Senior Product Designer at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by allowing donors to provide capital 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 which is allocated to evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing a benchmark, and in the process accelerate the end of extreme poverty. GiveDirectly has raised over $700M in revenue ($320M in 2020 alone), while being recognized as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company. The growing movement toward cash transfers and GD’s role in that movement have also been featured in This American Life, Foreign Affairs, The Economist, and  Business Insider.

Cash transfers are at a potential inflection point: COVID-19 has amplified the challenges of bulkier in-kind aid models, and governments are deploying cash as their most common tool of assistance to vulnerable populations. GiveDirectly has an opportunity to leverage its strong track record (i.e. operations across 9 countries,, 13 randomized control trials), to both deliver immense impact and position itself as the premiere cash implementation vehicle globally. 

We’re looking for exceptional talent to grow our collaborative, diverse team. Joining GiveDirectly provides the opportunity to work alongside individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. We’re actively working towards an equitable and inclusive environment for all team members, and seek candidates who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our organization. We recruit from organizations across all industries: our team has hailed from sectors including start-ups, government, consultancies, investment banks, and nonprofits.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and fast-paced. We value ability, adaptability and willingness to learn.

Overview:

As GiveDirectly’s first designer, you will evolve and own GiveDirectly’s design systems and the end-to-end design process, from ideation and scoping to prototyping and iterating.  You will report directly to the Director of Product and be a major contributor to the org’s product roadmap and strategy, working with cross-functional leads across fundraising, field operations, recipient advocacy, and finance.  

In the last year, GiveDirectly has grown significantly and expanded its impact and reach. With this growth, the organization is building out its product team to continue scaling this growth and drive stepwise change in the dollars we can commit to the poor.  This role is best suited for candidates who are able to adapt and iterate quickly in a fast-paced environment and work cross-functionally to create products that increase donor engagement and reimagine how the social sector approaches donor engagement. 

Responsibilities: 

Own UX and brand design for all user-facing products and web content, such as our website and fundraisers (in development)Use quantitative data and qualitative feedback to inform design decisions iteratively and influence the broader product strategy; lead UX research with GD donorsDrive the end to end design process, from decks and prototypes to user testing and high fidelity specs ready for engineeringUnderstand business goals and validate new product ideas that change the way donors interact with GiveDirectly and the nonprofit sector broadly 

What we’re looking for:

4+ years of design experience working on digital products, 2+ yrs working on consumer productsA proven track record of quality and impactful work. Portfolio demonstrates a deep commitment to details, excellence and impactExperience working closely with product and engineering teams, able to work cross functionally with ops, finance, recipient advocacy verticalsStrong communicator comfortable advocating for and explaining design decisions to senior leadershipSelf-starter with bias for action who is excited to be the first designer on a growing product teamGeneralist who can execute on complex projects end-to-end and is comfortable with broad, ambiguous ideas as well as scoped deliverablesComfortable working in Sketch or Figma and Adobe Creative CloudNice to haves: front-end web development (HTML/CSS/JS), graphic design, and/or data visualizations, animation, video design, brand/creative direction. 

In addition to the specific skills required for each role, we’re looking for candidates who are aligned with our GD Values, and who demonstrate our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.

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 and commitment to helping all staff develop and growA competitive salaryA monthly benefits allowance that covers Health, Dental, and Vision monthly premiumsUnlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!)Retirement plan options 

**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.**