US Program Associate
GiveDirectly · Mississippi · remote
About GiveDirectly
What if the most effective way to fight poverty was also the simplest: give people money and trust them to decide what they need?
Since 2011, GiveDirectly has proven that idea at scale. We’ve delivered more than $1B in cash directly to 2+ million people living in poverty and crisis across 15 countries, and rigorous research shows the results: healthier kids, stronger businesses, sturdier homes, and more resilient families and local economies. Cash is now widely recognized as one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid.
Our ambition goes beyond our own programs. We want cash to become the benchmark for aid, much as the index fund became the benchmark for investing, so that every aid dollar is held to one question: is this doing more good than giving the money directly to people living in poverty?
We’re growing fast, and this is a rare and important moment to join.
We expect to hit $1B in revenue in 2026 with significant growth forecast for 2027. At the same time we are building a new technology stack and operating model designed for a roughly 10x change in scale, and we are actively pursuing partnerships with major funders to move even more money in bigger ways, to people who need it. We are known for our extensive integration of technology into field processes; our quantitative approach to performance measurement; and our commitment to rigorous, independent, experimental evaluation of our impact, with multiple Randomized Control Trials completed and others in progress.
How we work
Our team spans 20+ countries and 69 languages. Our culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical. We expect high ownership and give people real responsibility early. Our values are central to how we hire, work, and grow, and they are deliberately opinionated:
- Recipients first. Recipients’ preferences come before those of donors or ourselves.
- Team next. We optimize for organizational success, not individual success.
- Be proactively candid. We say what we believe and share information openly.
- Create positive energy. We aim to be a source of energy for colleagues, not a drain.
- Think rigorously; act quickly. We reason from first principles, then act rather than debate.
- Know yourself and grow. We own our imperfections and seek feedback to grow.
- Accept reality. Propose solutions. We focus on what can change and bring solutions, not just problems.
- Be productively ambitious. We take risks for step-change impact, not incremental progress.
If they describe how you like to work and they energize you, this could be a great fit.
Want to learn more? Read and listen:
We are one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026, and our work has been covered by The Economist, NPR, TED, and The Washington Post. We're now preparing to deliver billions of dollars a year to people in extreme poverty, if funding allows. Read our CEO's essay on what that will take.
Location: Mississippi, USA
For this role, we are looking for candidates based in Mississippi, with a preference being for the delta or central Mississippi regions.
About this role
The U.S. Program Associate will support implementation for large-scale cash initiatives in the U.S. As a critical member of GiveDirectly’s U.S. programs team, you will support operations, internal coordination, and team processes. You will often be the project point person for community engagement and customer service. You will be expected to support Managers and Senior Managers across multiple projects, and as a result, you must be excited to work in a fast-paced environment and be comfortable managing multiple workstreams at one time. Through this, you will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills on a fast-growing team. Associates should be able to:
- Support multiple projects and workstreams simultaneously (multi-task), especially by driving process (e.g. metric tracking, survey design)
- Over time, own whole components of projects, including but not limited to customer service and/or delivering payments
- Proactively identify areas for efficiency in projects and team management (e.g. streamlining customer service management)
- Support community engagement and coordination, including acting as a liaison for partner organizations and community members as appropriate
Reports to: US Program Manager
Level: Associate
Travel Requirement: This role will require regular travel to Rx Kids sites across Mississippi to support in-person activities related to community outreach and program launch. This travel would require a car, driver’s license, and insurance. In addition, there will be travel to New York or elsewhere in the US for team events 2-3 times per year.
What you’ll do:
This position will primarily support Rx Kids, a universal, unconditional cash allowance program targeted at expectant parents and infants. The program is running in over 60 communities across Michigan and Ohio, and it will now be expanding to Mississippi. This role is expected to work closely with our program partners, including Michigan State University and local community partners. Key responsibilities are described below, please note that the percentages are estimates and they vary across different stages per site:
Recipient Experience & Customer Service (55%)
- Lead customer service, including directly supporting recipients via an email-based help desk and through phone support, with the potential to oversee additional customer service staff or contractors as the program scales
- Coach applicants through the intake process with a focus on applicants who are experiencing significant barriers
- Case manage applicant/recipient concerns, adhering to GiveDirectly’s safeguarding and protection policies
- Meet periodically with recipients in person to build trust and to identify problems or areas for program or process improvements
- Serve as a trusted resource for recipients, responding to their communications in a timely and professional manner
- Respond to and resolve one-off recipient issues through communication, data entry, and/or escalation of more serious matters to the appropriate individuals
- Lead select operational processes, including conducting verification of applications directly and overseeing other verification staff as the program scales
- Support other field ops processes, including payments and follow-up surveys, and execution across various program stages
Direct Program Support (25%)
- Support a range of operational and project management duties to ensure GiveDirectly’s U.S. projects are executed with excellence and in line with our values, particularly “recipients first”
- Support whole-team knowledge management and process documentation, refreshing protocol and process docs regularly
- Work closely with other members of the U.S. team to identify process challenges and propose solutions (e.g. increasing operational efficiency, improving recipient experience)
- Become an expert in the various tech systems used to support project execution and excellence
- Track and report operational and efficiency metrics
- May be responsible for managing other individuals, such as verification support staff
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including with tech partners, research partners, and customer service teams
Community Engagement (20%)
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with implementing partners, key community members, and local service organizations
- Serve as the local program representative and community liaison for Rx Kids, supporting local partners and educating community members of program policies
- Build knowledge of the community we are working in, and support with identifying existing local resources or services relevant for recipients
- Organize and attend events, conferences, and similar programs to sensitize communities on program benefits and requirements
- Collaborate with communication team members to devel