational responsibility Clear, effective communication across cultures and organizational levels Working Conditions The position combines office-based, remote, facility-based, and field work, requiring regular travel to rural communities and project sites where roads, weather, connectivity, and working conditions may vary.

The Country Director must be able to participate safely in field visits, community meetings, facility activities, and volunteer experiences. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law and the essential responsibilities of the position.

Compensation

& Benefits: Salary is paid in Dominican pesos (DOP) in accordance with Dominican labor law. Salary will be competitive, and it will be evaluated based on experience. The role includes mandatory enrollment in the Dominican Social Security System (TSS), health insurance (SFS), pension (AFP), and occupational risk coverage and an annual Christmas bonus (Regalía Pascual) equal to one-twelfth of annual salary, paid annual leave beginning at 14 days after one year of service, 12 paid national holidays, and maternity/paternity leave as provided under the Dominican Labor Code.

Equal Opportunity Wine To Water Dominican Republic is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all candidates on their qualifications and do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, disability, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected under Dominican law.