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Kampala, Central Region, Uganda
Onsite
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!
Location: This role must be based in Kampala, Uganda.
About this role
Uganda's Programs team is the largest department in the country office and carries the biggest budget of any function, and it is scaling. The Program Director needs to be a strong operator who can run multi-million-dollar programs through that growth without the delivery model breaking, someone equally comfortable in the field diagnosing a bottleneck and in a budget review defending a variance. Because this person also serves as deputy to the Country Director, excellent stakeholder management is non-negotiable, not a nice-to-have: they need to manage up, across, and with Senior Managers with equal ease, and be ready to represent the country office internally when the CD is unavailable. We are looking for someone with a demonstrated track record of direct-delivery program leadership at scale (not grant intermediation), sound financial and risk judgment, and a management style that builds durable, accountable teams rather than one that runs on the PD's personal bandwidth.
Reports to: Country Director
Level: Director
Travel Requirement: Must be able to travel ~1-2 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or field visits
What you’ll do:
Program Delivery & Operational Leadership
Pipeline Enablement & Program Readiness
Product, Evidence & Research Integration
Risk & Compliance (Program-Level)
Budgeting & Planning Support
Team Leadership & Internal Coordination
Procurement & Operations Oversight
Deputy to the Country Director
What you’ll bring:
Compensation
At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to calculate what we believe to be competitive pay based on role, location, and cost of living. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. Read more about our compensation philosophy here.
The total compensation for this role is broken down as follows:
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.
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