About GiveDirectly:

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving -  and millions of lives - by allowing donors to provide capital grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of which is allocated to evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing a benchmark, and in the process accelerate the end of extreme poverty. GiveDirectly has raised over $400M in revenue (>$150M in 2020 alone), while being recognized as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company. The growing movement toward cash transfers and GD’s role in that movement have also been featured in This American Life, Foreign Affairs, The Economist, and  Business Insider.

Cash transfers are at a potential inflection point:  COVID-19 has amplified the challenges of bulkier in-kind aid models, and governments are deploying cash as their most common tool of assistance to vulnerable populations. GiveDirectly has an opportunity to leverage its strong track record (i.e. operations across 9 countries, >$250M transferred to over a million individuals, 13 randomized control trials), to both deliver immense impact and position itself as the premiere cash implementation vehicle globally. 

We’re looking for exceptional talent to grow our field team. Our culture is blunt, analytical, non-hierarchical, and fast-paced. We recruit candidates from top organizations across all industries - our team has hailed from consultancies, investment banks, start-ups, non-profits, and government to name a few. We value ability and willingness to learn over years of experience. We offer competitive salary and benefits and performance-based bonuses.

Role Overview:

GiveDirectly’s field organization is growing fast: we recently doubled our country office footprint and are experimenting with a range of research and design questions from “How do you deliver cash in a country that has 1 bank for a district of 400,000 people?” to “What’s the impact of providing a universal basic income to 10,000+ individuals?”.

In 2020, we’ve defined a core “big bet” around expansion into the humanitarian response domain, both domestic and international. Our value proposition will focus on speed, flexibility, innovation and rigor. 

We’re looking for candidates who will be based in the United States and willing to work remotely, with flexibility for domestic travel if needed. This is a 6-month temporary position, with potential for extension (based on GiveDirectly need).

As part of GD’s humanitarian team, you will hone your operational expertise with responsibilities that include: driving customer experience  in an emergency setting, managing a team of remote field staff, and identifying and clearing systematic challenges in execution. In addition to driving an exceptional customer (recipient) experience, you will support teams in gathering data and crafting content for partners and donors.

The Associate’s primary responsibility will be managing the customer (recipient) experience of GiveDirectly’s $100M+ 2020 US COVID-19 response.

Responsibilities:

Field Operations Management (90%)

• Oversee customer (recipient) service for US-COVID 19 response, including monitoring and reporting to the wider project team on key metrics, documenting all activities related to the project, and ensuring timely progress toward goals 
• Manage a remote team of customer service agents, including goal-setting, performance tracking and auditing
• Become an expert in GiveDirectly customer service software systems and processes (Zendesk, Salesforce, Payment provider software)
• Respond to high-risk cases and coordinate with external payment provider to troubleshoot payment issues
• Work with Senior Managers to identify process changes to improve recipient payment experience and operational efficiency
• Support logistics and procurement for US Disaster Response programs that arise (eg hurricane response)

Analytics Project Support (10%)

• Gather data, conduct analysis, and report on key operational processes
• Support content creation to drive donor conversations

Desired Qualifications:

• 1-2+ years of work experience in a role that required problem-solving (field management, consulting) at a high performing organization
• Experience managing projects (including goal setting, progress tracking)
• Exceptional communication, organizational, and analytical skills, including a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel)
• Ability to manage day-to-day operations while simultaneously building more robust, efficient systems
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner, while effectively communicating upwardly about gaps and risks
• Enthusiasm for fast-paced environments, which may involve significant “learning by doing”
• Prior team management experience is preferred 
• Prior humanitarian/emergency experience preferred 
• Strong alignment with GD values (see below)

Please note we are unable to sponsor international candidates for this position 

GiveDirectly Values:

• Recipients first.

We prioritize recipient preferences over those of donors or ourselves.

We do not impose our preferences, or judgments, on the beneficiaries; instead we respect and empower them to make their own choices, elevating their voices in the global aid debate. This value is core to GiveDirectly’s identity as the first organization exclusively devoted to putting the poor in control of how aid money is spent. It comes at a potential cost, as it means that neither we nor donors get to set priorities (and we may even lose some “efficiency” in providing this option).

• Team next.

We do what’s best for organizational - not individual - success.

This is a team sport, where we will succeed (or fail) together. The best players are not those with the best individual statistics, but those with the biggest impact on our overall performance. We avoid territoriality, self-promotion, and I’m above this attitudes.

• Be proactively candid.

We say what we believe, and are honest in sharing information.

Having confidence that other people are telling us what they truly believe, without gloss or omission, is critical to effective communication and to our ability to learn and grow from feedback. We owe it to each other - and our donors - to instill this confidence even though giving and receiving information candidly are unusual in both professional and social life, and can be very uncomfortable.

• Create positive energy  

We strive to be a source - not drain - of energy for our colleagues.

Our work is hard, practically and emotionally, and we cannot overemphasize the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, enjoying the company of our colleagues, and not taking ourselves too seriously.  In doing so, we aspire to generate energy and excitement amongst our colleagues in pursuing our mission. This should not preclude candor, and we aspire to achieve both.

• Think rigorously; act quickly.

We are intellectually rigorous with a drive towards action - not debate.

We reason from first principles, grounding our decisions in objective claims about the world, rather than hard-to-disprove assertions or hierarchy. We aim to brainstorm inclusively and respectfully, but critically self-vet ideas we put forward, so as to ensure productive and prudent decision making.

Demanding this level of rigor forces us to think harder about decisions and our assumptions than we otherwise might. This is a real cost. It can be taken too far: it is possible to overthink decisions, and we avoid debate for the sake of debate.  We are not here to philosophize or ensure consensus. We decide and act quickly, avoiding getting bogged down in debates.

• Accept reality. Propose solutions.

We do not dwell on problems. We work actively to create solutions.

There will always be an endless list of things to improve. We focus on the things that can be changed; find the most important of those things, and propose actionable answers. We do not allow “problems” to weigh us down and be a source of negativity.  We are forward looking, which we believe not only leads to better team outcomes, but also creates a more enjoyable, energizing environment for all.

• Be productively ambitious.

We take the risks to pursue industry-changing success, not incremental progress.

We seek step-change improvements at all levels, and are willing to make big-bets; we do not accept complacency nor do we simply optimize existing processes. In doing so, we allow ourselves to dream big with a belief that perceived constraints are merely opportunities for creativity.

Such ambition not only requires hard work (i.e., this is not a 9-5 job), but also a willingness to accept and learn from temporary setbacks and failures.  In accepting these failures, we’re conscious to not point fingers, nor obsess over “mistakes” made.

• Know yourself and grow.

We recognize and accept our imperfections with a focus on growth.

We are an organization of exceptional people and trust in each other’s abilities, yet we recognize that none of us is perfect. We strive to maintain an accurate understanding of our individual and institutional strengths and weaknesses, in order to position ourselves to maximize our chances of success.

At the same time, we seek personal growth for ourselves and our teammates. Feedback is given with a spirit of helpfulness; and sought out with a desire to learn.

**GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect children, vulnerable adults, and basic human rights of all.  GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH)” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.**