US Program Associate

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving and millions of lives by providing cash grants directly to the worlds 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. Weve 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 GDs 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 -- its 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.

Location: Stockton California US or San Joaquin County area preferred. Candidates within commuting distance (30 miles) of Stockton will also be considered.

This role is primarily remote with regular in-person requirements in San Joaquin County to support program participants. During the program launch phase (late summer/early fall 2026) in-person presence may be required up to daily. Outside of launch expect in-person work 2-3 times per month in Stockton/San Joaquin County.

Travel Requirement: Travel 2-3 times per year within the US for team meetings and events.

About this role

The U.S. Program Associate will support implementation of large-scale cash initiatives in the U.S. As a critical member of GiveDirectlys U.S. programs team you will support operations internal coordination and team processes. As GiveDirectlys primary on-the-ground representative in San Joaquin County you will serve as the face of the program in the communitybuilding relationships with local partners educating community members about the program and ensuring participants can access the support they need. You will often be the project point person for community engagement and customer service. You will be expected to support Managers and Senior Managers across multiple projects and as a result you must be excited to work in a fast-paced environment and be comfortable managing multiple workstreams at one time. Through this you will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills on a fast-growing team. Associates should be able to:

• Support multiple projects and workstreams simultaneously (multi-task) especially by driving process (e.g. metric tracking survey design)
• Over time own whole components of projects including but not limited to customer service and/or delivering payments
• Proactively identify areas for efficiency in projects and team management (e.g. streamlining customer service management)
• Support community engagement and coordination including acting as a liaison for partner organizations and community members as appropriate

This position will primarily support a guaranteed income program for low-income seniors (ages 60) in San Joaquin County. Youll be working with a population experiencing housing insecurity and economic vulnerability requiring particular sensitivity to the unique challenges faced by older adults. This role is expected to work closely with our program partners including the California Department of Social Services the Housing Institute at Penn the Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin and other local partners.

Reports to: US Program Manager

Level: Associate

Recipient Experience & Customer Service (40%)

• Lead customer service including directly supporting recipients via an email-based help desk and through phone support as well as in-person assistance as needed
• Draft and follow protocols to resolve recipient cases through communication data entry and/or escalation of more serious matters to the appropriate individuals
• Lead monitoring and analysis of customer service inquiries and interactions.
• Coach applicants through the intake process with a focus on applicants who are experiencing significant barriers
• Case manage applicant/recipient concerns adhering to GiveDirectlys safeguarding and protection policies
• Meet periodically with recipients in person to build trust and to identify problems or areas for program or process improvements
• Serve as a trusted resource for recipients responding to their communications in a timely and professional manner
• Respond to and resolve one-off recipient issues through communication data entry and/or escalation of more serious matters to the appropriate individuals
• Manage set-up and maintenance of technical platforms and systems for customer service

Community Engagement (40%)

Cultivate and maintain relationships with implementing partners key community members and local service organizationsServe as the local program representative and community liaison for the program supporting local partners and educating community members of program policies

• Build knowledge of the community we are working in and support with identifying existing local resources or services relevant for recipients
• Develop age-appropriate accessible program materials and communication strategies that account for varying literacy levels and technology comfort
• Organize and attend events conferences and similar programs to sensitize communities on program benefits and requirements
• Participate in program evaluation and scoping strategies to improve program operations and enhance recipient satisfaction

Direct Program Support (20%)

• Support a range of operational and project management duties to ensure GiveDirectlys U.S. projects are executed with excellence and in line with our values particularly recipients first
• Lead select operational processes including customer service and recipient follow-up surveys
• Support other field ops processes including verification and payments and execution across various program stages
• Support whole-team knowledge management and process documentation refreshing protocol and process docs regularly
• Work closely with other members of the U.S. team to identify process challenges and propose solutions (e.g. increasing operational efficiency improving recipient experience)
• Become an expert in the various tech systems used to support project execution and excellence
• Track and report operational and efficiency metrics
• May be responsible for hiring and managing other individuals such as verification and enrollment support staff
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders including with tech partners research partners and customer service teams
• Associates may also be asked to support content coordination and story collection for program communications. This could include:
• Collaborating with the partnerships and growth teams as well as in-country management team to determine content collection priorities and needs
• Owning information gathering and storytelling about our programs
• Coordinating video taking and editing of recipient stories (directly or via vendors/freelancers)
• Writing and editing articles and recipient stories as well as conducting interviews as necessary
• Collaborating with recipients to tell their own stories by connecting them to tech and training

What youll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence problem solving project management follow-through and fostering inclusivity.
• 2 years of work or volunteer experience in a role that required project management and people management/coordination
• Exceptional communication organizational and time-management skills
• Strong customer service instincts including skilled problem solving patience and high emotional intelligence
• Comfort with quantitative analysis and data-driven decision-making including ability to interpret program metrics identify trends and translate data insights into actionable recommendations
• Ability to manage day-to-day operations and propose & implement process improvements
• Ability to quickly learn and become proficient in new technological platforms
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner while effectively communicating upwardly about gaps and risks
• Enthusiasm for fast-paced environments which may lack a pre-defined playbook for success and involve significant learning by doing

Nice to Have

• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in Spanish and/or other common languages in San Joaquin County is a plus.
• Experience working with older adults or other vulnerable populations particularly in roles requiring patience clear communication and understanding of age-related needs and perspectives
• Understanding of age-related barriers to technology including comfort coaching seniors through digital platforms mobile applications etc.
• Experience supporting individuals experiencing housing instability or homelessness with an understanding of the unique vulnerabilities and needs this creates
• Knowledge of Californias senior benefit landscape (SSI/SSP IHSS CalFresh Medicare/Medi-Cal)
• We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.

Compensation

At GiveDirectly we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to ensure that staffs 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 base salary for this role is $74900 USD / annually.

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 effortshere and about our decision to move our central support teams to remote first here.

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!

Were 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 .

Working at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the persons 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 theMisconduct 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 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!