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Position: US Programs Director

Reports to: Senior Country Director

Level: Director

Location: This role is fully remote with an option to work from our New York City office. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

Travel Requirement: Up to 15% domestic travel

Compensation: $128,000 annually and the potential for a bonus. At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to ensure that staff’s total compensation package (base compensation + bonus) falls within the 75th percentile of similar roles, at similar organizations. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles.

About this role

GiveDirectly has worked in the US since 2017, and has committed over $280M in direct cash to low-income Americans. We are looking for a committed team lead who is driven by operational excellence, has an instinct for risk management, and who brings experience in compliance, hiring, and people and program management.

Since launching US operations in 2017, GiveDirectly has led five record-setting hurricane responses, the world’s largest privately funded COVID relief program, and three of the U.S.’s largest guaranteed income programs – committing more than $280M in direct cash to low-income Americans. We are looking for a committed team lead who can ensure excellent operational delivery across multiple contemporaneous programs; track and mitigate risks across domains including compliance, legal, and operations; and build and manage a high-performing team in alignment with GiveDirectly values.

The US Programs Director is responsible for two main workstreams:

1. Supporting the US program team in executing high quality, compliant programs, with an eye towards proactive risk identification and mitigation.

2. Overseeing all US-based organizational operations, including US office management and procurement.

In this capacity, the US Programs Director will serve as the US program teams liaison to global Compliance, Internal Audit, People/HR, and Finance teams. They will support US Senior Managers to build, execute, and manage projects in line with global standards for these functions. They will work closely with the US Country Director, who sets the team strategy and leads fundraising, to inform program design and meet project deliverables.

We’re looking for candidates who will be based in the United States and willing to travel domestically as needed. You must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application; we are unable to sponsor international candidates for this position.

What you’ll do:

Program Operations

• Responsible for creating robust systems to support a diverse set of projects, programs, and funding sources, and setting and maintaining standards to ensure operational excellence across delivery

• Supports Senior Managers to identify and evaluate strategic and operational risks across programs, and ideate and execute strategies to mitigate risk

• Serve as analytical support and thought partner, assisting team in clearing hurdles and bottlenecks to execution

• Leads internal program management coordination with global programs

Risk and Compliance

• Understand legal and regulatory context enough to be GD first line of defense, with support of the Human Resources Manager and lead on these topics (e.g. registration, labor law, tax compliance, data protection), with strong understanding when to call upon in country lawyer or global. Has enough experience and context to push back on global if global not appropriate for local context.

• Oversee procurement and ensures compliance

• Track and manage country-level risk framework, including identifying and implementing risk mitigation strategies

Budgeting and Planning

• Work closely with Country Director, Senior Managers, partnerships team, and global Finance to set annual goals/targets, develop annual budgets, and create/maintain annual workplans

• Supports senior managers to review project BvAs; Accountable for programs BvAs

• Manage live work plans and country budgets, incorporating new projects and activities when they come online.

Office Management

• Responsible for all aspects of US office management, including procurement/lease renewal, registration

• Support and provide oversight over the human resources manager

Team Management and Coordination

• Directly manage US Senior Managers, and lead the larger US team that includes US Associate(s)/Manager(s). Serve as a representative of the US team internally with executive management.

• Support the CD to build a strong team culture rooted in GD’s values. Cultivate and grow exceptional talent.

• With CD, plans and costs current and future country organograms. Engages proactively and constructively with RD and global on how to line up in country vision with any global constraints/priorities/need for coordination with global teams.

• Works with HRM to leverage barometer for effective TeamNext action planning that most effectively benefits the whole team (not just direct reports).

• Lead internal coordination with the Internal Audit, Compliance, Finance, and Programs verticals.

• Responsible for identifying need for and justifying any additional US operations support, e.g. office/administrative assistants.

What you’ll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.

• Language Requirement: English

• Language Preferences: Additional languages preferred

• 10+ years of relevant experience - e.g. in non-profit country management, organizational leadership, partnership development, program management, social entrepreneurship or consulting - with a track record of demonstrated excellence and increasing responsibility

• Advanced partnership capabilities, including new business, negotiation, and consortium management

• Strong understanding of the US cash and poverty reduction space, including an understanding of US safety net and welfare programs and policy

• Demonstrated ability to lead and set strategic vision at a national level

• Team management experience, including hiring and building teams

• Outstanding relationship management abilities, including ability to represent GiveDirectly at the highest levels

• Exceptional communications skills: written and verbal, including with senior audiences

• Strong organizational and/or project management skills

• A high degree of autonomy and resilience

• Problem solver: you look at problems with an analytical and iterative mindset, with a strong framework for prioritization. You can run robust analyses to inform management and programming decisions

• Alignment with GiveDirectly Values, including the ambition to pursue industry-changing success

• Active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.

• Ability to travel ~1-2 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or field visits

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

• A demonstrated commitment to helping all staff develop and grow

• A competitive salary, including bonus

• A robust health benefits plan (exact details will vary by country)

• Unlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!)

• Desk allowance and flexible work location