US Disaster Response Program Manager

Job Description:

GiveDirectly has a goal to respond to all disasters that meet certain organizational thresholds for severity and scale (“Tier 1”). The Program Manager will play a key role in driving operations and improving GiveDirectly’s ability to respond to all Tier 1 disasters in the U.S.

Primary responsibilities of this role will include leading end-to-end project management, implementing operational and technical improvements, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, and managing field teams or other short-term staff. Managers may additionally be asked to support partnerships and fundraising through scoping, proposal and pitch development, report writing, and will occasionally own relationships with partners.

The Program Manager will work closely with the U.S. Disaster Response Senior Program Manager and the rest of the U.S. leadership team, as well as cross-functionally with programs, fundraising, and technology teams. We are looking for candidates that are highly independent and solutions-oriented, have experience driving operational excellence and improvement, and who thrive in fast-paced environments.

What you’ll do:

• Conduct daily monitoring and assessment of U.S. disasters, synthesizing data quickly and informing key stakeholders to support disaster response decision-making
• Lead day-to-day operations for individual disaster response programs, overseeing end-to-end project management as well as supporting the Senior Program Manager and the U.S. leadership team on other tasks as required
• Support with designing new and improved operational models for disaster response in the U.S., including assessing trade-offs of different design decisions (e.g. targeting, enrollment, payments)
• Identify and operationalize new technical platforms or partnerships, working closely with GiveDirectly’s technology and engineering teams
• Refine operational processes and playbooks to improve program efficiency
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to support program implementation and ensure operational excellence
• Define, track, and report operational and efficiency metrics, with an eye to managing to improvement
• Define project-level field staffing needs, oversee/drive recruitment, and directly manage field teams (e.g. help desk, enrollment teams) to deliver high-quality operations and programming

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.
• 3-4+ years of experience in a role focused on project management and/or problem solving. Prior experience working in cash assistance or humanitarian/emergency response is a plus.
• Ability to manage day-to-day operations while contributing to longer-term objectives and system improvements.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams, while holding a high quality bar.
• Analytical problem solving, with a strong framework for prioritization and ability to put structure and process to ambiguous problems.
• Strong technical skills, to evaluate, design, and manage new technical tools to improve program delivery.
• Strong communications skills, specifically in speaking, writing, presenting, and negotiating across multiple stakeholders.
• Enthusiasm for fast-paced environments, which may lack a pre-defined playbook for success.
• Fluency in English, with fluency in Spanish being 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.

Why work at GiveDirectly?

• 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)
• Flexible paid time off
• Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development

GiveDirectly 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.