Senior Manager, Product

GiveDirectly is the first and largest nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest. We believe people living in poverty deserve the dignity to choose for themselves how best to improve their lives — cash enables that choice. The Senior Manager, Product will lead the vision and development of the 'Cash + Coaching' model, distilling insights from behavioral science and digital coaching research into a clear, scalable product strategy.\n\n### Role Overview\nThis role involves defining the product vision for Cash + Coaching across content, channel, and dosage. You will be responsible for creating a modular 'menu' of coaching components and making principled tradeoffs between intensity and scalability to drive maximum impact for users in low-literacy and low-connectivity environments.\n\n### Key Responsibilities\n\n#### Strategy & Product Vision\n* Own the vision and roadmap for Cash + Coaching across content, channel, and dosage.\n* Distill insights from graduation, behavioral science, and digital coaching theory and research into a clear, scalable product strategy.\n* Define a modular “menu” of coaching components (e.g., soft skills, transfer planning, digital literacy, market linkages, savings tools) and how they layer onto large transfers.\n* Make principled tradeoffs between intensity and scalability — identifying what truly drives impact versus what adds cost or complexity.\n\n#### Building & Scaling User-Facing Coaching Products\n* Lead development of digitally enabled coaching tools, including AI or rules-based chatbots (e.g., WhatsApp-based planning and follow-through tools).\n* Lead development of video-based “wise intervention” and edutainment content.\n* Develop tablet-based or volunteer-enabled digital curricula.\n* Develop repeatable, evidence-based protocols and curriculum for light-touch in-person touchpoints, including training sessions, community scripts, and analogue versions of digital products.\n* Translate product concepts into clear technical specifications in partnership with internal Tech teams and external vendors.\n* Ensure tools are designed for low-literacy, low-connectivity environments and sequence releases thoughtfully.\n\n#### Partnerships, Vendor Management & Country Pilots\n* Build and manage strategic partnerships with graduation implementers, academic partners, tech and edutainment vendors.\n* Evaluate when to build in-house vs. adapt or license external content.\n* Lead deep-dive collaborations with country Programs teams (e.g., Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi) to pilot and refine interventions.\n* Manage budgets, scopes of work, contracts, and performance of external vendors and collaborators.\n\n#### Learning & External Positioning\n* Oversee rapid pilots and structured experiments of coaching components in collaboration with research teams and academic collaborators.\n* Contribute to donor-facing strategy and sector positioning around scalable “graduation-lite” models.\n* Represent GiveDirectly in sector conversations on digital coaching, graduation, and cost-effective poverty reduction.\n\n### Requirements and Qualifications\n* BA/BSc/HND degree.\n* 8-10+ years of experience designing or leading graduation, economic inclusion, or cash-plus programs.\n* Direct experience building or scaling digital coaching products (e.g., chatbots, app-based curriculum, edutainment platforms, or digital financial literacy tools).\n* Deep familiarity with the graduation evidence base and coaching methodologies.\n* Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple teams and external vendors simultaneously.\n* Experience translating behavioral or training concepts into scalable operational systems.\n* Exceptional written communication and strategic thinking skills.\n* Alignment with GiveDirectly Values: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.\n* Language Requirement: English (required), French (preferred).\n\n### How to Apply\nInterested and qualified candidates should apply via the GiveDirectly Greenhouse application portal. Visit https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1199112 to access the application link.