Senior Manager, Business Operations

GiveDirectly has delivered more than $1B in cash directly to 2+ million people living in poverty across 15 countries since 2011. We believe cash transfers are one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid, with the research to back it up. Our work has been covered by The Economist , NPR , TED , and The Washington Post . We are one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026. Our culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical. We support high ownership and real professional growth. Curious about what it's really like to work here? Read our values and hear from the people who do . If they resonate, this could be a great fit! About this role GiveDirectly is seeking a highly analytical, structured, and execution-oriented Senior Manager, Business Operations to drive cross-functional initiatives and make core operational functions run more effectively across GiveDirectly. This role supports core operational functions including Finance, HR, Compliance, Legal/Risk, Internal Audit, Corporate Audit, Procurement, Safety/Security, Safeguarding, and IT . As GiveDirectly scales, improving how these functions prioritize, coordinate, and execute will be critical to sustaining impact and managing risk. You will own a portfolio of high-priority operational workstreams and initiatives , often in ambiguous and high-stakes contexts, leading both analysis and execution to improve efficiency, strengthen systems, and support faster, clearer decisions. This role is designed to increase organizational leverage — ensuring leadership priorities translate into clear execution, and that teams operate with greater clarity, speed, and consistency. This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is an individual contributor (IC) role with significant ownership and autonomy — designed for a high-performing individual ready to take on a broad set of challenges early in their career , with opportunity to expand scope and leadership over time. Location: Flexible (proximity to a GD office preferred: New York, Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, London). We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time. Travel: ~2–3 trips annually What we’re looking for A structured problem-solver with 5–7 years experience in consulting, strategy or operations in business or social impact contexts; you turn ambiguity into clear, actionable plans. Highly analytical — you use data to diagnose issues, generate insights, and drive decisions (not just report on them). A builder and operator — you’ve led complex, cross-functional work end-to-end and delivered measurable improvements in performance or efficiency. Systems-minded — you spot inefficiencies quickly and design processes, tools, or workflows that make teams run better at scale. A clear, direct communicator — you cut through complexity and influence senior stakeholders with concise, well-structured thinking. An influencer without authority — you align teams, navigate tradeoffs, and move work forward across functions. Technically fluent — comfortable with spreadsheets, dashboards, and project tools; excited to apply AI and automation to real operational problems. High ownership, low ego — you take responsibility for outcomes, prioritize ruthlessly, and follow through. Motivated by impact — you want your work to matter, and you’re excited to apply your skills to help GiveDirectly deliver cash to people living in poverty more effectively and at greater scale. What you’ll do Drive execution and shape priorities across GiveDirectly Own and drive a portfolio of high-priority workstreams and initiatives. Translate leadership priorities into clear plans, coordinate execution across teams, and ensure consistent follow-through. Identify bottlenecks, surface tradeoffs, and inform prioritization and resource allocation decisions in partnership with the COO and functional leaders. Lead analytics and decision support Conduct cross-functional analyses across Finan