Field Manager (Fixed Term Contract)

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. 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, dynamic 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.

The Field Manager (FM) will lead the field-based operations of GiveDirectly’s program in Migori County. The FM will manage all aspects of field implementation, including enrollment, stakeholder engagement, quality assurance, and risk mitigation, ensuring the project achieves its objectives. They will track field team performance, build a culture of mentorship and professional development, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. The FM will serve as the key “eyes and ears” on the ground for the Program Manager, regularly synthesizing field insights to inform strategy and problem-solving. The role is externally facing, requiring regular engagement with local government officials, partner organizations, donors, and GiveDirectly’s global team. It will reward exceptional people management, strong judgment in addressing operational challenges, and a deep commitment to delivering impactful and scalable service.

Responsibilities: 

Campaign Management

• Manage all aspects of field implementation, including recipient enrollment, community engagement, and service delivery.
• Develop and manage detailed workplans; set and deliver on clear, measurable targets such as the number of households enrolled, support provided, and overall program efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement of field operations and the overall recipient experience, using field feedback and data to refine processes.
• Over time, reduce dependence on senior management and create more leverage for the Country Director through capacity-building and delegation.

Vision & Critical Thinking:

• Contribute actively to the overall vision and strategic direction of the country office by engaging regularly with the Country Director in solving operational challenges.
• Develop, test, and refine protocols tailored to maternal and infant health priorities.
• Anticipate operational or programmatic risks and develop robust mitigation plans to address potential issues such as delays or coordination challenges.

People Management:

• Lead a performance-oriented culture with clear feedback, coaching, and mentorship.
• Hire, train, and manage field staff, with a focus on sensitivity to working with female recipients.
• Conduct performance reviews and build leadership capacity within the field team.
• Identify and support high-potential staff for rapid growth.

Stakeholder Management:

Work closely with the Program Manager and Government & External Relations Manager to:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the project implementing partners. 
• Represent GiveDirectly in subcounty stakeholder meetings, especially those involving maternal and child health programming.
• Ensure community engagement and buy-in through consistent communication, transparency, and inclusion of local leaders.
• Proactively identify and mitigate stakeholder-related risks to project delivery or community acceptance.
• Support the drafting and delivery of required reports, updates, and feedback loops to government and implementing partners with guidance from Project leads and the Government & External Relations Manager.

Data and Analysis:

• Use data tools to track project performance and guide operational decisions.
• Support the creation of data collection tools specific to maternal/infant health needs.
• Work with GD’s data team to troubleshoot and ensure timely, accurate reporting.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Oversee high-quality field data collection on key maternal and baby health indicators to track progress against program goals.
• Ensure data accuracy, completeness, and timely submission through close supervision and spot-checking of field processes.
• Generate reports that highlight key outcomes and recommend improvements.
• Build team capacity in MEAL practices with a focus on learning and adaptation.

Quality Management:

• Develop and implement quality management tools and protocols specific to the mothers and babies project.
• Conduct rigorous quality assessment through desktop analysis and field monitoring to ensure compliance with set standards and program metrics
• Develop regular and comprehensive quality reports and engage with the Program Manager in drawing appropriate, actionable steps
• Provide coaching to staff on quality expectations and best practices in maternal health outreach.
• Engage with other project leads to seek opportunities for continuous process improvement to enhance project quality and efficiency.

Safeguarding and Safe Programming

With support from the Safeguarding Manager, serve as the safeguarding focal point for the Mothers and Babies Project in Migori County. 

• Ensure all field activities are designed and delivered in a way that upholds recipient safety and protects vulnerable groups..
• Promote a culture of safety, dignity, and respect by ensuring that all field staff understand and adhere to GiveDirectly’s safeguarding policies and Code of Conduct.
• Support the Safeguarding manager in training, mentorship, and support to field teams to uphold the highest standards of safe programming.

Communication

• Meet the GD “bar” for online communication responsiveness via Slack, email, and phone
• Support consistent internal and external information flows, ensuring alignment between field operations and broader program strategy.
• Present complex information across verbal, written, and data formats in a way that is accessible and actionable for diverse audiences.

Support for Auxiliary Projects

• Support the Program Manager & Government & External Relations Manager in hosting donors, journalists, researchers and any other relevant stakeholders in the field.
• Assist with rolling out new tools or protocols, including community targeting approaches or health messaging apps.
• With the support of the content AFM, oversee the collection of project stories

Required Qualifications

• Degree, preferably in Public Health, Community Health and Development, Project Management, or a related field..
• 3 - 5 years of field team management experience, ideally in maternal and child health, sexual reproductive health and rights, or gender-focused programming.
• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated ability to develop and motivate teams.
• Experience working with government health structures and/or community health systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; proficiency in tools like Excel, Commcare, etc is required.
• Clear, effective communication and reporting skills.
• Ability to work independently in rural and resource-constrained environments.
• Demonstrated success in a high-performance culture with measurable impact.

Preferred:

• Experience working in Migori County or similar rural Kenyan contexts.
• Knowledge of maternal, newborn, and child health concepts (e.g. antenatal care, immunization, nutrition).
• Fluency in the local language (Dholuo) is an added advantage

Profile

• Exceptional ability to solve complex operational challenges in the field
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and team-player mentality
• Strong interest in being the engine of the day-to-day field work
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner, while effectively communicating about gaps and risks
• Strong relationship building skills and the ability to represent the organization effectively to external parties
• Analytical and technical skills, including intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. 

 

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.

Flagging for US applicants: 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!