(Senior) Director Research & Learning
Company: Tbwa Chiat/Day Inc
Location: New York
Posted on: March 10, 2025
Job Description:
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. Team members
bring experiences from the private sector, NGOs and government.
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, fast moving 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: This role is fully remote but must overlap
with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours.Priority
application deadline: March 5, 2024About this roleGiveDirectly is
seeking a Research Director to lead the organization's research
strategy, team management, and prioritization of key learning
initiatives. This individual will play a critical role in shaping
GiveDirectly's research agenda, ensuring that our work is informed
by cutting-edge economic thinking. The ideal candidate will be an
experienced leader with a strong grounding in economics,
particularly macroeconomics, and a talent for team management and
strategic prioritization. Rather than being a prolific academic
publisher, the Research Director should be an effective people
manager, negotiator, and communicator who can translate research
insights into organizational strategy. They will work closely with
GiveDirectly's leadership, research partners, and policy teams to
ensure that research efforts align with the organization's mission
and impact goals.GiveDirectly's Director of Research and Learning
must:
- Be deeply curious about the possible impacts of cash.
- Be practical, considering how we contribute both to the
evidence base and how we drive toward increasingly impactful and
cost-effective cash programs.
- Have strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating that they can
both lead teams and engage stakeholders (internal and external)
around a shared vision for learning and development.Reports to: VP
ProductLevel: DirectorTravel Requirement: 10-20% (-1 week every 2
months) preferredWhat you'll do:
- Develop and execute research strategy: Define GiveDirectly's
research priorities and ensure alignment with the organization's
mission and strategic goals for impact and fundraising.
- Own organizational learning agenda: Identify relevant and
important gaps in existing evidence research and determining
effective ways to fill in the gaps (using mixed methods approaches
as relevant); taking into account global trends in economic
development, philanthropy, and political economy.
- Ensuring all GD programs draw on the best available evidence:
Actively contribute to proposal development and product
design.
- Leadership and team management: Build and manage a high
performing, high output team of researchers and M&E staff to
execute GiveDirectly's learning agenda, support program design and
development, and generate insights to drive program quality,
innovation, and fundraising.
- Stakeholder negotiation & collaboration: Engage with academic
partners, policymakers, and internal teams to drive forward
impactful research initiatives and program design
improvements.Fundraising and new business development: Share
evidence with donors, contribute to proposal and pitch development,
ensuring evidence summaries are available.What you'll bring:
- Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active
demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence,
problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering
inclusivity. 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.
- 7+ years of experience in research leadership, strategy
development, or policy-oriented research.
- Communication - be equally comfortable having a technical
conversation with an academic as you are describing a study in
straightforward terms to a donor who has zero context.
- Expertise across research methods and strategies, including
quantitative and qualitative approaches.
- Translating research into actionable insights - Strong ability
to synthesize and communicate complex research findings to diverse
stakeholders, including policymakers, donors, and program teams,
ensuring research informs strategic decisions and program
design.
- Experience working in international development, philanthropy,
or a related field is preferred.
- Master's degree or equivalent strongly preferred.CompensationAt
GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and
equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to
ensure that staff's 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.We're open to
hiring at either the Director or Senior Director level, depending
on the depth of experience and leadership you bring.
- The United States director base salary for this role is
$128,000, and $145,000 for Sr. Director.
- The Kenya director base salary for this role is $101,221, and
$120,000 for Sr. Director.This role is fully remote, so if you are
not based in the US or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary
benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring
process.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).
- Flexible paid time off.
- Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development.Working
at GiveDirectlyGiveDirectly 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.As a global
organization serving some of the world's most vulnerable
communities, 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 sexual exploitation, abuse,
and harassment issues relating to potential new hires. We may also
employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference
checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.GD is
committed to observing all local, national and international laws
that protect children, vulnerable adults, and basic human rights of
all. GD is committed to a policy of "zero tolerance for sexual
exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH)" and expects anyone who
works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our
recipients as a priority.Interested in building your career at
GiveDirectly? Get future opportunities sent straight to your
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mission. Please indicate "Yes" if you agree* * Select...We'd love
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Keywords: Tbwa Chiat/Day Inc, New York , (Senior) Director Research & Learning, Executive , New York, New York
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