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Country Director, Malawi

Lilongwe, Malawi

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) provides cash grants directly to people living in extreme poverty. Since launching in 2011, GD has raised over $1B, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million recipients, launched operations in 15 countries, and continues to expand its reach across the Global South. GD has also grown the research base supporting unconditional cash with 20 randomized control trials from its programs, generating rigorous evidence across countries and contexts. 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) has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and agile. We work alongside 750+ individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. Team members at GiveDirectly attest that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but a fundamental part of our culture and values. We actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and use DEI as a lens in our hiring practices, programs, and initiatives. Our goal is to maintain a workplace where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and feel valued and respected for who they are. We strive to be inclusive of all cultures and experiences while upholding our values globally. In the spirit of our "Know Yourself and Grow" value, we recognize there is always room to improve our team's working experience. But day to day, we aim to "Create Positive Energy" - we take care of one another, have fun, aim to maximize flexibility and accessibility in roles, and pursue professional development opportunities to stay challenged & engaged in our work. 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Role Overview: 

You will lead all aspects of the GiveDirectly Malawi country office, including building, fundraising, developing, and executing the Malawi country strategy.  You will lead the program teams, fundraising, and external relations to achieve short-term goals (i.e., funding targets and annual KPIs) as well as drive long-term growth. You will be able to draw on resources from the partnerships, data & tech, finance, and operations verticals but will ultimately be accountable to recipients and donors for delivering a gold-standard product. We are particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated success driving growth, building strong teams, and strong project management. 

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced professional hungry for their next big challenge. The ideal candidate is motivated, a big-picture thinker, innovative, passionate about addressing poverty in Malawi, and not afraid to roll up her or his sleeves to get the job done. 

Reports to: Regional Director 

 

What you'll do: 

Program Management - 50%

  • Ensure operational excellence across all programs.
  • Backstop, manage, and guide an operations team in overcoming challenges, staying on schedule, and delivering quality results. 
  • Be accountable for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with recipient experience and operational efficiency. 

Fundraising/Partnership Development - 30%

  • Develop and maintain strong strategic partnerships with donors, including private foundations, government agencies, and individual donors, to secure funding for GiveDirectly programs.
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the Malawi office and own revenue targets, drive opportunities, and maintain a robust pipeline to sustain year growth.
  • Design ambitious cash transfer programs and accompanying budgets.
  • Represent GiveDirectly to the public, media, government, and other stakeholders and serve as the organization's spokesperson in the Malawi office.
  • Work with the global fundraising team to develop compelling fundraising materials and messages that resonate with donors in Malawi.
  • Lead the country team in developing and implementing fundraising activities, such as events and campaigns, to raise awareness and support for GiveDirectly's work.
  • Work with national and local government officials to secure permissions for maintenance and expansion of programs.
  • Communicate about GiveDirectly to donors, the media, and other partners. 

Team Management - 10%

  • Motivate and coach a large team, including direct management of the country management team. 
  • Build the capacity of managers at all levels by ensuring they have clearly defined metrics for success, regular feedback on progress, and exciting growth opportunities. 
  • Promulgate practices and norms that animate GD’s core values. 
  • Take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and security of the GD team. 
  • Identify key areas in need of hiring/redundancy planning and buffer to increase the resiliency of the team.

 Strategic Planning - 5%

  • Lead strategic planning for GiveDirectly in Malawi.
  • Set and manage towards country goals that create a roadmap for our success in Malawi. 

Internal Audit - 5%

  • Collaborate with GiveDirectly’s Recipient Safeguarding and Advocacy team to prevent misconduct and protect our recipients, including designing appropriate controls. 
  • If necessary, provide leadership and oversight of investigations of alleged misconduct, ensuring zero tolerance for fraud and best-in-class safeguarding standards. 

 

Required Skills and Experiences 

  • 10+ years of relevant experience - e.g., in non-profit country management, organizational leadership, partnership development, program management, social entrepreneurship, or consulting - with a track record of demonstrated excellence and increasing responsibility.
  • Experience leading government and external stakeholder partnerships. 
  • Proven track records of securing significant funding from major institutional and trust donors (e.g. USAID, FCDO, World Bank, or EU) and/or private sector sources.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and set strategic vision at a national level.
  • Enthusiasm for fast-paced, innovative environments while maximizing the long-term sustainability of the GiveDirectly country presence. 
  • Team management experience, including hiring and building teams.
  • Outstanding relationship management abilities, including representing GiveDirectly at the highest levels. 
  • Exceptional communication skills: written and verbal, including with senior audiences 
  • Strong organizational and/or project management skills. 
  • A high degree of autonomy and resilience. 
  • Problem solver: you look at problems with an analytical and iterative mindset, with a strong framework for prioritization. You can run robust analyses to inform management and programming decisions. 
  • Alignment with GiveDirectly Values, including the ambition to pursue industry-changing success.
  • Active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem-solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. 

 

Desired Skills and Experiences 

  • Experience working in Malawi and understanding of the Malawi context is highly desired. 

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, as well as candidates from underrepresented genders, ethnicities, and other groups. You can read more about our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts here. 

 

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 
  • A monthly benefits allowance that covers health, dental, and vision monthly premiums
  • Unlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!) 
  • Desk allowance. 

 

**GD is committed to observing all local, national, and international laws that protect children, vulnerable adults, and the 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.**

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.

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength diversity brings to the workplace. 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.

US applicants only:  We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.

 

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 careers@givedirectly.org. Please include the word "Accessibility" in the email title.

**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.**

 

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!

 

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