Field Officer

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: Field Officer 

Location: Kiryandongo & Kampala

Reports to: Associate Field Manager 

Background: GiveDirectly (GD) provides cash grants directly to people living in extreme poverty. GD has raised over $800M since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.2 million recipients, and launched offices in 11 countries. We’re continuing expansion across the Global South. Over the past decade, GD has also supported large-scale, experimental research, expanding the evidence that cash has a positive short and long-term impact on  recipients. 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 continue to grapple with balancing inclusivity of all cultures and experiences while maintaining cohesion in our values. While there is much that we are still learning, we take care of one another, have fun, as well as provide flexible working hours wherever possible.

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, or any other status protected by law.

Overview: The Field Officer will play a critical day-to-day role in delivering GiveDirectly’s gold-standard cash transfer product to donors and recipients. The Field Officer will carry out and support a variety of field activities, depending on his / her team assignment and GiveDirectly’s needs on any given day. In short, the Field Officer will be responsible for executing the recipient surveys and associated processes that facilitate GiveDirectly’s unique cash transfer model, from enrollment of recipients, to following-up with recipients that have received their transfers. The role will reward high-quality judgment on operational questions and challenges, work ethic, communication skills, and a strong commitment to GiveDirectly’s mission and model.

Core responsibilities by team:

Census team

• Barazas: explain GiveDirectly’s program to entire villages prior to the census surveys; answer any questions. 
• Explain GiveDirectly’s program to eligible households 
• Meet with the village elder and guides to understand village boundaries  
• Coordinating with team members, visit every household in the village, excluding none 
• Complete census surveys using TaroWorks with accurate data 

Registration team 

• Provide cell phones and SIM cards as necessary
• Ensure someone in the household is ready to operate the phone to access transfers
• Identify and eliminate ineligible households 
• Complete surveys using Taroworks with accurate data 
• Reinforce information about GiveDirectly’s program to eligible households
• Explain safety and readiness information to recipients  
• Ensure someone in the household is ready to operate the phone to access transfers
• Identify and eliminate ineligible households 
• Complete surveys using Taroworks and Commcare with accurate data 

Follow-up team

• Follow up surveys: call recipients and administer a survey over the phone to confirm transfer receipt and collect data used to improve the program and uncover any recipient problems; in some cases, may need go to the field administer the follow-up survey 
• Hotline calls: answer the phone as recipients call in with questions or concerns, answering their questions and escalating any problems as necessary
• Registration problem resolution: for people who have not registered with mobile money or who have registered with the wrong name, call the recipients and advise them on how to register
• Adverse Events case management: identify, report, and escalate adverse events to team leader; examples include: intra-household conflict, rumors about GiveDirectly, reports of a bribe, etc. 

A Field Officer will be a member of one of these teams and may rotate between them depending on the organization’s needs.

Desired qualifications:

• Language requirement: Sudanese Arabic (mandatory). Other preferred languages: Juba Arabic, Dinka, Nuer.
• Previous working experience in Humanitarian sector ( at least 1 year) 
• Computer and mobile device data entry ability or experience (Taro works, commcare, Salesforce, Google suit package ) 
• Empathy, honesty, and the highest standards of integrity
• Strong interest in advancing the distinctive values and mission of GiveDirectly
• Patience and good judgment in resolving recipient problems 
• Possess at minimum a diploma and/or degree in relevant fields 
• Previous working experience in the field with vulnerable communities (1-2 years minimum)
• Physical fitness and ability to cope with difficult weather conditions or terrain

This is a field based role on a temporary project (2 months) and applications for this role will be processed on a rolling basis.

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!