Retail Associate Field Manager Follow-Up NGO Jobs – GiveDirectly
Job Title: Retail Associate Field Manager Follow-Up
Organisation: GiveDirectly
Duty Station: Kiryandongo, Uganda
Reports to: Call Centre Manager
About US:
GiveDirectly (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. 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 $200m since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 125,000 families, and launched offices in 7 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.
We’re looking for exceptional talent to grow our field team. Our culture is blunt, analytical, non-hierarchical, and fast-paced. We recruit candidates from top organizations across all industries – our team has hailed from consultancies, investment banks, start-ups, non-profits, and government to name a few. We value ability and willingness to learn over years of experience. We offer competitive salary and benefits and performance-based bonuses.
Job Summary: The Associate Field Manager, Follow-Up (Flup AFM) will play a central role in ensuring that GiveDirectly delivers a gold-standard product to donors and recipients. The Flup AFM will manage Follow up, Field Officers (FOs) on one of our teams. The follow-up team is responsible for (i) speaking to all of our recipients before they receive transfers (mostly by phone but sometimes in the field); (ii) picking up, tracking, and resolving adverse events such as fraud or conflict; (iii) picking up, tracking, and resolving mobile money registration problems; and (iv) receiving inbounds calls on a hotline. The individual in the Follow-Up AFM position will own day-to-day management of his team, including: daily work planning and team management, tracking team and individual performance; achieving targets; coaching field officers; and identifying opportunities for risk mitigation and process improvement. The Associate Field Manager will serve as the key eyes and ears resource on the ground for the Field Manager (FM) and Field Director (FD) and will be responsible for regularly synthesizing updates on team performance as well as field successes and challenges. The role will reward exceptional personnel management, organizational skills, high-quality judgment on operational challenges, and a strong commitment towards driving both team and individual productivity and quality.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Call center and field management (20%)
- Meet with Field Manager at least monthly to align on any adjustments to work plan.
- Meet with field teams as necessary to align on daily plans and problem-solve challenges. Coordinate team approach for surveys to maximize efficiency and efficacy (e.g. allocating call center roles by transfer type, hotline, adverse events, and registration problems).
- Track FO productivity & quality of service, including reviewing operational reports each week; discuss team and individual performance weekly with FOs and FM; own course correction if metrics are slipping.
- Keep senior management informed of key risks to work plan (e.g. adverse event / registration problem counts, monthly recipient transfer-readiness, rumours about GiveDirectly, mobile money agent fraud, etc.).
- Weekly meeting with other members of field management (FM, AFMs) in order to discuss challenges and propose solutions.
- Manage periodic team trips to the field to follow-up with vulnerable recipients, hard to reach recipients, and adverse event / registration problem cases.
Data collection and process improvement (20%)
- Collect surveys ~ 1-2 days a week in order to help teams achieve targets and to help identify areas for improvement.
- Vet new versions of surveys, including impact on field staff productivity and follow-up data quality, and recommend survey improvements as necessary (e.g. potential process, risk mitigation, or data management gaps).
- Raise ideas for continuous improvement to the enrolment process /recipient experience; execute process improvements and ideas raised by the FM / FD.
Administration (20%)
- Carve out time each week in order to complete administrative tasks and meetings.
- Ensure all allowance requests and spent allowance requests are submitted correctly and promptly. Process leave requests so as not to conflict with work planning and operations.
- Resolve miscellaneous equipment requests.
- Participate in a weekly field management forum to problem solve and collaborate on work planning.
Quality Control (15%)
- Monitor and ensure quality control while the field staff conduct surveys.
- Periodically check and review FO data collection. Coach staff to correct any issues observed.
- Spend 1-2 day resolving difficult cases in the field that require special attention (hard-to-find recipients, cases of potential fraud)
Field Officer management and development (15%)
- Coach FOs on challenges. Provide additional case-specific input as requested by FO (e.g. ambiguity around adverse event). Exercise judgment and escalate recurring issues or questions to FM to align on approach.
- Coach FOs who are underperforming and provide disciplinary measures if necessary.
- Encourage teamwork and improve morale through mentorship, affirmations, and various management initiatives.
- Spend 1-2 days shadowing staff in order to identify areas for improvement and professional development, particularly during staff training.
- Conduct monthly performance check-ins with direct reports and semi-annual performance reviews.
Other (10%)
- Arrange interview logistics and conduct interviews for new FOs (after initial screen from HR Manager). Recommend potential hires to FM for final approval.
- Provide initial training to newly hired FOs and on-going professional development to staff. Participate in meetings with district, county, and sub-country officials as necessary. Represent GiveDirectly in the field and manage daily communication with local village and parish leaders.
- Assist Field Director and Field Manager with communicating and executing new projects/pilots/technologies (e.g. software changes and upgrades, recipient targeting projects, content collection for website and mobile app, etc.).
- Assist with response to crisis events (e.g. refusal spikes, government shut-down, coordinated fraud, etc.)
- Promote effective team culture by encouraging recognition of positive achievements, planning team events periodically, and other team-building initiatives.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate must either hold a Diploma / Degree
- Exceptional leadership ability with demonstrated success in motivating and developing junior staff
- Exceptional ability to problem-solve complex operational challenges over the phone and in the field
- Alignment with GiveDirectly core values and commitment to advancing GD’s mission
- Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and team-player mentality
- Strong interest in being the engine of the day-to-day field work
- Demonstrated ability to work in a highly independent and self-directed manner, while effectively communicating upwardly about gaps and risks.
- Fluency in English and at least two of these languages: Juba Arabic, Dinka, Nuer, Acholi, Bari, Tuko, Swahili, Balanda, Zande, Runyoro, Lumasaba.
- Strong communication and relationship building skills and the ability to represent the organization effectively to external parties.
- Analytical and technical skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at the web link below.
NB: Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a ROLLING BASIS. GiveDirectly does not request for any form of payment from an applicant.
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda