US Programs and Partnerships Manager
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 and delivered cash to more than 2 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, span 21 different countries and 69 languages. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, 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 high ownership, flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.
Location: Remote, US
This role is fully remote. Travel requirements are outlined below. This role is remote with a strong preference for candidates based in Michigan, US. We will also consider applicants based in other U.S. locations. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. at this time.
About This Role
Rx Kids is a universal, unconditional cash prescription program providing $1,500 during pregnancy and $500/month for the first year of a child's life—to every expecting parent and infant in an Rx Kids community. Launched in Flint, Michigan in partnership with Michigan State University, Rx Kids has generated rigorous evidence and is now expanding to new states.
GiveDirectly is hiring a Program and Partnerships Manager to support this expansion. The role spans the full arc of expansion: conducting analysis and building the case for a new geography, cultivating the funders and state partners needed to make it happen, and supporting operational launch once a commitment is secured. You will work directly with the Program Director, exercise independent judgment across complex workstreams, and represent GiveDirectly externally in select conversations.
The right candidate brings both analytical rigor and strong relationship instincts—equally at home in a spreadsheet, in a room with a funder or state official, and in conversation with the parents we serve. You operate well without a playbook, move fast when the moment calls for it, and hold the details without losing sight of the strategic picture.
What You'll Do
This role’s responsibilities are expected to evolve over time; as new opportunities come on board, you may quickly move from responsibilities that span research, collateral and content creation, and partnership development, to a near-full-time focus on program launch and implementation.
Research & Landscape Analysis
- Conduct county-level research for priority states, synthesizing data on poverty, birth rates, infant mortality, and Medicaid coverage to identify highest-need geographies and model program costs from government and public health datasets
- Research and map the stakeholder landscape in new states, identifying those aligned with maternal and child health, early childhood, or unconditional cash
Partnership Development
- Track multi-state pipeline across prospect, active, and committed stages—flagging risks and identifying next steps to maintain momentum
- Build and maintain briefing materials, contact lists, and workplans across a multi-state pipeline
- Support the Program Director in preparing for external meetings—drafting agendas, preparing background research, and developing presentation materials
- With the Program Director and Fundraising Manager, draft concept notes, funder briefs, meeting follow-ups, and proposals tailored to specific audiences
- Take independent responsibility for exploratory conversations, including inbound interest from new geographies, maintaining warm relationships and ensuring timely follow-through
Program Launch & Operations
- As new sites move toward launch, support operational planning: developing staffing plans, marketing efforts, enrollment plans, and program design adaptations in coordination with internal teams and external partners
- Lead identification, selection, and onboarding of local community partner organizations, build and maintain those relationships, and oversee their work in support of program goals
- Lead hiring for site-level associates
- Serve as a bridge between the Program Director, Rx Kids Michigan team, and on-the-ground site staff during critical launch phases
- Lead adaptation of GiveDirectly's technology platform and processes for new sites, identifying needed configuration changes and seeing them through to implementation
- Own budgets, workplans, and timelines across active expansion efforts, proactively flagging risks and proposing adjustments
Contracting & Agreements
- Support execution of data sharing agreements, grant agreements, and MOUs as commitments are secured, drafting, routing for review and approval, following up to keep processes moving, and negotiating as needed
- Provide substantive review of agreements, flagging issues and ensuring alignment with Rx Kids program principles
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.
- 3–5 years of experience managing multiple workstreams with limited supervision, ideally spanning both programmatic and partnerships responsibilities
- A track record of getting things off the ground: you can take a new initiative from concept to execution, anticipate blockers, and keep things moving when there's no clear playbook
- Strong critical thinking and judgment — you ask the right questions, synthesize information quickly, and make sound decisions with incomplete information
- Comfort working with data, including an ability to ask the right questions, work with inconsistent or incomplete datasets, and translate findings into clear outputs
- Strong organizational instincts - you build systems, maintain them, and proactively surface when something is at risk
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to represent GiveDirectly externally with professionalism
- Ability to rapidly reprioritize based on shifting circumstances. You move toward the highest-impact opportunity without losing track of the longer-term pipeline.
- Experience in or familiarity with maternal/child health, early childhood policy, cash, or a related domain is a plus
- Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in other languages is a plus
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 base salary for this role is $94,700 USD / annually.
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
Read more about our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts here and about our decision to move our central support teams to remote first here.
Venue: We conduct interviews over Google Meet with camera on (unless communicated otherwise).
Accessibility: Closed captioning is available during all Google Meet interviews, and interviewers will also post interview questions in the chat box throughout the call. If you need assistance accessing either of these features, please let your interviewer know at the start of your interview!
We’re committed to running an inclusive and accessible application process for all of our open roles. If there are questions or concerns you have about the accessibility of our hiring process, we warmly invite you to reach out to careers@givedirectly.org.
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 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. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.
These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we work with, and prevent abuse to our recipients and staff.
**GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect people and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance when it comes to preventing, reporting, or responding to any form of abuse or exploitation.” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.**
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 careers@givedirectly.org with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.
Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!