Senior Manager, Special Projects
Overview
GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest.
Job Description
GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty. GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011 and delivered cash to more than 2 million people in 15 different countries.
Responsibilities
- - Identify and shape high-potential opportunities – Build and refine a pipeline of “big bet” initiatives by synthesizing internal priorities, market signals, and emerging trends, and rapidly translating ambiguous ideas into clear strategies, theories of change, and milestones with success metrics.
- - Own and drive end-to-end execution of priority initiatives – Take ownership for advancing one high-stakes opportunity at a time from concept through execution, maintaining momentum over weeks or months and increasing hit rates across a portfolio of bets.
- - Lead complex cross-functional collaboration – Align and mobilize teams across Product, Programs, Research, Finance, and other functions to unlock new funding pathways and deliver against ambitious, organization-wide goals.
- - Build and manage high-value external relationships – Develop new partnerships with senior stakeholders, particularly in technically sophisticated and fast-evolving sectors, and support or lead engagement with major donors, foundations, and strategic partners.
- - Develop tailored partnership and funding strategies – Create bespoke engagement plans, pitch materials, and narratives that resonate with specific partners and unlock large-scale, funding opportunities.
- - Support high-stakes decision making and leadership engagement – Partner closely with senior leadership (including at CEO and Board level) to prepare for critical external meetings and gatherings.
Required Skills
- - Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.
- - 7+ years of experience in a fast-paced, high-performance environment (e.g., consulting, technology, startups, nonprofit fundraising, or related fields)
- - A track record of tenacious problem solving, taking ownership, and delivering results in ambiguous, high-stakes contexts
- - Strong cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to align senior stakeholders without formal authority
- - Experience shaping, securing, or supporting multi-million-dollar partnerships, investments, or strategic initiatives
- - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially for high-stakes, external-facing materials
- - Strong prioritization and self-management skills, with comfort operating across multiple workstreams
Benefits
- - A supportive team that works hard and cares hard
- - A robust health benefits plan (exact details will vary by country)
- - Flexible paid time off that staff is encouraged to take
- - Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development
About the company
GiveDirectly is a nonprofit organization that helps people living in extreme poverty by delivering unconditional cash transfers directly to recipients via mobile payments. Operating across countries including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Bangladesh, the DRC, and the United States, GiveDirectly enables governments, foundations, and individual donors to move resources efficiently and transparently to those who need them most. By using technology to identify recipients, deliver payments end-to-end, and rigorously measure impact through randomized controlled trials, GiveDirectly is reshaping international development—putting choice and agency in the hands of recipients while building one of the most scalable, evidence-driven models in global aid.
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