Director, Mothers & Babies (Remote)

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) is reshaping international giving by providing cash grants directly to the world's poorest populations. The organization aims to establish cash transfers as the benchmark for foreign aid—similar to how index funds serve as benchmarks in the financial industry—and in doing so, accelerate the end of extreme poverty globally.

Since launching in 2011, GiveDirectly has raised over $1 billion and delivered cash to more than 2 million people across 15 different countries. The organization has been recognized as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, and the cash transfer movement—with GiveDirectly's leading role—has been featured prominently in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

About the Role

This is a full-time Director-level position reporting to the VP Product. The Director, Mothers & Babies will lead strategic initiatives focused on maternal and child health programs delivered through GiveDirectly's cash transfer model. This role combines program leadership, product strategy, and impact measurement to scale evidence-based interventions that directly improve outcomes for vulnerable mothers and children in extreme poverty.

The position requires genuine engagement with GiveDirectly's core mission and values. The organization deliberately centers the people it serves in all decision-making and strives to build an ambitious, dynamic, and high-performing environment. This role is ideal for someone who is energized by outcome-driven work, thrives in analytical and agile settings, and is committed to evidence-based humanitarian impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of the Mothers & Babies program portfolio, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and impact objectives
• Develop and implement product strategies that leverage cash transfers to address maternal and child health challenges in target markets
• Drive program design, testing, and iteration based on rigorous evidence and field learnings
• Manage cross-functional collaboration with operations, research, and product teams to scale successful interventions
• Own outcome measurement frameworks and ensure robust impact assessment and reporting
• Lead team development, hiring, and performance management for direct reports
• Partner with country operations teams across East Africa and other regions to ensure effective program implementation
• Engage with external stakeholders, donors, and research partners to advance the program's mission and impact

About You

You bring 8+ years of experience in program leadership, product management, or strategy roles within international development, nonprofit, or social impact organizations. You have a demonstrated track record of scaling programs, leading cross-functional teams, and driving results in resource-constrained environments.

You are deeply analytical and comfortable with evidence-based decision-making. You understand how to design programs for rigorous evaluation and continuously improve based on data. You have experience working in or with emerging markets and understand the complexities of delivering services in low-income contexts.

You combine strategic thinking with practical execution—equally comfortable with high-level strategy discussions and rolling up your sleeves on implementation details. You are mission-driven, genuinely believe in GiveDirectly's approach to poverty alleviation, and are energized by working in a candid, non-hierarchical culture.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in program leadership, product strategy, or related roles in international development or social impact
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams in complex, matrix organizations
• Strong analytical skills and comfort with quantitative data and research methodologies
• Experience designing, implementing, and scaling programs in low-income or emerging market contexts
• Excellent communication skills with ability to engage diverse stakeholders—from field teams to senior leadership to external partners
• Willingness to travel to program sites up to once per quarter for 1-2 weeks

Location & Work Arrangements

This role is fully remote but requires a minimum 3-hour daily overlap with East Africa timezone (UTC+3). GiveDirectly is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time, so candidates must already have work authorization in their location.

About GiveDirectly's Culture

GiveDirectly's global team spans 21 countries and 69 languages—approximately 150 staff at headquarters and 650 in country operations. The culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. The organization values high ownership, flexibility, mutual support, and professional growth opportunities. GiveDirectly deliberately recruits diverse talent, from software engineers to humanitarian workers, management consultants to researchers, creating an dynamic and high-performing environment.

The organization's values are central to everything it does. They genuinely center the people they serve in decision-making and strive to build an ambitious culture where all team members can thrive and succeed. This role is an excellent fit for candidates whose values align with this approach and who are energized by mission-driven, evidence-based work.

💰 Compensation not publicly listed. Market estimate for similar roles: from $200K, varying by experience and location.