Community Engagement Manager

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the poorest people in the world. The Brookings Institution estimates that $100B 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. GiveDirectly 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 $800M since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1 million people, and launched offices in 11 countries. We’ve also supported 19 large-scale, experimental research projects that indicate strong recipient impact of our programs – including the largest universal basic income experiment in history. We use concrete evidence to inform the design of our programs: from research results published in leading journals, to in-depth qualitative work. 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.

We’re looking for exceptional talent to grow our collaborative, diverse team. Joining GiveDirectly provides the opportunity to work alongside individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. We’re actively working toward an equitable and inclusive environment for all team members, and seek candidates who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our organization. We recruit from organizations across all industries: our team has hailed from sectors including start-ups, government, consultancies, investment banks, and nonprofits.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and fast-paced. We value ability, adaptability, and willingness to learn. We offer competitive salary and benefits, as well as performance-based bonuses.

About this role

Since 2017, GiveDirectly has provided cash relief to low-income Americans affected by disasters. Between 2020 and 2021, we distributed $200M to 200,000 households in response to the COVID-19 crisis - 100% remotely. In 2021, GiveDirectly launched a permanent U.S. team to implement cash programs in disaster response and guaranteed income. As part of this effort, we launched the largest guaranteed income program focused on Black women in the U.S., and the largest in the South. 

GiveDirectly has been selected as the program administrator for the Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot. The pilot is the nation’s largest publicly funded guaranteed income initiative at $42 million, and Cook County is the first government to commit to a permanent program after the completion of the pilot. The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot will send monthly payments of $500 to 3,250 residents for two years. Applications to participate in the pilot will open this fall. 

Community Engagement Officers (CEOs) will support GiveDirectly’s work with Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot. As a member of the Cook County-based team, you will verify applicant eligibility for the program, directly support applicants in enrollment, use tools to help applicants make an informed decision about participating in the program, and support program staff in engaging applicants throughout the enrollment process. 

Community Engagement Managers (CEMs) will be responsible for the above as well as managing CEOs, liaising with our customer service team and resolving escalated issues, and supporting the organization and staffing of enrollment events.

The CEM position will be part-time. For part-time roles, the number of hours will vary from week to week, and will average 30-40 hours per week. We’re looking for candidates who will be based in Cook County, Illinois. While some work may be done remotely, throughout November you will be required to support in-person enrollment events throughout the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County.

You must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application; we are unable to sponsor international candidates for this position.

Reports to: Community Engagement Manager (CEM) or Program Manager

What you’ll do:

• Clearly communicate complex information
• Maintain confidentiality 
• Review documents to verify applicant eligibility 
• Conduct phone/email outreach to applicants
• Answer questions and provide information to assist applicants in submitting required documentation, making an informed decision about participating in the program, and enrolling in the program
• Review documentation from applicants to confirm their eligibility for the program 
• Assist with scheduled in person enrollment events through Cook County, Illinois 
• Use a benefits counseling tool to help recipients understand any potential effect on their benefits
• Conduct other programmatic/logistical tasks, where required
• Collaborate with the team on ways to improve processes for applicants 
• Manage CEO staff including communication with CEOs, training, delivering feedback, and performance management
• Support the organization, scheduling, and staffing of enrollment events 
• Liaise with the customer service team and resolve escalated issues

What you’ll bring:

• Experience managing high-performing teams 
• Strong organizational abilities and project management experience
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to show respect and openness toward someone whose social and cultural background is different from one’s own – CEOs and CEMs will be the face of our program for recipients and will need to approach all communications and interactions with an eye toward delivering the best possible experience for recipients.
• Great communication skills – CEOs will explain the program and process to recipients and collect and discuss potentially sensitive information about income and government benefits. Discretion and good judgment are paramount.
• Technological literacy – CEOs and CEMs will need fluency and comfort using computers and tablets.
• Fast learner – CEOs and CEMs must learn the complexities of our operations, and communicate those to applicants.
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member with personal enthusiasm, optimism, humility, and a sense of humor.
• Candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve are encouraged to apply.
• We encourage candidates who are bilingual in any of Cook County’s commonly used languages (including Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, and Polish) to apply.
• Experience with customer service or in a client-facing role is a plus.
• Alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. 

Compensation

At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. The salary for this role is $30 / hour.