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Program Manager, Technology Advisory

GiveDirectly

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 byFast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) has been featured in theNew York Times Magazine,This American Life,Foreign Affairs, andThe 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.

Location: This role is based in Lilongwe, Malawi. We are able to help qualified candidates relocate.

About this role

As critical technology like Digital Public Infrastructure evolves, governments around the world are modernizing the delivery systems they use for social protection programs, including unconditional cash transfers. We believe GiveDirectly has the technology and contextual expertise to support governments in their digital transformation journeys so that they can deliver cash transfers safely, reliably, and at scale.

In this role, you will work closely with government and non-government stakeholders in Malawi, including mobile network operators and the government units managing the Unified Beneficiary Registry (UBR) and the Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP). You will assess the government systems and processes to understand what additional investments are needed to operate cutting-edge poverty targeting mechanisms using the latest machine learning technology and modern APIs to transfer data between government systems securely. 

You will help build high-level understanding of key technologies in social protection through technical workshops for civil servants, government contractors, and seconded personnel with different levels of technological sophistication. You will lead government engagements from start to finish, wearing many hats: shadowing closely our central data team to understand the technical requirements for implementing targeting algorithms at scale; working alongside government partners to understand their technology systems and skills; and making recommendations for targeted improvements in their systems.

You excel at understanding and explaining technical concepts like data pipelines and machine learning algorithms. You are a project manager that is ready to knock on doors of policy makers to drive progress forward mindful of cultural nuances and with an eye towards the bigger picture. You are a systems thinker who is comfortable assessing risks and weighing short- and long-term tradeoffs. You love systematically picking apart complex issues to get to the root cause and drive fixes. You naturally take ownership and enjoy carving a path through ambiguity. 

 

 

This role is in-person based in Lilongwe, Malawi. Note that the existence of this role is contingent upon GiveDirectly successfully signing an award with an external funder. This is a contract role of 12 months with the possibility of extension based on funding availability

Reports to: Senior Manager, Technology Advisory

Level: Manager

Travel Requirement: Ability to travel ~3-4 times per year to other countries of operation for team retreats or field visits. Frequent travel to field locations during tech deployment.

What you’ll do:

  • Play a lead role coordinating between the GiveDirectly technology team and key stakeholders like telco operators and governments, ensuring timely execution of key activities like data-processing and training sessions. This work will be supported by the Senior Manager of Technology Advisory and the Senior Manager of External Relations
  • Assess the readiness of existing government social protection delivery systems and processes to incorporate cutting-edge technologies like machine learning
  • Assess the technical ability of different government departments to improve and deploy the technology tools used to target and deliver cash transfers. Compile findings in external-facing reports
  • Assess the data protection and privacy considerations of implementing novel technologies within governments for cash transfer delivery
  • Deliver technical trainings to government staff on novel targeting and delivery methods
  • Provide recommendations to government partners on concrete technology improvements to delivery systems

 

What you’ll bring:

  • Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in East and Southern Africa  or Malawi in particular.
  • Language Requirement: English
  • At least 5 years of professional experience (we welcome a range of skill sets and backgrounds; related fields could include product management, data analytics, technical/software project management, international development involving a significant technology component)
  • Experience managing projects involving data pipelining and aggregating datasets from multiple sources 
  • Experience understanding and explaining technical concepts like APIs, data pipeline tools like Airflow,  data validation, and version control
  • Intermediate experience with a programming language (like Python or Java). Note: this job requires being able to communicate to technical and non-technical audiences about technology, but it is not an engineering or data science job.
  • Experience effectively managing government bureaucracies and processes to drive progress
  • Experience managing external stakeholders, particularly policy makers and government officials in developing countries
  • Experience managing timelines, operational risk, and complex deliverables across workstreams
  • High attention to detail and ability to creatively think through how to validate data and code
  • Ability to collaborate inclusively with stakeholders across varied social, national, and cultural backgrounds, including communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Bonus but not required: experience in poverty targeting, social protection, delivery of digital cash transfers in emergency and non-emergency settings
  • Bonus but not required: fluency in Chichewa

Compensation

At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to ensure that staff’s total compensation package (base compensation + bonus)  falls within the 75th percentile of similar roles, at similar organizations. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. 

  • The Malawi base salary for this role is $60,000

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)
  • Unlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!)
  • Desk allowance and flexible work location

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.

 

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 [email protected]. 

 

**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.**

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