Head of U.S. Government Relations; Remote

Give Directly (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. Give Directly 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.

Priority Final date to receive applications: March 13, 2026 or until we receive a critical mass of applications.

Give Directly is seeking a Head of U.S. Government Relations to lead the organization’s engagement with the U.S. federal government and relevant stakeholders – with the goal of strengthening the role of cash transfers and promoting aid effectiveness in U.S. foreign aid spending and policy.

Location: The role is fully remote but must be based in the Washington, D.C. area given the need to engage directly with policymakers. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. at this time.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned U.S. government relations leader with deep expertise in foreign assistance policy, appropriations, and executive branch engagement. At a time when the sector is grappling with multiple crises of conflict, poverty, and huge changes in the funding landscape, Give Directly is growing quickly and making a concerted effort to advocate for aid effectiveness and the use of cash transfers in U.S. foreign assistance.

The Head of U.S. Government Relations will build off ~12 months of work already carried out by Give Directly on this advocacy front, including engagements with Congress and the State Department. This role will sit within Give Directly’s CEO’s office.

• Deep expertise in U.S. Congress and foreign assistance legislation and a track record of legislative wins:
  You understand how Congress makes decisions — from authorizations to appropriations to other pieces of legislation, particularly as related to foreign assistance. You have a track record of successfully influencing those processes, including influencing appropriations language.
• Deep expertise in U.S foreign assistance policy within the Executive Branch and a track record of policy influence:
  You understand how foreign assistance policy is shaped and implemented across agencies such as the State Department, USDA, MCC, and DFC, as well as relevant White House offices (e.g., OMB, NSC). You have firsthand experience influencing policy in one or more of these agencies, resulting in changes…