Associate Field Manager - Follow Up (Montserrado County-WestPoint)
GiveDirectly
About GiveDirectly
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 actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and are constantly working to foster a workplace that supports diversity, and is truly inclusive in reality, not just intent. We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.
Role: Associate Field Manager (Follow-Up)
Location: Montserrado County
Manager: Program Manager - Followup
About GiveDirectly:
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 $200m since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 125,000 families, and launched offices in 12 countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates the 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.
We’re looking for exceptional talent to grow our field team. Our culture is blunt, analytical, nonhierarchical, and fast-paced. We recruit candidates from top organizations across all industries - our team has hailed from consultancies, investment banks, start-ups, non-profits, and government to name a few. We value the ability and willingness to learn over years of experience. We offer competitive salaries and benefits and performance-based bonuses.
Overview: The Associate Field Manager, Follow-Up (Flup AFM) will play a central role in ensuring that GiveDirectly delivers a gold-standard product to donors and recipients. The Flup AFM will manage Followup Field Officers (FOs). The follow-up team is responsible for conducting recipient surveys after each payment is sent. The individual in the Follow-Up AFM position will own day-to-day management of the team, including daily work planning and team management, tracking team and individual performance; achieving targets; coaching field officers; and identifying opportunities for risk mitigation and process improvement. The Associate Field Manager will serve as the key eyes and ears resource on the ground and will be responsible for regularly updating the Program Manager - Followup on team performance as well as successes and challenges. The role will reward exceptional personnel management, organizational skills, high-quality judgment on operational challenges, and a strong commitment to driving both team and individual productivity and quality.
Responsibilities: Associate Field Manager (AFM) and Field Management (20%)
- • Meet with field teams as necessary to align on daily plans and find solutions to challenges. Coordinate the team approach for surveys to maximize efficiency and efficacy.
- • Meet with the Program Manager - Follow up at least once a week to align on any adjustments to the work plan.
- • Track FOs’ productivity & quality of service, including reviewing operational reports each week; discuss team and individual performance weekly with FOs; own the course correction if metrics are slipping.
- • Keep the Program Manager informed of key risks to the work plan (e.g. recipient transfer-readiness, rumours about GiveDirectly on the ground, mobile money agent fraud, etc.).
- Attend a weekly meeting with other vertical team members of Call Center management, Follow-up, Enrollment, and IA to discuss challenges and propose solutions.
- Manage team trips to the field to follow-up with recipients e.g. vulnerable recipients, suspected
○ impostors, and hard-to-reach recipients.
Data collection and process improvement (20%)
- Vet new versions of surveys, including impact on staff productivity and follow-up data quality, and recommend survey improvements as necessary (e.g. potential process, risk mitigation, or data management gaps).
- Raise ideas for continuous improvement to the follow-up process/recipient experience; execute process improvements.
- Collect surveys at least 1-2 days a week to help teams achieve targets and to help identify
areas for improvement.
Quality control (15%)
- Monitor and ensure quality control while the staff conducts surveys. This could be through field shadowing or reviewing call recordings.
- Periodically check and review survey data collected by FOs. Coach FOs to correct any issues observed.
- Spend 1-2 days resolving difficult cases in the field that require special attention (hard-to-find
recipients, cases of potential fraud, etc).
Field Officers' management and development (15%)
- Coach FOs on the resolution of challenges. Provide additional case-specific input as requested by FOs.
Exercise judgment and escalate recurring issues or questions to the Program Manager-Follow up to align on approach.
- Coach FOs who are underperforming and provide disciplinary measures if necessary.
- Encourage teamwork and improve morale through mentorship, affirmations, and various management initiatives.
- Spend 1-2 days shadowing staff to identify areas for improvement and ensure professional development, particularly during staff training.
- Conduct bi-monthly performance check-ins with direct reports and quarterly formal performance
reviews.
Administration (20%)
- Curve out time each week to complete administrative tasks and meetings. • Ensure that all allowance requests and spent allowance requests are submitted correctly and promptly. Process leave requests so as not to conflict with work planning and operations. Resolve miscellaneous equipment requests.
Other (10%)
- Arrange interview logistics and conduct interviews for new FOs (after initial screening from HR Manager). Recommend potential hires to program Manager - Followup for final approval. • Provide initial training as well as onboarding to newly hired FOs and ongoing professional development to staff. Participate in meetings with district, county, and sub-country officials as necessary.
- Assist with communicating and executing new projects/pilots/technologies (e.g. software changes and upgrades, recipient targeting projects, content collection for website and mobile app, etc.).
- Assist with response to crisis events (e.g. refusal spikes, coordinated fraud, etc.) • Promote effective team culture by encouraging recognition of positive achievements, planning
team events periodically, and other team-building initiatives.
Qualifications
- Degree (Diploma with at least 3 years field experience is acceptable) • Analytical and Call Center/Follow-up skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel
- Exceptional leadership ability with demonstrated success in motivating and developing junior staff exceptional ability to problem-solve complex operational challenges over the phone and in the field
- Alignment with GiveDirectly core values and commitment to advancing GD’s mission
- Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and team-player mentality
- Strong interest in being the engine of the day-to-day call center team and work • Demonstrated ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner, while effectively communicating upwardly about gaps and risks
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills and the ability to represent the organization effectively to external parties
Read more about our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts here and about our decision to move our central support teams to remote first here.
GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength diversity brings to the workplace. 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.
US applicants only: We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.
Commitment to Safeguarding
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.
These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we serve, and prevent harm to our recipients.
Interview Venue and Accessibility
We conduct interviews over Google Meet with camera on (unless communicated otherwise).
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!
We’re 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 careers@givedirectly.org. Please include the word "Accessibility" in the email title.
Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!