[Hiring] Director, Strategic Initiatives @GiveDirectly

Role Description

GiveDirectly has delivered more than $1B in cash directly to more than 2 million people living in poverty across 15 countries. We believe cash transfers are one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid, with the research to back it up.

We are growing at an unprecedented scale. By the end of 2027, we will have more than tripled dollars delivered via our current playbook to $750M+, while building toward a step-change of roughly 10x on a new technology stack and operating model. We also believe that we could deliver significant incremental money through external partnerships.

To evaluate and advance these external opportunities to increase our delivery capacity, we are building a lean internal consulting team. In this role, you will work with high autonomy to elaborate a comprehensive set of options and rigorously evaluate, prioritize, and implement them. You will report to the Chief of Staff and work directly with our Executive team, Country Directors, and external partners.

The work is in an early stage, the mandate is wide, and the recommendations you make have the potential to influence delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars.

What you'll do

• Build and prioritize a portfolio of options: Generate a comprehensive set of external pathways to increase delivery capacity, from institutional data partnerships to outsourced delivery to telco and payment provider arrangements, and rank them on scale, speed, feasibility, and what it would cost us to pursue them.
• Pressure test opportunities to a clear verdict: Run primary diligence on the options that warrant it, including direct engagement with potential partners, regulators, and counsel, and reach a defensible recommendation to advance or stop.
• Advance one or two priorities from evaluation into implementation: Take the opportunities we select from recommendation through to a live pilot, holding the counterparty relationship and coordinating the cross-functional internal work required to deliver.
• Define and run competitive solicitations: Articulate what we need from a partner precisely enough to publish an RFP (or similar), set selection criteria, and manage and evaluate the responses.
• Negotiate with institutional counterparties: Lead engagement with UN agencies, INGOs, mobile network operators, and government bodies, from first contact through to signed agreement.
• Equip Executive decision-making: Produce the analysis and written recommendations that let the Executive team decide where to commit money and capacity.

Qualifications

• A driven, disciplined explorer of unfamiliar territory.
• Strong analytical instincts.
• A negotiator who uses leverage intelligently.
• A clear, direct communicator.
• Embody and set an example for GD values.

Additional areas we’re interested in, though not required

• Experience with humanitarian or institutional donors, particularly UN agencies and INGO consortia.
• Mobile money, telco, or payments partnerships.
• Grantmaking, organizational due diligence, or cost-effectiveness assessments.
• Running challenge funds or competitive solicitations.
• Negotiating data-sharing and data-protection agreements.
• Operating in low-income or infrastructure-constrained markets.

Compensation

• United States: Base salary: $131,250 per year; Benefits stipend: $21,393 per year; Bonus target: 15%
• United Kingdom: Base salary: £91,900; Benefits stipend: £2,760.00; Bonus target: 15%
• Kenya: Base salary: $106,280; Benefits stipend: $8,454; Bonus target: 15%

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization working with communities to eliminate extreme poverty, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any abuse or misconduct related matters involving potential new hires.

Reasonable Accommodations

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at [email protected] with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”.

Referrals

Know the right person for this role? Please consider referring them. We offer a reward of $3,000 for a Senior Manager or above role, and $500 for a Manager role, paid if we end up hiring your referral.