Program Manager, External Relations

Background

GiveDirectly is driving a re-evaluation of the assumptions underlying international philanthropy with a provocative model: we deliver donations directly to the extreme poor and let them decide what to do with them. This approach builds on two converging trends: the rapid spread of electronic last-mile payments solutions in the emerging markets, and the large body of experimental evidence showing that direct transfers are as or more cost-effective at reducing poverty than more traditional, top-down approaches. GiveDirectly’s field operations utilize state-of-the-art technology and business processes to deliver transfers securely, efficiently, and transparently. Our unorthodox approach – allowing the poor, and not the donor, to choose where they invest – has prompted debate in the popular press and among policy makers. GiveDirectly has been featured on NPR’s This American Life, and in Foreign Affairs, The Economist, and The New York Times. It was named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Finance by FastCompany, one of the 25 Most Audacious Companies by Inc., and one of GiveWell’s top-rated charities for 4 years running.

Program Manager, External Relations – Job Description

Stakeholder Management

• Develop relationships with national and local government officials to improve GiveDirectly’s cooperation with the government and build allies and champions for GiveDirectly.
• Track priority and health of our relationships and proactively design new strategies to improve our engagement with stakeholders.
• Represent GiveDirectly at national events and meetings at the national and local level.
• Support GiveDirectly’s expansion into new areas through securing national and local government approvals.
• Manage internal and external communication on sensitive issues relating to our program.
• Manage complex discussions with national and local government officials.
• Develop concise reports for national and local government officials.
• Ensure reporting to government partners, and communicate important issues and recommendations from the government to GiveDirectly and vice versa.
• Provide support to field teams that guarantees adherence to national and local government guidance and protocols.
• Identify possible future risks and areas of non-alignment and work with different teams to implement preventative actions.

External and Media Relations

• Craft external media or government-facing talking points and messaging for various GiveDirectly projects.
• Develop strong relationships with key members of the local and national Malawian media, including bloggers and other influencers.
• Source story ideas from across GiveDirectly projects and translate them into compelling and effective content for media pitches.
• Serve as a liaison between the communications team in NYC and local program team, both proactively and reactively (i.e. regular calls and document sharing with the Comms team, as well as being the primary point of contact if an incident should occur which requires media outreach).
• Work closely with the Program Manager Operations to monitor Community relations risks and provide mitigation alternatives that cushion GiveDirectly from reputational and existential risks.
• Monitor social media and online media data to ensure that the right messaging around the organization is being delivered. Liaise with the internal audit team on any risks flagged from field investigations that have program or Government relations risk.

Fundraising and Partnerships management

• Partnering with funders and operations teams to design core program parameters for proposals and communicate them effectively.
• Developing high quality, brand-accurate core content for the organization, including one pagers, proposal FAQs, standard pitch decks, templates etc.
• Managing ongoing grant agreements (reporting and compliance requirements) in collaboration with the compliance team.
• Providing pitch materials for management team outreach to potential funders.
• Contributing to GiveDirectly’s growing fundraising pipeline and tracking performance against ambitious fundraising goals.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in a relevant field
• 4-6 years experience in the development sector
• Demonstrated success in a high-performance work environment
• Strong interest in advancing the values and mission of GiveDirectly
• Exceptional communication (written and verbal), organizational, and analytical skills
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization. Experience with key donors such as USAID and FCDO is preferred
• Detailed understanding and demonstrated experience working with national level government officials in Mozambique
• Experience working with and representing organisations to national media
• Ability to approach tasks with resourcefulness and to work in a highly self-directed manner

***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.

***Givedirectly DOES NOT request for money during any stage of the recruitment process, if anyone claiming to represent the organisation requests money from you please report them to [email protected]

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.

About the hiring process

Format: The hiring process follows the same general outline for all open roles:

First interview (30 mins) Take home skills assignment (~2 hours) Second interview (1 hour)* Third interview (1 hour)* Final interview (1 hour) Reference checks (30 mins each)

*For some roles, second & third interviews are combined into a panel interview. If there are adjustments or variations on this process, those changes will be communicated during the first interview.

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 [email protected].

**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.**

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How to apply

If this sounds like you, please apply through this link: https://grnh.se/36bae5565us