Director, Strategic Initiatives

GiveDirectly

. Build and prioritize a portfolio of external options to increase delivery capacity, ranking them by scale, speed, feasibility, and cost .

Posted 9/29/2026full-timeRemote • United States, United Kingdom, KenyaLead💰 $131,250 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong leadership in consulting, strategy, or operations, with a focus on building and prioritizing delivery capacity through data-driven decision-making and effective stakeholder communication. Proven ability to negotiate agreements and manage cross-functional teams in complex environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Director-Level ExperienceStrategic Decision-MakingNegotiation SkillsAnalytical SkillsStakeholder Communication

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Data AnalysisCompetitive SolicitationRFP DevelopmentCost-Effectiveness AssessmentOrganizational Due DiligenceImplementation PlanningPilot Program ManagementRecommendation DevelopmentEstimation BuildingCompliance Assessment

Soft Skills

Influencing SkillsClear CommunicationConcise ThinkingCross-Functional CoordinationLeadership by Example

Industry Keywords

Humanitarian DonorsINGO ConsortiaMobile Money PartnershipsTelco PartnershipsGrantmakingData-Sharing AgreementsLow-Income MarketsInfrastructure-Constrained MarketsChallenge FundsRegulatory Compliance

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Build and prioritize a portfolio of external options to increase delivery capacity, ranking them by scale, speed, feasibility, and cost
Conduct primary diligence through engagement with potential partners, regulators, and counsel, reaching defensible recommendations to advance or stop opportunities
Advance one or two priorities from evaluation through implementation and live pilot
Hold counterparty relationships and coordinate cross-functional internal work
Define and run competitive solicitations, including RFPs, selection criteria, and response evaluation
Lead engagement and negotiations with UN agencies, INGOs, mobile network operators, and government bodies through signed agreements
Produce analysis and written recommendations to support Executive team decisions on money and capacity allocation
Report to the Chief of Staff and work directly with the Executive team, Country Directors, and external partners

Requirements

What you’ll need

Director or Team Lead-level experience in consulting, strategy, or operations, in business or social impact contexts
Experience personally turning broad mandates into prioritized, pressure-tested options and recommendations
Experience translating ambiguous ideas into clear strategies with milestones and success metrics
Experience working without a playbook or assigned team
Experience influencing high-stakes strategic decisions
Strong analytical instincts and ability to use data to generate insights and drive decision-making
Ability to build comparable estimates for structurally different options and identify required conditions for success
Negotiation skills, including assessing institutional incentives and compliance requirements
Ability to communicate clearly and directly with senior stakeholders using concise, well-structured thinking
Ability to embody and set an example for GiveDirectly values
Additional experience areas are interested in but not required: humanitarian or institutional donors, UN agencies and INGO consortia, mobile money, telco or payments partnerships, grantmaking, organizational due diligence, cost-effectiveness assessments, challenge funds, competitive solicitations, data-sharing and data-protection agreements, and low-income or infrastructure-constrained markets
Successful safeguarding and pre-hire screening may include previous-employer misconduct checks, reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens

Benefits

Comp & perks

United States benefits stipend: $21,393 per year
United Kingdom benefits stipend: £2,760.00
Kenya benefits stipend: $8,454
Bonus target: 15%
Referral reward of $3,000 for a Senior Manager or above role, and $500 for a Manager role, paid if the referral is hired
Professional growth opportunities
Reasonable accommodations during the application/interview process and to perform essential role functions