US Programs and Partnerships Manager

Role Overview

• Conduct county-level research for priority states, synthesizing data on poverty, birth rates, infant mortality, and Medicaid coverage to identify highest-need geographies and model program costs from government and public health datasets
• Research and map the stakeholder landscape in new states, identifying those aligned with maternal and child health, early childhood, or unconditional cash
• Track multi-state pipeline across prospect, active, and committed stages—flagging risks and identifying next steps to maintain momentum
• Build and maintain briefing materials, contact lists, and workplans across a multi-state pipeline
• Support the Program Director in preparing for external meetings—drafting agendas, preparing background research, and developing presentation materials
• With the Program Director and Fundraising Manager, draft concept notes, funder briefs, meeting follow-ups, and proposals tailored to specific audiences
• Take independent responsibility for exploratory conversations, including inbound interest from new geographies, maintaining warm relationships and ensuring timely follow-through
• As new sites move toward launch, support operational planning: developing staffing plans, marketing efforts, enrollment plans, and program design adaptations in coordination with internal teams and external partners
• Lead identification, selection, and onboarding of local community partner organizations, build and maintain those relationships, and oversee their work in support of program goals
• Lead hiring for site-level associates
• Serve as a bridge between the Program Director, Rx Kids Michigan team, and on-the-ground site staff during critical launch phases
• Lead adaptation of GiveDirectly's technology platform and processes for new sites, identifying needed configuration changes and seeing them through to implementation
• Own budgets, workplans, and timelines across active expansion efforts, proactively flagging risks and proposing adjustments
• Support execution of data sharing agreements, grant agreements, and MOUs as commitments are secured, drafting, routing for review and approval, following up to keep processes moving, and negotiating as needed
• Provide substantive review of agreements, flagging issues and ensuring alignment with Rx Kids program principles

Requirements

• 3–5 years of experience managing multiple workstreams with limited supervision, ideally spanning both programmatic and partnerships responsibilities
• A track record of getting things off the ground: you can take a new initiative from concept to execution, anticipate blockers, and keep things moving when there's no clear playbook
• Strong critical thinking and judgment — you ask the right questions, synthesize information quickly, and make sound decisions with incomplete information
• Comfort working with data, including an ability to ask the right questions, work with inconsistent or incomplete datasets, and translate findings into clear outputs
• Strong organizational instincts
• you build systems, maintain them, and proactively surface when something is at risk
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to represent GiveDirectly externally with professionalism
• Ability to rapidly reprioritize based on shifting circumstances. You move toward the highest-impact opportunity without losing track of the longer-term pipeline.
• Experience in or familiarity with maternal/child health, early childhood policy, cash, or a related domain is a plus
• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in other languages is a plus

Benefits

• A competitive salary, including bonus
• A robust health benefits plan (exact details will vary by country)
• Unlimited PTO (that we encourage staff to take!)
• Desk allowance and flexible work location
• A positive and supportive team with opportunities for advancement
• A demonstrated commitment to helping all staff develop and grow