Chief of Staff, Programs

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash 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 it on evidence-free interventions. 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, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations -- it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, dynamic and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow. We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

Level: Director

Location:

• Regular working hours include 11 am EAT to 7 pm EAT.
• Strong preference to be based in Sub Saharan Africa, ideally in Nairobi, Lilongwe, Maputo, Kigali, Kampala, Maputo, or Goma.

Role Overview

GiveDirectly is looking for a systems-minded Chief of Staff to help the VP Programs and senior programs leadership drive forward our most important priorities. This person will operate as a force multiplier—bringing structure to complexity, optimizing executive focus, and leading special projects that unlock impact across country offices and global teams.

If you're someone who thrives in ambiguity, excels at building streamlined systems (bringing order to chaos), and loves solving high-leverage problems through data, strategy, and collaboration—this role offers an extraordinary opportunity. You’ll gain exposure to high-level decision-making and drive initiatives that shape how GiveDirectly delivers cash to recipients worldwide.

What we’re looking for

Operational & Execution Excellence

• You have a track record of executing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• You create clarity, structure, and accountability—ensuring decisions turn into actions.
• You have previous experience working or living in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 8+ years of relevant experience e.g. implementing projects in last mile, low resource contexts; managing operations across multiple sub-saharan country contexts; management consulting; organizational design

High Tolerance for Ambiguity

• You operate well with limited direction, continuously refining scope and approach.
• You seek stakeholder input, ask smart questions, and “figure it out” with minimal or no hand-holding.
• You are constantly prioritizing to stay focused on the highest-leverage efforts.

Strong Communication & Influence

• You write clearly and concisely, and can synthesize complex topics for diverse audiences.
• You are skilled at managing up, aligning teams, and facilitating productive conversations.
• You know how to build understanding, buy in, and participation across multicultural teams with different ways of working.

Analytical & Strategic Judgment

• You’re a master at data analysis and insights synthesis
• You have strong presentation and process mapping skills.

Tools & Tech Proficiency

• You’re a pro with Google Suite, Slack, Google Slides, Google Sheets, and project management tools such as Asana and Jira

Values

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values

Bonus

• Familiarity with GiveDirectly’s cash program models or similar
• Comfort with Salesforce

What you will do

Build scalable systems and processes

• Map current workflows across countries and global departments
• Design and implement streamlined, fit-for-purpose ways of working
• Develop documentation, templates, and tools that enhance programs execution, coordination, and effective and prompt resource allocation

Optimize programs department effectiveness

• Streamline decision-making, manage competing priorities, and serve as a strategic thought partner
• Draft materials, prepare presentations, and analyze data
• Build clarity and alignment across the department
• Ensure effective follow-through on high-priority initiatives

Lead special projects

• Take on high-stakes, time-bound initiatives that cut across teams
• Example projects: creating cross-country workplan templates, facilitating all-CDs meetings, consolidating process data, process mapping, and advancing harmonization across offices

Drive departmental operating rhythms

• Lead the planning, facilitation, and follow-up of key meetings and retreats so that they are high value for the organization and for participants
• Own goal-tracking systems and unblock progress through collaboration and coordination
• Run periodic surveys to surface priorities and pain points across teams

Oversee internal communications

• Manage communications strategies and execution for programs leadership
• Ensure clear, timely, and values-aligned updates that build transparency and trust across country offices

Travel

• 1x per quarter and/or as needed

Compensation

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.

• The United States base salary for this role is $128,000.
• The Kenya base salary for this role is $101,221.
• The UK base salary for this role is £ 87,500.

If you are not based in the US, UK or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring process.

Working at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Flagging for US applicants: We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, 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 sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment issues relating to potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

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.

These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we serve, and prevent harm to our recipients.

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our GiveDirectly-Candidate-Application-Guide">Candidate Application Prep Guide!