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GiveDirectly Seeks a Director, Mothers & Babies (Remote) | Apply Before May 1, 2026
- GiveDirectly is an international nonprofit organization focused on reducing extreme poverty through unconditional cash transfers.
- Since its founding in 2011, it has delivered more than $1 billion directly to over 2 million recipients across 15 countries.
- The organization is widely recognized for its evidence-based approach to humanitarian aid and its commitment to recipient dignity.
- Its operating model challenges traditional aid systems by prioritizing direct financial support rather than intermediary-driven interventions.
- It operates with a global, distributed workforce and maintains a strong culture of analytical thinking, transparency, and rapid iteration.
Position Summary: Director, Mothers & Babies
- The Director, Mothers & Babies leads a flagship product focused on improving maternal and newborn health outcomes through cash transfers.
- The role reports to the Vice President of Product and operates fully remotely, with required collaboration across East African time zones.
- It is a senior leadership position responsible for shaping strategy, overseeing execution, and driving cross-functional alignment.
- The Director works across multiple countries, integrating program design, research, partnerships, and fundraising into a unified initiative.
- The role is designed for a leader who can operate at both strategic and operational levels simultaneously.
Strategic Vision and Product Leadership
- The Director defines the long-term vision and strategy for the Mothers & Babies program.
- They translate broad organizational goals into clear annual and quarterly priorities.
- They establish and maintain core hypotheses regarding impact, feasibility, and scalability of the program.
- They design decision frameworks that clarify what must be tested, built, and scaled at each stage of development.
- They ensure that strategic focus is maintained by making disciplined go/no-go decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
Program Design and Recipient Experience
- The Director leads design decisions such as transfer size, frequency, and distribution mechanisms.
- They ensure that program delivery prioritizes dignity, safety, consent, and clarity for pregnant women and mothers.
- They refine program models based on operational feedback and real-world implementation challenges.
- They collaborate closely with field teams to identify gaps between intended design and actual delivery outcomes.
- They ensure that recipient experience remains central to all program decisions, especially given the sensitivity of maternal health contexts.
Delivery Systems and Partnerships
- The Director identifies and manages key partnerships with governments, NGOs, healthcare providers, and digital platforms.
- They define the operating model, determining which functions GiveDirectly should own versus delegate to partners.
- They establish clear accountability structures, data flows, and incentive systems across partner networks.
- They build scalable systems for recipient targeting, verification, enrollment, and payment delivery.
- They ensure operational reliability and consistency across multiple geographic contexts.
Learning Agenda and Evidence Building
- The Director designs and leads the program’s learning and evaluation strategy.
- They identify leading indicators and define what evidence is needed to support scaling decisions.
- They collaborate with research and monitoring teams to generate actionable insights, not just reporting metrics.
- They ensure findings are translated into program adjustments and strategic direction.
- They build a strong evidence narrative that supports both internal decision-making and external credibility.
- They ensure that evaluation pathways are rigorous enough to satisfy donors, policymakers, and institutional stakeholders.
Fundraising and External Positioning
- The Director plays a key role in shaping the program’s narrative for donors and external partners.
- They help articulate the value proposition of maternal cash transfers in a clear, evidence-based manner.
- They support fundraising teams in building donor pipelines and advancing strategic funding conversations.
- They engage with high-net-worth individuals, institutional funders, and potential government partners.
- They ensure that the program’s messaging is consistent, compelling, and grounded in verified evidence.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Execution
- The Director leads across multiple teams, including programs, research, technology, safeguarding, and partnerships.
- They operate without direct formal authority, relying on influence, credibility, and strong communication.
- They establish structured operating rhythms such as planning cycles, decision forums, and progress reviews.
- They ensure alignment across global teams working in different time zones and operational contexts.
- They escalate trade-offs to senior leadership when necessary while maintaining execution momentum.
- They foster a culture of accountability, learning, and high performance.
Success Metrics and Outcomes
- The program demonstrates measurable improvements in maternal and newborn health outcomes.
- Delivery systems are reliable, efficient, and scalable across multiple countries.
- There is strong and sustained donor interest supported by credible evidence.
- The cost structure is clearly defined, with a path toward improved efficiency at scale.
- A detailed expansion plan is developed for future growth into additional countries and contexts.
Candidate Profile and Qualifications
- The ideal candidate has at least eight years of experience in product management, global development, or program leadership.
- They demonstrate strong analytical thinking and the ability to operate in complex, ambiguous environments.
- They have experience leading cross-functional teams in multicultural and distributed settings.
- They are strong communicators, capable of synthesizing complex information for diverse audiences.
- They show a track record of driving impact without relying on formal authority.
- They demonstrate a strong commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Compensation and Work Environment
- The role offers competitive, location-adjusted compensation with performance-based bonuses.
- The organization provides flexible remote work arrangements and strong support for professional development.
- Employees benefit from a culture that emphasizes ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement.
- GiveDirectly prioritizes equity in compensation and does not allow negotiation to ensure fairness.
- The work environment is mission-driven, collaborative, and focused on measurable impact.
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