Vacancy title:
External Relations Senior Manager
Employment type: Full time, Industry: Nonprofit, and NGO, Category: Management, Social Services & Nonprofit, Civil & Government, Advertising & Public Relations, Communications & Writing
Jobs at:
GiveDirectly
Deadline of this Job:
Thursday, November 19 2026
Duty Station:
Kigali, Rwanda | Kigali
Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, November 5 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed
JOB DETAILS:
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.
Role Overview
GiveDirectly is seeking an experienced and dynamic Senior Manager (SM) to lead government relations, strategic partnerships, public engagement, and resource mobilization efforts for its Rwanda Country Office. This role is critical to advancing GiveDirectly’s mission of delivering unconditional cash transfers by fostering trust, collaboration, and alignment with public and private stakeholders, while securing the financial and institutional support needed to scale impact.
The SM will serve as a key external ambassador for GiveDirectly, building and maintaining high-level relationships with government agencies, civil society, media, and both domestic and international donors. Reporting directly to the Country Director, the SM will play a central role in shaping the organization’s external positioning, driving resource mobilization, managing risk, and identifying strategic growth opportunities through multi-sectoral engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Government & Stakeholder Engagement
- Initiate and strengthen relationships with senior government stakeholders to explore funding or partnership opportunities.
- Build and maintain allies and champions within public institutions for GiveDirectly’s mission.
- Engage relevant government agencies on GiveDirectly’s projects, approach, and impact, including securing local government approvals where necessary.
- Track the status and strength of relationships with key stakeholders, designing and implementing strategies to improve engagement.
- Represent GiveDirectly at national events, forums, and high-level or high-risk meetings.
- Ensure compliance with all government directives, regulations, and protocols.
- Align GiveDirectly’s activities with national poverty alleviation strategies and development programs, as well as provide guidance and support to field teams to ensure government protocol compliance.
- Identify and mitigate potential risks related to government engagement, working cross-functionally to implement preventative measures.
Partnership Development & Fundraising
- Identify and cultivate funding and partnership opportunities with government donors, multilateral agencies, philanthropic institutions, and INGOs.
- Build and maintain a robust pipeline of strategic partnerships to support program growth, co-implementation, and scale.
- Support proposal development, concept notes, and pitch materials in coordination with global fundraising teams.
- Serve as a liaison between GiveDirectly and potential donors, articulating the value and impact of its programs.
- Track engagement metrics ensuring consistent follow-through and sustained relationships
- Support Country Director in preparing for and following up on partnership opportunities
Crisis Management
- Serve as project manager and strategist during high-risk events or public relations challenges.
- Develop and maintain a crisis response plan in coordination with the Country Director and global teams.
- Respond to urgent issues involving government stakeholders, media, or local communities with speed, transparency, and sound judgment.
- Advise internal teams on potential community or reputational risks and lead mitigation strategies.
- Ensure consistent and controlled messaging during high-pressure moments, safeguarding GiveDirectly’s credibility and operational continuity.
Project Coordination & Internal Alignment
- Lead and manage coordination efforts between internal teams (e.g.,external relations, programs, finance, communications) and external partners.
- Organize key meetings, document action points, and ensure in-team and cross-functional accountability.
- Support high-impact strategic initiatives through efficient planning, communication, and stakeholder alignment.
Communications & Public Representation
- Prepare high-quality written materials including briefing memos, talking points, correspondence, press releases, and donor reports.
- Guide the development of public-facing content to ensure clarity, consistency and alignment with GiveDirectly’s brand and government guidance.
- Represent GiveDirectly in media engagements, donor briefings, and stakeholder visits as required.
- Oversee stakeholder communications during field operations to ensure local alignment and public support.
Reporting & Insights
Deliver monthly updates and strategic insights to senior leadership on:
- Stakeholder relations and engagement outcomes
- Public sentiment, political dynamics, and community risks
- Partnership and fundraising progress
- Crisis issues and recommended mitigation steps
Maintain clear, transparent communication with government authorities and institutional donors, fulfilling all compliance requirements.
Qualifications
- Bachelors or Masters Degree in a relevant field
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in managing government relations, partnership development, or public affairs—preferably in an NGO or international development context. Detailed understanding and demonstrated experience working with national level government officials in Rwanda
- Demonstrated experience in project management, including planning, coordination, and execution of complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives reliably.
- Proven ability to identify, develop, and manage strategic partnership pipelines, including demonstrated experience in resource mobilization. Experience with key donors such as US Government, FCDO, and large private foundations is preferred
- Strong understanding of government operations and the ability to navigate complex bureaucratic environments.
- Ability to identify and analyze trends, risks, and opportunities in the policy and regulatory environment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including preparation of presentations and formal correspondence.
- Able to coordinate and update cross-cultural teams distributed across many time zones
- Demonstrated success in a high-performance work environment
- Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required; working knowledge of French is an asset. Exceptional communication (written and verbal)
- Experience working with and representing organisations to national media.
- Aptitude to learn various software tools that GiveDirectly uses, including Slack, Google Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, and Asana
Key Competencies
- Strong writing and project management abilities.
- Strategic thinker with excellent coordination and follow-through.
- Self-driven, with an ownership and results-oriented mindset.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment.
- Deep interest in scaling GiveDirectly’s impact through strategic partnerships and high-quality stakeholder engagement.
- High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple streams of work simultaneously.
- Strong delegation and upward management skills, including coordinating asynchronously with global teams across many time zones
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.
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 60
Level of Education: bachelor degree
Job application procedure
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