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Senior Product Director, International Rapid Response

New York, NY

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 support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

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.

Priority Application Deadline: March 15, 2025

 

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Product Director, International Rapid Response to design, build, and scale GiveDirectly’s capabilities for delivering cash transfers in response to global crises, including natural disasters, displacement, and conflict. This role will sit within GD’s growing product team and work cross-functionally to develop and implement technology, operational processes, and partnerships that enable us to reach affected populations faster, more effectively, more transparently, and with greater dignity and agency than other forms of assistance.

 

Reports to: VP, Product

Level:  Senior Director

Travel Requirement: 10-20% (~1 week every 2 months) 

 

 

What you'll bring:

  • 7+ years of experience in product management, operations, or technology development, ideally within the humanitarian, fintech, or international development sectors.
  • Exceptional alignment to GD values
  • Strong understanding of the global disaster response and/or humanitarian landscape, including knowledge of key actors, gaps, and opportunities. 
  • Experience building tech products from MVP to production, and a demonstrated track record of working closely with engineers to solve technological innovations 
  • Deep curiosity about our programs and open-minded about areas to improve and drive quality
  • A track record for mobilizing resources (financial, human) around big ideas and opportunities (programmatic, research, etc)
  • Excellent altitude awareness - Product leads should be able to flex between big picture vision and “in the weeds,” data-driven problem solving
  • Excellent communication and project management skills, and be able to bring key stakeholders together around a common goal 
  • High discernment and conviction to make the hard decisions to say no to things and drive focus -- an exceptional product owner strips things down to the most core things to focus on
  • Experience using data to inform decision-making, and experience hands on with Excel and at least basic SQL strongly preferred.
  • Nice to have: Experience as a founder or early founding member of a startup

 

What you’ll do:

  • Develop and execute a product strategy for GiveDirectly’s humanitarian and rapid response initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and sector best practices.
  • Lead the design and iteration of products, including software and technical products - that facilitate efficient and equitable cash delivery in crisis settings, including data pipelines, targeting methodologies, verification solutions, and payment integrations.
  • Manage a small cross-functional team (including engineers and humanitarian specialists) and collaborate with programs, partnerships and research teams to pilot and scale innovative approaches for crisis response, leveraging mobile technology, geospatial data, and AI-driven decision-making
  • Define and validate high level business and functional requirements for tech solutions
  • Build partnerships with humanitarian organizations, donors, tech partners, and government agencies to enhance GD’s response capabilities and expand funding opportunities.
  • Establish and refine key performance metrics to assess the effectiveness and impact of rapid response programs.
  • Stay abreast of emerging trends and innovations in humanitarian aid, digital payments, and disaster response to continuously improve GiveDirectly’s approach.

 

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.

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.

 

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

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