Job description - Partnerships and Income Manager
Salary: £38,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Head of Commercial Services
Hours: Full or part-time hours considered, minimum 0.8 FTE
Start date: November 2025
Location: Home-based (travel costs paid for meetings)
Annual leave: 27 days FTE per annum plus Bank holidays (22 days FTE per annum under the Four Day Week)
Please note that at Waterwise we work a Four Day Week, under voluntary agreements which all staff members sign. This means that you will be contracted and paid as full-time but you will sign a voluntary agreement stating that you commit to employing efficiency tools both individual and team-wide to deliver and be paid for 5 days work within four normal 9 to 5 days - the office is closed on Fridays. Training will be provided and you will be expected to continue to refresh your training and to keep up use of the efficiency tools. Annual leave is also pro rata’d. We can answer any questions you may have about this at the interview/s. On a 20 hours a week contract, you would be spending 16 hours a week at work including the equivalent of 2 one hour lunch breaks, and this can be worked in a flexible pattern, such as two full days or more, shorter days.
Waterwise
Waterwise is the leading independent voice in the UK for using water wisely, for the benefit of people and the planet. Our vision is that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by everyone. We are the UK’s conscience on water efficiency, on behalf of people and the planet, and are experts in water efficiency policy, regulation, research, behaviour and campaigns. Waterwise is a people-led organisation which prioritises the wellbeing of its staff.
Water scarcity is an urgent issue right here, right now, right across the UK - consistent record-breaking high temperatures and low rainfall, and recurring drought, show how climate change and population growth are already putting our water resources under severe pressure, and this challenge is growing. Water efficiency has to be a big part of the solution, and we support and challenge governments, industry, customers and others to be innovative and ambitious on water efficiency. Our work includes campaigns, events, media, policy and regulatory influencing, research projects, stakeholder engagement and services such as Waterwise Training and the Waterwise Checkmark. We are funded by supporters across and beyond the UK water sector. Our Waterwise Strategic Direction, published in August 2022, tells you a bit more about us. Our UK Water Efficinecy Strategy to 2030 tells you a bit more about our ambition.
At Waterwise we put staff wellbeing first, and our staff surveys show that our team knows, feels and appreciates this. Our values are:
People: We will prioritise staff wellbeing, be an inclusive, kind and positive team.
Purpose: We will deliver independent and ambitious leadership to drive social and political change on water efficiency
Pioneer: We will be forward-thinking and visionary in our approach, being brave and innovative in challenging the status quo
Passion: We will campaign to protect water and the planet and work to keep our own environmental impact as low as possible
We are always looking for bright, committed people with a diverse set of skills and experience to help achieve our vision that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by everyone. We are a lively, happy, friendly team, and we can’t wait to read your application!
At Waterwise, we’re committed to driving equity and preventing discrimination at work and in the work we do. Please see more on this below.
We are also working to reduce Waterwise’s own carbon and environmental footprint.
Partnerships and Income Manager Role Description
The Partnerships and Income Manager role involves engaging a range of stakeholders to help generate greater impact and income for Waterwise. The Partnerships and Income Manager will be responsible for researching and identifying potential new business opportunities; conducting outreach to new and existing stakeholders to encourage collaboration; building and maintaining relationships with Waterwise partners, sponsors and members; and assisting with developing winning proposals for funding, in order to deepen the impact we make with individuals, communities and businesses across the UK. The Partnerships and Income Manager will lead on delivery against income targets for our services and events.
Key responsibilities in the role include:
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Generating income for Waterwise by retaining existing partners, recruiting new partners, selling sponsorship opportunities, and increasing engagement and investment in Waterwise membership and services
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Researching and identifying new business development leads in line with Waterwise’s commercial strategy
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Building and maintaining an active pipeline of commercial and partnership opportunities to drive income
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Conducting market and competitor research and engagement to ensure we have a clear understanding of customer needs and align our services to meet those needs
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Conducting lead generation and lead nurturing activities, including representing Waterwise at events and conferences, reaching out to potential new partners by email, phone or social media, and conducting introductory meetings with potential sponsors, members and partners
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Acting as account manager for Waterwise partners, (working alongside the Membership and Marketing Manager who manages member relationships), leading on administration such as ensuring Salesforce CRM is up-to-date, conducting Waterwise’s ethical screening process for potential partners, managing partnership agreements and payments
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Working with the Memberships and Marketing Manager to design and implement communications to demonstrate how partnering with Waterwise offers value for money and delivers against ESG commitments
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Working on grant funding proposals and project bids
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Working with the wider team to assist in the development of content for our newsletter, social media, blogs, trade media and press
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Assisting the team with organising events (e.g. Waterwise annual conference)
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Attending conferences, seminars and meetings to represent Waterwise
The above is not an exhaustive list of activities but hopefully gives you a sense of the role and requirements.
Partnerships and Income Manager Person Specification
We need someone who is proactive and a self-starter, with exemplary communication and relationship building skills.
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Target-driven and commercially-minded, with a proven track record of income generation through sales, sponsorship and grant funding
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Experience in business development, sales, commercial services or relationship management roles
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Experience in writing successful new business proposals, compelling pitches and funding bids
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Good interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders and forge great relationships inside and outside of the organisation
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Ability to approach new leads with confidence, including making ‘cold’ introductions to new organisations
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Excellent networking skills and confidence to ‘work the room’ at meetings and events
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Strong organisational skills, including the ability to plan and work proactively to meet deadlines
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Proactive and action-oriented approach to achieving income targets and KPIs
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Confident communicator, with excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong negotiation skills
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Ability to positively promote Waterwise and its work
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Ability to work flexibly within a small team that works from home
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Ability to manage own time and prioritise tasks
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Ability to communicate across the team about your work and workload
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Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and wellbeing
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Eligibility to work in the UK
Benefits
At Waterwise the wellbeing of our employees is our number one priority. To recognise the fantastic work our team does in driving water efficiency, and to support their wellbeing, we have a wide range of employee benefits, beyond statutory commitments. These include:
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Positive, values-based environment and an inclusive culture where it feels safe for employees to say ‘no’ on grounds of workload
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Strong emphasis from CEO on wellbeing and workload management
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Homeworking and a small allowance for occasional shared office working
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Four Day week - being paid full-time but working 80% of this (or pro rata equivalent), in exchange for using tools to work efficiently - for full-time employees this equates to a day off every week, in addition to annual leave
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Flexible working
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Part-time working
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27 days annual leave per annum for full-time employees (or pro rata equivalent for part-time colleagues), plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d to 22 days full-time equivalent as we work a Four Day Week)
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Death in service benefit at x2 of salary
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Paid chartered and professional memberships
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Individual and team training budgets
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Maternity leave and maternity adoption leave beyond statutory
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Childcare costs for activities undertaken outside normal working hours
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Sickness pay beyond statutory
Equity, diversity and inclusion
At Waterwise, we’re committed to driving equity and preventing discrimination at work and in the work we do. We know that simply having a diverse workforce is not enough. We want to create an inclusive environment within Waterwise and in our work and events, where everyone can contribute their best and develop to their full potential. We celebrate and value how different everyone is, and we work hard to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. This aligns with our ‘People’ value that we will prioritise staff wellbeing, and will be an inclusive, kind and positive team.
We are committed to treating all current and prospective employees fairly and to ensuring that our workplace and employment practices are free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and with different identities and experiences to apply. Everyone in our team has a role to play in helping Waterwise become more diverse and inclusive, and we hope you will join us for this next stage in our journey - for this role we therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be under-represented in Waterwise’s workforce. These include people of the global majority, LGBTQI+ people, and men.
We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive of and accessible for everyone. If you are interested in applying for a role with us and think you may need some additional support or reasonable adjustments made to any part of the recruitment process, please get in touch.
How to apply
To apply for this role, you will need to answer role-related questions. Please provide evidence and examples from your work history or other aspects of your life to answer the questions and demonstrate how you meet the criteria required. Please refer to the person specification when you are doing this.
Our goal is to remove bias from the hiring process and so rather than asking you for a CV and cover letter, we have set up role-related questions which will allow us to assess your approach to a problem and understand what knowledge and skills you have. Your answers will be anonymised, randomised and reviewed by the selection panel. We will use these scores to shortlist for interviews. We also think giving feedback is incredibly valuable for candidates, so at the end of the process, you'll see how well you performed during the application process.
The closing date for applications is 23:59pm on 31st August 2025. There will be a two-stage interview process. First interviews will be held on 17th September 2025 and second interviews will be held on 29th September 2025. First interviews will be held online via Zoom and second interviews will be held in person in Birmingham (venue TBC).
Waterwise is the leading independent voice in the UK for using water wisely, for the benefit of people and the planet.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are seeking a compassionate, visionary, and strategic Chief Executive Officer to lead Mermaids through the next stage of its evolution, dedicated to improving the lives of gender-diverse children and young people, and those who are important to them. As CEO, you will be responsible for driving the charity’s mission, shaping its strategic direction, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, affirming support services. You will act as a visible and credible advocate for trans and
gender-diverse youth, build strong relationships with stakeholders, and influence public policy and sector practice. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will oversee a small committed team, ensure robust financial management with the Chief Operating Officer, and lead fundraising efforts to secure a sustainable future. This is a unique opportunity for a values-driven leader who brings both strategic acumen and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and lived
experience.
Service Delivery:
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across all service delivery areas, including support line services, group work, advocacy, external communications, and policy.
• Ensure services are high quality, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the special people in their lives.
• Lead the continuous improvement and development of service delivery models, ensuring impact, effectiveness, and alignment with the charity’s mission.
• Champion a culture of safeguarding, accountability, and young person-centred practice throughout all service delivery.
• Act as the organisation’s Safeguarding Lead, with oversight of on-call, safeguarding training, and ensuring appropriate escalation mechanisms are in place.
• Oversee the design and implementation of advocacy and policy activities, ensuring the charity’s voice is informed by lived
experience and is impactful at local and national levels.
• Act as a visible and hands-on leader for frontline teams, providing support, supervision, and inspiration to staff and
volunteers.
• Monitor performance, outcomes, and feedback to ensure services are meeting objectives and delivering positive change
for beneficiaries.
Governance:
• In partnership with the board of trustees, set and articulate our vision, mission and strategy, and keep this under continual
review.
• Lead the development and implementation of Mermaid’s strategic plan, ensuring sustainability and growth.
• Liaise with the board of trustees to ensure the charity’s governance, structure, policies and procedures are appropriate
and effective, taking remedial measures and implementing change as necessary. This includes supporting board
development.
• Work closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees to support strong governance and informed decision-making.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on organisational performance, risks, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory guidance and legislation, including the Charity Commission and the Fundraising
Finance & Fundraising:
• Working with the Chief Operating Officer and the Board of Trustees, ensure Mermaids has robust, deliverable fundraising
and finance strategies in place, and subsequent action plans are embedded throughout the organisation to support their
delivery.
• In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, ensure Mermaids has robust finance, HR, IT, data privacy and governance processes and procedures are embedded.
People and Culture:
• Line manage senior staff including the COO and service delivery managers.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, inclusive internal culture that values lived experience and wellbeing.
• Continue work to embed a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion across the organisation, as well as a focus on accessibility.
• Work to define and drive trans-centred leadership across the organisation, including ensuring that the organisation is a trans-positive, supportive employer.
External Engagement and Advocacy:
• Represent Mermaids publicly, including acting as the key spokesperson and strategic policy stakeholder, ensuring
organisational awareness of the external landscape and the changing needs of trans children, young people and their
families, and advocating for these needs to be met.
• Lead communications strategy, and lead press engagement by responding to media inquiries, interviews, press conferences and media events.
• Lead on stakeholder engagement, including with funders, supporters, community partners, and policy influencers.
• Advocate for the rights and needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the significant others in their lives at a national level.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.