Expression of Interest: Senior Partnerships & Philanthropy Leadership Roles (Director / Senior Director)
GiveDirectlyAbout 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.
Anticipated openings in mid-January
GiveDirectly expects to hire for senior partnerships and philanthropy fundraising leadership roles in early 2026, and we are now inviting expressions of interest from exceptional candidates excited to shape our next chapter of growth.
We are seeking bold, strategic relationship leaders with significant experience securing major philanthropic, institutional, or corporate funding, or individuals with equivalent high-leverage partnership experience (e.g., strategic business development, influential networks, or senior-level stakeholder engagement). If you are energized by connecting with influential leaders, opening doors in new markets, and crafting multi-year funding partnerships, we encourage you to express interest.
These roles will contribute directly to expanding GiveDirectly’s global partnership ecosystem — stewarding major funders, building HNW (High Net Worth) relationships, shaping multi-year strategies, and influencing how resources flow to people living in poverty through direct cash.
About the Opportunity
While final role titles may vary (e.g., Director / Senior Director, Partnerships & Philanthropy), opportunities are expected to include responsibilities such as:
Team Leadership & Management
- Leading and developing a high-performing fundraising team (approx. 5+), with a focus on coaching, performance management, and ensuring role clarity
- Building a team culture grounded in accountability, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement
- Providing strategic direction, quality assurance, and thought partnership on major proposals, pitch decks, and donor-facing materials
- Establishing high-quality standards, templates, and review processes across the team
Strategic Partnerships, Philanthropy & Revenue Leadership
- Owning and expanding a portfolio of high-value institutional, corporate, foundation, and HNW partners
- Developing pipelines and closing multimillion-dollar, multi-year funding opportunities
- Building trusted relationships with senior decision-makers and influential networks
- Bringing creativity and strategic insight to partnership design, helping shift donor priorities toward cash as a preferred aid modality
- Leading end-to-end partnership lifecycles — from discovery and market mapping to pitching, negotiation, and close
External Leadership & Representation
- Acting as a senior external representative of GiveDirectly at conferences, donor forums, high-level events, and strategic convenings
- Building and nurturing relationships across philanthropy, development, humanitarian response, climate, tech, and HNW networks
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Program Design
- Collaborating with Country Directors and operational leaders to design compelling, evidence-driven program proposals
- Aligning internal stakeholders (operations, finance, policy, research) for complex, multi-country funding opportunities
Systems Building
- Enhancing forecasting, pipeline management, and partnership systems to support strategic decision-making
- Strengthening cross-team knowledge sharing, proposal libraries, and partnership processes
- Helping shape GiveDirectly’s long-term partnership roadmap, including major “big bet” opportunities
Who We’re Looking For
We anticipate seeking candidates with:
- Significant experience (8+ years) in fundraising, institutional partnerships, HNW relationship management, business development, or other high-leverage strategic roles
- A proven ability to build and deepen relationships with senior leaders, influencers, and decision-makers
- Demonstrated success closing large, complex funding deals or equivalent partnership agreements
- Experience leading teams and building cultures of excellence
- Strong communication skills — exceptional writers, storytellers, and strategic thinkers able to quality control pitch decks, proposals, donor reports etc
- Ability to structure ambiguity, set priorities, and use data to drive decisions
- Deep alignment with GiveDirectly’s values of recipient choice, transparency, and evidence
Bonus:
- Experience building systems and processes across growing teams
- Experience working with institutional donors in Africa
- Established networks across philanthropy, impact investing, or HNW communities
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 careers@givedirectly.org 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!