Remote opportunity at
GiveDirectlyLegal Counsel, Emergency Cash & U.S. Programs
GiveDirectly, which has delivered more than a billion dollars in cash directly to over two million people in poverty across 15 countries, is hiring a Legal…
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About This Role
GiveDirectly, which has delivered more than a billion dollars in cash directly to over two million people in poverty across 15 countries, is hiring a Legal Counsel for Emergency Cash and U.S. Programs at Senior Manager level. The position builds a legal framework that can be prepared ahead of time and activated when a crisis hits, so that cash can reach affected households within days. Roughly 70 percent of the…
Job Description
GiveDirectly, which has delivered more than a billion dollars in cash directly to over two million people in poverty across 15 countries, is hiring a Legal Counsel for Emergency Cash and U.S. Programs at Senior Manager level. The position builds a legal framework that can be prepared ahead of time and activated when a crisis hits, so that cash can reach affected households within days.
Roughly 70 percent of the job is Emergency Cash work: groundwork before a crisis, such as entry into new countries, regulatory analysis, government relations, contracting, data handling and bringing in local counsel. When an emergency response is live, this work takes top priority, and the counsel directs the legal tasks needed to get programs running on compressed timelines.
The remaining share covers legal partnership for U.S. programs that send cash to lower-income Americans through partnerships with public agencies, donors, academics and local nonprofits. These include Rx Kids, guaranteed-income pilots and housing stability efforts. The counsel guides design choices on eligibility, public benefit interactions, tax treatment, payments for minors and caregivers, family law, privacy and state rules, and negotiates agreements with partners.
Successful candidates are licensed attorneys with post-qualification experience in complicated program, commercial or regulatory matters, strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to master unfamiliar rules quickly. Working knowledge of data protection law, the ability to explain legal points to non-lawyers and fluent English are required. Crisis response, humanitarian or U.S. benefits experience is preferred. The position is fully remote and must overlap at least three hours with East Africa time; travel runs roughly three to four trips annually, plus any emergency deployments. The employer cannot currently sponsor US or UK work visas. Pay is 134,400 dollars in the US, 91,900 pounds in the UK and 106,280 dollars in Kenya, each with a 10 percent target bonus and an annual benefits stipend.
Responsibilities
- Build the Emergency Cash legal framework, covering country entry, regulatory checks, government outreach, contracting and data use
- Create readiness templates, toolkits and decision guides for fast responses
- Lead legal execution during active emergencies, giving clear advice even with partial information
- Draft and negotiate partnership, technology, supplier and data-sharing agreements
- Counsel on how U.S. cash initiatives are structured and run
- Negotiate program agreements with public bodies, researchers, nonprofits and payment firms
- Document lessons from each deployment and improve the framework
- Coordinate outside and local counsel and hand off routine legal tasks
Requirements
- Licensed attorney with relevant post-qualification experience
- Advisory work on intricate program, deal or regulatory questions under pressure
- Strong commercial drafting, especially partnership, technology and data agreements
- Ability to grasp unfamiliar legal and regulatory systems quickly
- Skill in explaining complex law clearly to colleagues without legal training
- Practical grasp of data protection and privacy rules
- English fluency and capacity to reprioritize during emergencies
Qualifications
- Emergency response, humanitarian or crisis legal experience
- Experience launching programs in new countries
- Experience with US public benefits, family law, charitable aid or government-program questions
- Work across emerging-market jurisdictions, with vulnerable groups or sensitive data
Core Skills
Benefits
- Robust health benefits plan, with details varying by country
- Flexible paid time off
- Stipends for home office setup and skill development
- Annual benefits stipend, which may cover benefits or be taken as taxable income
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Where is the role based?
The role is fully remote and requires at least three hours of overlap with East Africa time. The posting says applicants elsewhere should flag this early with their recruiter.
What are the base salaries?
The posting lists 134,400 dollars in the US, 91,900 pounds in the UK and 106,280 dollars in Kenya, each with a 10 percent target bonus.
Does GiveDirectly sponsor visas?
The posting says the employer cannot take on sponsorship of US or UK employment visas at this time.
How much travel is involved?
About three to four trips annually, plus any travel needed during live emergencies.
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