Senior Manager, People Operations
GiveDirectly has delivered more than $1B in cash directly to 2+ million people living in poverty across 15 countries since 2011. We believe cash transfers are one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid, with the research to back it up. Our work has been covered by The Economist, NPR, TED, and The Washington Post. We are one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026.
Our culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical. We support high ownership and real professional growth. Curious about what it's really like to work here? Read our values and hear from the people who do. If they resonate, this could be a great fit!
About this Role
GiveDirectly's People Operations team owns global payroll, employee lifecycle, HR data, and total rewards delivery for a workforce spread across more than 20 countries. As the team has grown, so has the case for additional capacity at the leadership level to help own the operating engine that keeps payroll, service delivery, and people data running well every day. This role is that operating engine.
The Senior Manager, People Operations will manage a team of Associates and Coordinators (3 in total for now). You'll own end-to-end payroll delivery, the ticketing system and employee lifecycle (onboarding, offboarding, transfers), HRIS data quality, and execution of the annual compensation cycle and mobility transactions. You'll be the first point of contact for country HR teams on operational payroll, data, and ticketing matters, and you'll build depth across your team so critical knowledge doesn't sit with one person.
This is a hands-on, builder's role. You'll set the operating model for your areas (cadence, controls, service standards) and be accountable for the outcomes, not just for delivering against someone else's plan.
Job Type: Full-time
Reports to: Senior Manager, People Operations
Level: Senior Manager
Location: Remote, with a requirement to overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours, and meaningful overlap with US Eastern hours. We can only employ people in certain places at the moment, so it's worth checking our current list of eligible countries to see if yours is included. If you're based elsewhere, it's not an automatic no, but do flag it early with your recruiter. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.
Travel Requirements: Must be able to travel ~3-4 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats and oversight.
What you'll doTeam leadership and delivery:Lead, coach, and develop a team, setting clear priorities, standards of work, and ownership across payroll, service delivery, people data, and lifecycle operationsBuild depth and cover across the team so critical knowledge is not concentrated in one person, and establish clear escalation paths for absences and peak periodsDefine the operating model for your areas, including cadence, controls, service standards, and how work is prioritized against the function roadmapServe as the first point of contact for country HR teams on operational payroll, data, lifecycle, and ticketing mattersGlobal payroll:Own end-to-end payroll delivery for all global staff across entities and employer of record arrangements, ensuring accurate and timely processing of salaries, benefits, and deductionsOwn the payroll calendar, approvals, controls, and reconciliation, partnering with Finance on month-end, accruals, and people cost reportingManage payroll providers operationally, including service quality, issue resolution, invoicing, and migrationsMaintain current knowledge of payroll and statutory requirements across all operating locations, and drive the changes needed to stay compliantRun annual bonus administration end to end, ensuring calculations are accurate and payments are made within designated timelinesPeople operations service delivery and employee lifecycle: Own the ticketing system and its operating rhythm, including triage, assignment, SLA performance, and reportingOwn onboarding, offboarding, transfers, and role changes as designed processes rather than a series of transactions, and be accountable for the experience they produceAnalyze trends and root causes of recurring issues and deliver structural fixes rather than repeat workaroundsDrive the implementation of tools that improve functionality and user experienceAct as the escalation point for complex or high-priority tickets, providing direction and ensuring timely resolutionPeople data and systems: Own HRIS operations and data quality, including the method for preventing inaccurate data entering the system at sourceOwn the people systems roadmap covering workflows, automation, integrations, and reporting infrastructure, partnering with IT and Finance on deliveryRun the audit and reporting cycle, and maintain reporting standards in practiceProduce the people reporting that leadership decisions rely onTotal rewards and mobility operations: Execute annual compensation cycles, salary adjustments, and increase rollouts accurately and on timeOwn benefits administration across all locations, including renewals, enrollments, and issue resolutionProduce the analysis behind compensation decisions, including benchmarking, compa ratio and cost modelling, and equity auditsExecute mobility transactions end to end, including payroll and entity transfers, contract issuance, location-based pay changes, work permit and employer of record administration, and the supporting trackers and recordsOther tasks:Participate in cross-functional initiatives and organizational projects, representing People Operations requirementsPerform all other duties that may be assigned to you from time to time by the Senior Manager, People Operations and stakeholders
What you'll bring: 6+ years of professional experience in People Operations, HR operations, or global payroll, including at least 2 years managing a teamDirect experience running multi-country payroll and people operations, ideally including Sub-Saharan Africa and employer of record arrangementsDemonstrated ownership of an HRIS, including an implementation, migration, or significant data quality turnaroundA systems and process mindset, with the ability to point to workflows you have automated, simplified, or eliminatedWorking knowledge of employment and statutory requirements across multiple jurisdictions, with sound judgment on compliance risk and a clear sense of when to decide and when to escalateStrong analytical skills, including comfort with compensation and cost modelling and advanced spreadsheet abilityAbility to liaise remotely with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures, and to act with credibility, tact, and diplomacyStrong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate technical people operations content to non-specialist audiencesComfort operating with incomplete guidance and shifting priorities, and strong time management across competing deadlinesProfessionally proficient in EnglishExperience in a global non-profit, international development organization, or mission-driven company with an Africa presence preferredFamiliarity with employer of record and contractor models across multiple countries (Oyster, Remote, or similar) preferredAptitude to learn new software tools such as Slack, BambooHR, Jira, and Asana, and comfort with AI-assisted tools to streamline people operations workflowsExceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
Compensation
At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to calculate what we believe to be competitive pay based on role, location, and cost of living. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. Read more about our compensation philosophy here.
Unless otherwise noted, the benefits stipend may be used to cover benefits or taken as additional taxable income.
United StatesBase Salary: $114,660Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~$11,466, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $13,415 in 2025)Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $126,126+Annual Benefits Stipend: $21,393
United KingdomBase Salary: £77,600Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~£7,760, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be £9,079 in 2025)Estimated Total Compensation at Target: £85,360+Annual Benefits Stipend: £2,760
KenyaBase Salary: $83,820Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~$8,382, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $9,807 in 2025)Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $92,202+Annual Benefits Stipend: $8,453
This role is fully remote, so if you are not based in the US, UK or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring process.
#LI-REMOTE
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 [email protected] 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!Referrals
Know the right person for this role? Please consider referring them. We offer a reward of $3,000 for a Senior Manager or above role, and $500 for a Manager role, paid if we end up hiring your referral. Thank you for sending great people our way!
