Field Officer

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!

Job Title: Field Officer

Location: Kaliro District, Uganda

Reports to: Associate Field Manager

Background:

GiveDirectly (GD) provides cash grants directly to people living in extreme poverty. GD has raised over $800M since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.2 million recipients, and launched offices in 11 countries. We’re continuing expansion across the Global South. Over the past decade, GD has also supported large-scale, experimental research, expanding the evidence that cash has a positive short and long-term impact on recipients. 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) has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and agile. We work alongside 750+ individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. Team members at GiveDirectly attest that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but a fundamental part of our culture and values. We actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and use DEI as a lens in our hiring practices, programs, and initiatives. Our goal is to maintain a workplace where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and feel valued and respected for who they are. We continue to grapple with balancing inclusivity of all cultures and experiences while maintaining cohesion in our values. While there is much that we are still learning, we take care of one another, have fun, as well as provide flexible working hours wherever possible. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by law.

Overview:

The Field Officer will play a critical day-to-day role in delivering GiveDirectly’s gold-standard cash transfer product to donors and recipients. The Field Officer will carry out and support a variety of field activities, depending on his / her team assignment and GiveDirectly’s needs on any given day. In short, the Field Officer will be responsible for executing the recipient surveys and associated processes that facilitate GiveDirectly’s unique cash transfer model. The role will reward high-quality judgment on operational questions and challenges, work ethic, communication skills, and a strong commitment to GiveDirectly’s mission and model.

Core responsibilities by team:

Census team

• Barazas: explain GiveDirectly’s program to entire villages prior to the census surveys; answer any questions.
• Explain GiveDirectly’s program to eligible households
• Meet with the village elders and guides to understand village boundaries
• Coordinating with team members, visit every household in the village, excluding none
• Complete census surveys with accurate data using digital tools

Registration team

• Provide cell phones as necessary
• Ensure someone in the household is ready to operate the phone to access transfers
• Identify and eliminate ineligible households
• Complete surveys with accurate data using digital tools accurate data
• Reinforce information about GiveDirectly’s program to eligible households
• Explain safety and readiness information to recipients
• Ensure someone in the household is ready to operate the phone to access transfers
• Identify and eliminate ineligible households

Follow-up team

• Follow up surveys: call or visit recipients to administer a survey to confirm transfer receipt and collect data used to improve the program and uncover any recipient problems
• Hotline calls: answer the phone as recipients call in with questions or concerns, answering their questions and escalating any problems as necessary
• Registration problem resolution: for people who have not registered with mobile money or who have registered with the wrong name, call or visit the recipients and advise them on how to register
• Adverse events case management: identify, report, and escalate adverse events to team leader; examples include: intra-household conflict, rumors about GiveDirectly, reports of a bribe, etc.

A Field Officer will be a member of one of these teams as assigned depending on the organisation’s needs.

Desired qualifications:

• Language requirement: Lulamogi (mandatory) and Lugwere
• Possess at minimum a bachelors degree in relevant fields
• Previous working experience in Humanitarian sector ( at least 1 year)
• Computer and mobile device data entry ability or experience (Commcare, Salesforce, Google suit package )
• Empathy, honesty, and the highest standards of integrity
• Strong interest in advancing the distinctive values and mission of GiveDirectly
• Patience and good judgment in resolving recipient problems
• Previous working experience in the field with vulnerable communities (1-2 years minimum)
• Physical fitness and ability to cope with difficult weather conditions or terrain

This is a field based, short term contract (5 months) role and applications will be processed on a rolling basis.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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!