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 and delivered cash to more than 2 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, span 21 different countries and 69 languages. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, 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, dynamic 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 support high ownership, flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.
Role Overview
As a Call Centre Agent at GiveDirectly, you will be the first point of contact for program participants, ensuring they receive clear and accurate information. Your role is vital in delivering a respectful, dignified experience that reflects GiveDirectly’s values. You will also collect important feedback and data that support program improvement and accountability. Ultimately, your communication and professionalism will directly impact the trust, transparency, and effectiveness of GiveDirectly’s operation.
The job holder will be posted to work in Nairobi county.
Responsibilities:
Recipient Engagement
- Receive and respond to inbound calls, addressing inquiries, concerns, and complaints with empathy, accuracy, and professionalism.
- Conduct phone surveys to verify receipt of transfers, assess recipient satisfaction, and identify any challenges faced during the process.
- Make recipients aware of the objectives, conditions, and expectations of GiveDirectly projects transparently and respectfully.
- Follow standardised communication scripts and protocols to ensure consistency and clarity in messaging.
- Escalate complex or sensitive cases—especially those involving safety concerns, fraud, or urgent needs—to supervisors through appropriate channels.
- Support other communication platforms, such as SMS or outbound calling, to ensure holistic recipient support.
Data Collection and Quality Assurance
- Accurately collect, confirm, and record all recipient interactions using the designated data collection tools (e.g, Commcare, Salesforce), ensuring completeness and integrity of information.
- Adhere strictly to survey scripts and question flow to maintain consistency and data comparability.
- Flag unclear or suspicious responses to supervisors or the Quality Assurance (QA) team for further review.
- Support quality monitoring efforts by cooperating with live call audits, feedback sessions, and spot checks.
- Maintain confidentiality and uphold ethical standards in handling recipient information and sensitive data.
Program Support and Process Improvement
- Provide frontline insights and timely feedback to support the smooth implementation of GiveDirectly’s cash transfer programs.
- Identify recurring issues, recipient concerns, or communication gaps and escalate them to supervisors or relevant teams for resolution.
- Collaborate with team leads, QA staff, and call centre managers to improve scripts, workflows, and escalation procedures.
- Participate in pilot testing or rollout of new tools, processes, or program changes, offering input from the recipient perspective.
- Support operational flexibility by taking on additional tasks as needed during high-volume periods, special campaigns, or new project launches.
- Monitor personal performance against set KPIs and suggest ways to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and call quality.
Content Generation
- Share insights from recipient interactions to inform the development and refinement of scripts, FAQs, and program communication materials.
- Support translation and localisation efforts by flagging unclear language or suggesting culturally appropriate phrasing for communications that showcase GiveDirectly’s impact.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Communications, Project Management, or a related field.
- At least 1–2 years of call centre, data collection, or customer service experience, preferably in a nonprofit or social impact setting.
- Experience conducting monitoring or survey-based phone interviews is an added advantage.
- Proficiency in the Giriama language is a MUST.
- Fluency in English and Kiswahili languages
- Strong ethics and commitment to integrity, especially in handling sensitive data and recipient information.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- High attention to detail and ability to follow complex instructions with consistency.
- Comfortable working in rural, remote, or challenging environments.
- Tech-savvy and comfortable using smartphones or tablets for data collection
Profile
- Effective Communication
- Empathy and Respect
- Data Accuracy and Integrity
- Problem Solving and Judgment
- Adaptability and Resilience
- Professionalism and Accountability
- Cultural and Contextual Awareness
- Accountability and Teamwork
- Alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.
Working at GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 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.
Flagging for US applicants: We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.
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.**
Reasonable Accommodations
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at careers@givedirectly.org with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.
Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!