Head of People
Job Description
About GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving by providing cash grants directly to the world's poorest populations. Since launching in 2011, GiveDirectly has raised over $1 billion and delivered cash to more than 2 million people across 15 countries. The organization has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most innovative non-profits and featured in prestigious publications including the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.
The global team spans 21 countries with approximately 800 team members (150 global staff and 650 in country operations) speaking 69 languages. GiveDirectly's culture is candid, analytical, agile, and deliberately non-hierarchical, with values centered on the people served.
About the Role
GiveDirectly is seeking an experienced, business-oriented Head of People to design and lead human systems that power the organization's mission. This is a strategic leadership position serving as both architect and hands-on operator across multiple HR functions in a global, distributed, and exceptionally lean context.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead talent acquisition strategy to build high-performing teams across 21 countries
- Design and implement organizational structures that support GiveDirectly's growth and mission
- Develop and execute leadership development programs for managers and senior leaders
- Establish performance management systems aligned with organizational goals
- Design competitive rewards and compensation frameworks for a global workforce
- Manage HR operations and employee relations across distributed teams
- Connect talent strategy to overall organizational performance and outcomes
- Build systems that support employee growth, flexibility, and professional development
Location & Work Environment
This role is remote with a strong preference for candidates located in the East Africa Time (EAT) timezone and/or within GiveDirectly's countries of operation. If not in the EAT timezone, the selected candidate must overlap at least 3 hours with EAT for effective collaboration with distributed teams.
About You
The ideal candidate brings significant HR leadership experience, particularly in building human systems within global organizations. You should demonstrate business acumen, the ability to operate effectively in resource-constrained environments, and a commitment to GiveDirectly's values: centering the voices of those served, maintaining analytical rigor, and fostering ambitious, dynamic, high-performing teams.
This is an opportunity to shape people strategy at a mission-driven organization recognized globally for innovation in international development and poverty alleviation.