Back Senior Manager of Operations

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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 $700M in revenue (>$300M 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 (operations across 9 countries in Africa as well as the U.S., >$300M transferred to over a million individuals, 15 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 collaborative, global team. Joining GiveDirectly means the opportunity to work alongside individuals from 21 countries who speak 69 different languages. Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and fast-paced. We value ability, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. We’re actively working towards an equitable and inclusive environment for all team members, and seek candidates who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our organization. We recruit from organizations across all industries: our team has backgrounds in start-ups, government, consultancies, investment banks, nonprofits, and more.

Job Description:

Role Overview: GiveDirectly is in an exciting period of growth and is looking to bring on a number of Senior Managers to both lead programming across the countries in which we operate, as well as establish operations in new countries. The Senior Manager role will be the primary leader and designer of operations on their respective teams. In this role, you will be crucial in developing opportunities for new business, building partnerships, and designing, launching, and managing new programs. This is an opportunity to drive impact and innovation in the cash sector at a time when cash is receiving unprecedented attention and interest in the public eye.

The Senior Manager, DRC is a key managerial role in GiveDirectly’s field operations, with significant responsibility to recruit and manage a large team and deliver millions of dollars to poor households annually. In certain cases, Senior Managers help to drive GiveDirectly’s function as a laboratory for innovation in cash transfer (CT) delivery, by advancing projects aimed at addressing key policy and design questions (do CTs generate impact where market access is limited? how can CTs be delivered in settings with no payments infrastructure?). The Senior Manager will also liaise closely with tech and data teams to create surveys, update information in Salesforce, and collect data for reporting. The role rewards exceptional instincts on team management, a highly autonomous work style, and the ability to apply creative solutions to challenging operational questions. Senior Manager, DRC candidates will be based in Goma and must be fluent in French (additional Swahili fluency preferred).

Responsibilities:

End-to-end project management

• Own a rich project management plan and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure successful end-to-end execution
• Design operational models for new programs, including assessing trade-offs of different design decisions (e.g. targeting, payments, customer service)
• Define, track, and report operational and efficiency metrics
• Dynamically identify operational vulnerabilities (e.g. fraud, brand risk etc) and create solutions to de-risk
• Directly supervise multi-layered teams whose responsibilities include field team hiring and management, operations quality assurance, and business diligence support

New business development

• Ideate, evaluate, and drive new program opportunities, driving end-to-end deal cycle from pitching to launch
• Scope new markets, including operational diligence, feasibility, and risk assessments for pilots and inbound proposal
• Identify and pursue fundraising opportunities for new programs
• Collaborate with partnerships team to create content to drive donor conversations and position GiveDirectly as a leader in the global cash space

Project and People Management

• Lead cross-functional project teams, managing internal stakeholders and ensuring strong delivery of projects.

• Directly manage one or more Managers to deliver high-quality operations and programming

• Create a strong team culture rooted in GD’s values. Cultivate and grow exceptional talent.

• Establish and maintain high-quality relationships with donors and operational partners

• Drive communication and alignment across a variety of internal and external stakeholders including GD senior management, donors, operational partners, researchers, and payment providers

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong interest in advancing the values and mission of GiveDirectly
• 4-7+ years of work experience in a problem-solving heavy role (field management, consulting, analytics)
• Exceptional ability to work analytically through complex operational questions & run robust analyses to inform management and programming decisions
• Strong communications skills, including speaking, writing, presenting, and negotiating across diverse audiences
• Enthusiasm for fast-paced environments, which may lack a pre-defined playbook for success and involve significant “learning by doing”
• Ability to approach tasks with resourcefulness and to work in a highly self-directed manner
• Ability to manage day-to-day operations while simultaneously building more robust, efficient systems
• Experience and high comfort level working in developing-country or high-risk settings

Why work at GiveDirectly?

At GiveDirectly, we work to ensure that you have everything you need to excel in your role and on your team, including:

• A positive and supportive team with opportunities for advancement and commitment to helping all staff develop and grow
• A competitive salary
• A monthly benefits allowance that covers Health, Dental, and Vision monthly premiums
• Unlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!)
• Desk allowance and flexible work location

**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.

NOTE: Applications are considered on a rolling basis.

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