Rwanda External Relations Lead

About 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. Team members bring experiences from the private sector, NGOs and government. 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, fast moving 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 actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and are constantly working to foster a workplace that supports diversity, and is truly inclusive in reality, not just intent. We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

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.

Job Title: External Relations Lead

We are seeking an experienced External Relations Lead (ERL) to join our dynamic team. As the ERL, you will be responsible for overseeing and managing various aspects of our organization's external communications and relations. You will play a pivotal role in shaping our organization's narrative, managing media relationships, producing compelling content, and driving successful marketing campaigns.

Responsibilities will include:

Narrative Control:

• Develop and implement strategies to shape and control the narrative surrounding our organization and its initiatives.
• Craft compelling messages and storytelling techniques to effectively communicate our mission, values, and key achievements to external stakeholders.
• Monitor media coverage and public sentiment, and propose ways to proactively address any misinformation or negative perceptions through strategic messaging.

In-Country PR:

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with local media outlets, journalists, and key influencers.
• Coordinate and execute public relations activities, including press releases, media interviews, press conferences, and media briefings.
• Collaborate with in-country teams to ensure consistent messaging and alignment with global communication strategies.

Media Selection:

• Identify and evaluate appropriate media channels for disseminating key messages and reaching target audiences.
• Develop media engagement strategies to maximize positive coverage and increase brand visibility.
• Monitor media trends and emerging platforms to stay ahead of the curve in utilizing new communication channels.

Content Production:

• Manage team in charge of creation and production of high-quality content, including press materials, articles, blog posts and social media content.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to develop engaging and impactful content that effectively communicates our organization's initiatives and achievements.
• Ensure all content is aligned with our brand guidelines and consistent in tone, style, and messaging.

Brand and Image Promotion (Marketing Campaign):

• Develop and implement comprehensive marketing campaigns to promote our organization's brand, image, and key initiatives.
• Collaborate with marketing and creative internal teams and external partners to develop compelling marketing tools, including advertisements, brochures, videos, and digital content.

Team management

• Ensure smooth department operations
• Clarify deliverables for all team members
• Oversee project management from start to finish
• Foster clear communication and accountability within the team

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or related field
• Experience in external relations, public relations, communications, or a related field.
• Proven experience in managing external communication strategies and media relations 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, engaging, and persuasive messages.
• Experience in content creation and media production, including writing, editing, and visual storytelling.
• Project management experience with a demonstrated ability to oversee multiple campaigns simultaneously, ensuring deadlines and objectives are met.
• Strong understanding of narrative control and crisis communication strategies.
• Expertise in developing media engagement strategies, including writing press releases, op-eds, and media briefings.
• Experience managing and mentoring a team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
• Adaptable to rapidly changing environments, with the capacity to navigate shifting priorities and unexpected crises proactively.
• Alignment with GD values (listed below)

GD Values:

• Recipients first - We prioritize recipient preferences over those of donors or ourselves.

• Team next - We do what’s best for organizational - not individual - success.

• Be proactively candid - We say what we believe, and are honest in sharing information.

• Create positive energy - We strive to be a source - not drain - of energy for our colleagues.

• Think rigorously; act quickly - We are intellectually rigorous with a drive towards action - not debate.

• Accept reality. Propose solutions - We do not dwell on problems. We work actively to create solutions.

• Be productively ambitious - We take the risks to pursue industry-changing success, not incremental progress.

• Know yourself and grow - We recognize and accept our imperfections with a focus on growth. 

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.

 

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 the Misconduct 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.

 

Interview Venue and Accessibility

We conduct interviews over Google Meet with camera on (unless communicated otherwise).

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.

 

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