The posting
About GiveDirectly
What if the most effective way to fight poverty was also the simplest: give people money and trust them to decide what they need?
Since 2011, GiveDirectly has proven that idea at scale. We’ve delivered more than $1B in cash directly to 2+ million people living in poverty and crisis across 15 countries, and rigorous research shows the results: healthier kids, stronger businesses, sturdier homes, and more resilient families and local economies. Cash is now widely recognized as one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid.
Our ambition goes beyond our own programs. We want cash to become the benchmark for aid, much as the index fund became the benchmark for investing, so that every aid dollar is held to one question: is this doing more good than giving the money directly to people living in poverty?
We’re growing fast, and this is a rare and important moment to join.
We expect to hit $1B in revenue in 2026 with significant growth forecast for 2027. At the same time we are building a new technology stack and operating model designed for a roughly 10x change in scale, and we are actively pursuing partnerships with major funders to move even more money in bigger ways, to people who need it. We are known for our extensive integration of technology into field processes; our quantitative approach to performance measurement; and our commitment to rigorous, independent, experimental evaluation of our impact, with multiple Randomized Control Trials completed and others in progress.
How we work
Our team spans 20+ countries and 69 languages. Our culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical. We expect high ownership and give people real responsibility early. Our values are central to how we hire, work, and grow, and they are deliberately opinionated:
- Recipients first. Recipients’ preferences come before those of donors or ourselves.
- Team next. We optimize for organizational success, not individual success.
- Be proactively candid. We say what we believe and share information openly.
- Create positive energy. We aim to be a source of energy for colleagues, not a drain.
- Think rigorously; act quickly. We reason from first principles, then act rather than debate.
- Know yourself and grow. We own our imperfections and seek feedback to grow.
- Accept reality. Propose solutions. We focus on what can change and bring solutions, not just problems.
- Be productively ambitious. We take risks for step-change impact, not incremental progress.
If they describe how you like to work and they energize you, this could be a great fit.
Want to learn more? Read and listen:
We are one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026, and our work has been covered by The Economist, NPR, TED, and The Washington Post. We're now preparing to deliver billions of dollars a year to people in extreme poverty, if funding allows. Read our CEO's essay on what that will take.
Job Title: Associate Field Manager - External Relations
Location: Uganda
Reports to: Senior Manager External Relations
Contract: Fixed contract (possibility of extension subject to funding and performance)
Overview
The Associate Field Manager - External Relations will own and execute GiveDirectly’s routine external relations at the district and community level across assigned areas of operation. The role will build trusted working relationships with district political and technical-administrative leaders; relevant security and NGO coordination structures; subcounty and parish officials; community leaders and recipients. Working closely with Field Management and the Senior Manager External Relations, the role will communicate program information, coordinate local engagement and reporting, track commitments and acceptance, identify and address relationship, compliance, safeguarding and operational risks. The role will support barazas and will promptly escalate sensitive, high-risk or national-level issues through the appropriate channels.
Responsibilities
District and community engagement
- Own day-to-day engagement with district stakeholders in assigned areas, building constructive relationships with district political leaders, technical-administrative offices, subcounty and parish officials, community leaders and relevant coordination structures.
- Explain GiveDirectly’s program objectives, eligibility and targeting approach, activities, timelines and feedback channels accurately; support Field teams to plan and deliver inclusive community barazas.
- Maintain a current district stakeholder register and practical engagement plans; track relationship health, agreed actions and follow-up with relevant Field Manager(s) and the Senior Manager External Relations.
- Represent GiveDirectly at routine district and community meetings. Coordinate preparation with Field Management and refer senior, sensitive or high-risk engagements to the Senior Manager External Relations.
- Coordinate with Field Managers on agreed local actions and maintain consistent engagement across field teams.
- Flag gaps in local engagement or compliance and agree corrective follow-up with the responsible team.
Local coordination, information and risk
- Share timely, consistent program updates with district and community stakeholders, and relay relevant questions, concerns and recommendations to GiveDirectly teams.
- Help Field teams understand and follow applicable government guidance, local approvals, reporting requirements and agreed protocols; coordinate with relevant district offices and NGO monitoring structures as appropriate.
- Monitor community acceptance, emerging tensions and external relations risks with Field Management and the Senior Manager External Relations; recommend practical mitigations and promptly escalate security, legal, safeguarding or reputational concerns.
- Oversee the engagements and relationships between the field teams and district focal point persons.
Reporting and records
- Provide the Senior Manager External Relations with at least monthly updates on engagement, community acceptance, commitments, risks and recommended follow-up.
- Track district reporting and commitments, coordinate timely submissions with the responsible program teams, and maintain clear records of meetings, correspondence and agreed actions.
- Share material district and community feedback, issues and recommendations with the relevant GiveDirectly teams, and communicate approved responses back to local stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate, accessible district external relations records and stakeholder information, following GiveDirectly’s data protection and information-handling requirements.
- Support district-level compliance with applicable NGO Bureau and Government of Uganda requirements, escalating questions that need senior or legal guidance.
- Where assigned, coordinate the collection of accurate recipient stories with Field teams, ensuring informed consent, privacy and safeguarding requirements are followed.
Qualities we’re hiring for
An individual with:
- A commitment to advancing GiveDirectly’s impact through respectful, accountable relationships with government, community stakeholders and recipients.
- A strong drive to take ownership of district and community engagements and reliably follow through on agreed actions.
- A desire to work in a fast-paced team and adapt to changing field priorities.
Qualifications
- University degree in a relevant field.
- Experience implementing engagement plans and coordinating work across teams.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with government, community or civil-society stakeholders; experience in the development or NGO sector is an advantage.
- Experience working with public-sector or community stakeholders in a field setting is an advantage.
- Clear, respectful oral communication and strong written English for concise updates, meeting records and correspondence;
- Strong organisation and follow-through, including the ability to maintain accurate records and manage competing field priorities.
- Sound judgment, discretion and initiative; able to work constructively in changing field conditions and escalate concerns appropriately.
- Ability to assess local information, identify emerging issues and contribute practical recommendations.
- Resourceful and self-directed, while working collaboratively with Field Management and the External Relations team.
- Fluency in English, spoken and written, is essential; ability to speak local Ugandan languages is an advantage.
- Alignment with GiveDirectly’s values and commitment to safeguarding recipients.
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 working with communities to eliminate extreme poverty, 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 abuse or misconduct related matters involving potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.
These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we work with, and prevent abuse to our recipients and staff.
**GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect people and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance when it comes to preventing, reporting, or responding to any form of abuse or exploitation.” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.**
Reasonable Accommodations
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at [email protected] with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.
Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!
Referrals
Know the right person for this role? Please consider referring them. We offer a reward of $3,000 for a Senior Manager or above role, and $500 for a Manager role, paid if we end up hiring your referral. Thank you for sending great people our way!
