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.
Priority application deadline: July 1, 2025 (or until we have a critical mass of applications)
Location:
This role is fully remote but must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours.
We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time. About this role Tech encodes every aspect of GiveDirectly’s programs – from the way a field officer interacts with a potential recipient to collect enrollment data, to actually sending a recipient mobile money. We are making a big investment in our software for cash delivery, because we believe it can 8-10X how fast we can deliver our fastest programs, and improve quality and recipient experience throughout. We are seeking a
Product Lead, Cash Delivery Platform
to define and lead this platform. You will design systems and abstractions that shape our cash delivery, owning the roadmap across capabilities like survey building, eligibility & verification, fraud detection, payments, and case management. You will work closely with engineers, field operations, and research teams to design, build, and scale a system that ensures cash gets to the right recipients faster, more efficiently, more securely, and with better recipient experience. This is not an execution-focused feature-shipping role, or an iterative optimization role – this is a new role, and we’re looking for a leader who has had multiple repetitions defining products from the ground up, and a track record of creating clarity, scale, and reuse from messiness. Level: Director Reports To:
VP, Technology Travel : Must be willing to travel to program sites up to 1X per quarter for 1-2 weeks Responsibilities: Product Vision & Definition Define the long-term product vision for GiveDirectly’s cash delivery platform, cutting away historical complexity while building for future flexibility where needed Pair strong technical expertise with deep understanding of many users – including field officers, recipients, and technical program managers – to design the platform and its abstractions Strategic Roadmap & Prioritization Own the roadmap for platform capabilities like survey tooling, eligibility and KYC, fraud detection, payments, and case management Make high-leverage prioritization decisions across multiple product lines and internal teams Define and track success metrics for the platform Detailed Product Design & Execution Lead end-to-end product development from problem discovery and user requirements gathering to launch and iteration, hand-in-hand with engineering Partner with engineers to define robust abstractions and platform boundaries – ask the right questions, internalize technical tradeoffs between approaches, and shape coherent, scalable product logic Cross-functional Stakeholder Management Align diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders with competing priorities Collaborate with programs product leads, technical program managers, engineering, operations, and field teams to ensure that platform investments serve real, validated program requirements Qualifications: Exceptional alignment to GD values , passion for our mission, and commitment to recipient dignity and empowerment. 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. 8+ years of technical software product management, including multiple full-lifecycle "zero-to-one" builds High technical fluency — you should be able to engage deeply with engineers on architecture, APIs, and system design High empathy for non-technical users and an eye for UX Experience in a high ambiguity, low-structure environment — you create clarity, not wait for it Ability to collaborate inclusively with stakeholders across varied social, national, and cultural backgrounds, including communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders Analytical problem solver: looks at problems with analytical and iterative mindset, with strong framework for prioritization Bonus: experience working with users experiencing poverty, with low digital literacy, and/or low or no network connectivity 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.
Read more about our compensation philosophy
here
. The
United States
base salary for this role is $154,400. The Kenya base salary for this role is $120,000. This role is fully remote, so if you are not based in the US or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring process. 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) Flexible paid time off Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development #LI-REMOTE 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 theMisconduct 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. Interested in building your career at GiveDirectly? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job * indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Where are you currently based? (City, State [if applicable], Country) * How did you hear about this opportunity? * Select... Do you know, or are you related to, anyone at GiveDirectly? * Select... Why are you interested in this role at GiveDirectly? (400 words max) * You’re asked to “redesign the payment approval process.” No one can clearly articulate what’s wrong, or even why we do the process. How do you start? (400 words max) * What do you look for in engineers you work with? (4 sentences max) * AI Policy for Application: At GiveDirectly, we value authenticity and individuality in the hiring process. While we support using AI tools on the job, we ask that applications reflect your own ideas and personal experiences. This helps us better understand your unique skills, perspectives and passion for our mission. Please indicate “Yes” if you agree* * Select... We'd love to hear from you—not AI. Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in GiveDirectly’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Select... Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Voluntary Self-Identification of DisabilityForm CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026
Applying for this role is straight forward Scroll down and click on Apply to be considered for this position. Why are you being asked to complete this form? We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp . How do you know if you have a disability?
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
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This role is fully remote but must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours.
We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time. About this role Tech encodes every aspect of GiveDirectly’s programs – from the way a field officer interacts with a potential recipient to collect enrollment data, to actually sending a recipient mobile money. We are making a big investment in our software for cash delivery, because we believe it can 8-10X how fast we can deliver our fastest programs, and improve quality and recipient experience throughout. We are seeking a
Product Lead, Cash Delivery Platform
to define and lead this platform. You will design systems and abstractions that shape our cash delivery, owning the roadmap across capabilities like survey building, eligibility & verification, fraud detection, payments, and case management. You will work closely with engineers, field operations, and research teams to design, build, and scale a system that ensures cash gets to the right recipients faster, more efficiently, more securely, and with better recipient experience. This is not an execution-focused feature-shipping role, or an iterative optimization role – this is a new role, and we’re looking for a leader who has had multiple repetitions defining products from the ground up, and a track record of creating clarity, scale, and reuse from messiness. Level: Director Reports To:
VP, Technology Travel : Must be willing to travel to program sites up to 1X per quarter for 1-2 weeks Responsibilities: Product Vision & Definition Define the long-term product vision for GiveDirectly’s cash delivery platform, cutting away historical complexity while building for future flexibility where needed Pair strong technical expertise with deep understanding of many users – including field officers, recipients, and technical program managers – to design the platform and its abstractions Strategic Roadmap & Prioritization Own the roadmap for platform capabilities like survey tooling, eligibility and KYC, fraud detection, payments, and case management Make high-leverage prioritization decisions across multiple product lines and internal teams Define and track success metrics for the platform Detailed Product Design & Execution Lead end-to-end product development from problem discovery and user requirements gathering to launch and iteration, hand-in-hand with engineering Partner with engineers to define robust abstractions and platform boundaries – ask the right questions, internalize technical tradeoffs between approaches, and shape coherent, scalable product logic Cross-functional Stakeholder Management Align diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders with competing priorities Collaborate with programs product leads, technical program managers, engineering, operations, and field teams to ensure that platform investments serve real, validated program requirements Qualifications: Exceptional alignment to GD values , passion for our mission, and commitment to recipient dignity and empowerment. 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. 8+ years of technical software product management, including multiple full-lifecycle "zero-to-one" builds High technical fluency — you should be able to engage deeply with engineers on architecture, APIs, and system design High empathy for non-technical users and an eye for UX Experience in a high ambiguity, low-structure environment — you create clarity, not wait for it Ability to collaborate inclusively with stakeholders across varied social, national, and cultural backgrounds, including communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders Analytical problem solver: looks at problems with analytical and iterative mindset, with strong framework for prioritization Bonus: experience working with users experiencing poverty, with low digital literacy, and/or low or no network connectivity 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.
Read more about our compensation philosophy
here
. The
United States
base salary for this role is $154,400. The Kenya base salary for this role is $120,000. This role is fully remote, so if you are not based in the US or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring process. 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) Flexible paid time off Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development #LI-REMOTE 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 theMisconduct 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. Interested in building your career at GiveDirectly? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job * indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Where are you currently based? (City, State [if applicable], Country) * How did you hear about this opportunity? * Select... Do you know, or are you related to, anyone at GiveDirectly? * Select... Why are you interested in this role at GiveDirectly? (400 words max) * You’re asked to “redesign the payment approval process.” No one can clearly articulate what’s wrong, or even why we do the process. How do you start? (400 words max) * What do you look for in engineers you work with? (4 sentences max) * AI Policy for Application: At GiveDirectly, we value authenticity and individuality in the hiring process. While we support using AI tools on the job, we ask that applications reflect your own ideas and personal experiences. This helps us better understand your unique skills, perspectives and passion for our mission. Please indicate “Yes” if you agree* * Select... We'd love to hear from you—not AI. Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in GiveDirectly’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Select... Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Voluntary Self-Identification of DisabilityForm CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026
Applying for this role is straight forward Scroll down and click on Apply to be considered for this position. Why are you being asked to complete this form? We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp . How do you know if you have a disability?
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
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