Stewardship and Research Officer

Stewardship and Research Officer 

Contract type: Full time, Permanent, 40 hours per week

Location: This is a virtual role, based in Canada. The successful applicant must reside in the Eastern Time Zone with preference given to candidates in the Ottawa and Gatineau region. 

Salary: CAD 60,000 with excellent benefits. 

Change starts with water. Change starts with you. 

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future. 

About WaterAid 

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen. 

About the role 

The Research & Stewardship Officer is a key member of the Philanthropy team, providing high-quality research, prospect intelligence, stewardship and relationship-management support to fundraisers working across corporate partnerships, foundations, major gifts and legacy giving.  This role helps ensure that fundraisers have the information, tools and materials they need to build strong donor relationships, identify new opportunities, deepen existing partnerships and secure increased philanthropic support.  The successful candidate will be an excellent researcher and communicator who can turn information into useful insights and compelling donor communications. They will be highly organized, curious and collaborative, with strong attention to detail and an understanding of the importance of thoughtful, timely and personalized donor stewardship.  

Prospect research & fundraising intelligence  

• Conduct research on prospective and existing major donors, foundations, corporations and legacy prospects to identify philanthropic interests, giving capacity, priorities, connections and potential opportunities.  
• Prepare concise and actionable prospect profiles, briefing notes and research summaries to support fundraiser strategy and donor engagement.  
• Monitor developments relating to priority donors, companies, foundations and sectors and proactively share relevant intelligence with fundraisers.  
• Support prospect identification and qualification, including researching new sources of individual and corporate funding.  
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date prospect information in the fundraising database.  
• Support portfolio and quarterly Business Strategy reviews by identifying gaps, opportunities, upcoming milestones and next steps.  
• Research corporate, foundation and philanthropic trends to inform fundraising strategy and business development.  

Donor stewardship  

• Support the development and delivery of thoughtful, timely and personalized stewardship for donors.  
• Draft impact updates and other stewardship content.  
• Coordinate stewardship activities and ensure donor commitments, recognition opportunities and reporting requirements are tracked and delivered on time.  
• Work with program and communications colleagues to gather compelling impact information, stories, data and visuals for donor communications.  
• Support the development of donor reports, presentations and impact updates tailored to different audiences.  
• Help ensure that stewardship reflects donor interests while maintaining strong alignment with organizational priorities and brand.  

Fundraiser support  

• Provide day-to-day research and administrative support to fundraisers managing corporate, foundation, major donor and legacy portfolios.  
• Track follow-up actions, proposals, reports, stewardship activities and other relationship-management milestones.  
• Lead proposal development, including gathering organizational, programmatic and donor-specific information.  
• Support funding requests, reports and other donor-facing materials.  
• Coordinate information and inputs from internal teams to support timely and high-quality donor communications to keep donors informed and engaged.   
• Help fundraisers maintain strong portfolio hygiene and accurate records in Raiser’s Edge.  

Legacy fundraising support  

• Provide research and stewardship support for the legacy program, including researching prospective legacy donors and maintaining appropriate donor information.  
• Assist with personalized communications and stewardship journeys for legacy supporters and prospective legacy donors.  
• Support the preparation of legacy donor materials, correspondence and impact communications.  
• Ensure legacy interactions and relevant information are accurately recorded and managed with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality.  

Data, systems & process improvement  

• Maintain accurate and complete donor and prospect records in the fundraising database.  
• Develop and maintain research and stewardship systems, templates, trackers and processes that improve team efficiency.  
• Identify opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve the quality and accessibility of fundraising intelligence.  
• Support regular reporting on portfolio activity, stewardship and prospect development.  
• Ensure donor information is handled in accordance with organizational privacy, confidentiality and safeguarding requirements.  

Cross-team collaboration  

• Build strong working relationships with colleagues across Philanthropy, International Programs, Business Development, Communications and Brand, as well as across WaterAid Federation.   
• Proactively seek information and stories from program colleagues to strengthen donor communications and stewardship.  
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, learning, accountability and continuous improvement.  
• Support broader fundraising initiatives, campaigns and events as required.  

Requirements

• Post-secondary education in fundraising, business, communications, research, social sciences or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.  

• 2–4 years of relevant experience in fundraising, prospect research, donor relations, philanthropy, business development, research or a related field.  
• Experience conducting prospect or organizational research and translating findings into concise, useful information.  
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI and digital research tools to enhance prospect research, donor communications, and stewardship processes while ensuring accuracy, quality, and ethical use of information.  
• Experience working with a CRM or fundraising database; experience with Blackbaud/Raiser's Edge or a similar system is an asset.  
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to tailor communications for different audiences.  
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills. While WaterAid Canada is an English-speaking work environment, the ability to work in French is considered a strong asset.  
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.  
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.  
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while contributing effectively to a collaborative national team.  
• Strong interpersonal skills and sound judgment when working with sensitive donor information.  
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, collaboration and the organization's mission. 

View the Full Job Description here.

Closing date: Applications close 5:00 PM UK time / 12:00 PM ET  time on September 28, 2026.  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and cover letter. 
 

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? 

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well. 

Pre‑employment screening 

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in Canada. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy.  

Benefits

As a global organisation, WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. Alongside our inspiring mission and meaningful work, we offer a range of benefits tailored to each country’s context and policies. These will be shared during the process  

Our People Promise 

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values. 

Equal Opportunities 

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation. 

Safeguarding 

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks). 

Together, we’ll change the world through water.  

Join us and be part of the change!