Program Associate

Program Associate

GiveWell is a research organization that identifies and funds cost-effective giving opportunities, focusing on global health and well-being. Our work is funded by tens of thousands of donors who rely on our research to inform their giving. We've grown from directing $1.5 million in 2010 to directing nearly $400 million in 2024.

The Role

Our research team is seeking Program Associates who will provide critical support to the team to maximize the impact of a program portfolio of life-saving and poverty-alleviating programs. This is primarily a project management role, providing key support to GiveWell researchers during their research and grant investigations.

Responsibilities include :

• Project management of research and grantmaking plans. Program Associates are project management experts who manage the execution of research and grantmaking workflows. Program Associates make sure that a high volume of complex projects stay on track, our systems and tools are maintained and improved, and timelines are met. They bring excellent judgment for when to follow established processes and when to adapt them to their work. This could include :
• Keeping team trackers up to date and understanding how projects fit into broader team goals.
• Managing project timelines and deadlines, flagging risks and adjusting timelines as needed based on competing team priorities.
• Creating investigation templates and other tools to aid the research team in following consistent, high standards.
• Effective communication and coordination with internal and external contacts. Program Associates must clearly and effectively communicate with project contributors, internal teams, and external stakeholders about the projects they are managing. They will regularly interact with external stakeholders, including grantees, with progressively more autonomy in those interactions. Program Associates facilitate smooth information flow and collaboration, including ensuring all parties have the information needed to do their jobs well. This could include :
• Writing and sending messages to grantees and other external contacts to request information, explain our process, or request feedback.
• Generating call agendas and tracking and communicating clear follow-up steps.
• Communicating the status of research projects to internal teams and ensuring smooth handoffs on fundraising and funding logistics.
• Noticing unusual situations and flagging them to stakeholders early.
• Maintaining high attention to detail and accuracy. Program Associates are expected to maintain high standards for all work outputs, from system maintenance to content production. They ensure precision and reliability in data, documents, and processes. This could include :
• Ensuring that public-facing documents clearly cite sources and include important information for communicating our research and decision making.
• Updating team trackers with the most current information, so that teams and leadership can make decisions based on accurate and up-to-date project details.
• Assigning and following up on outstanding tasks in a timely manner, so the status of projects and next steps are clear.
• Maintaining organized and complete project files, ensuring information is accessible and usable for the broader team.
• Proactive problem-solving . Program Associates actively identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement within operational processes and systems, and propose and implement effective solutions to enhance workflows and overall team effectiveness. This could include :
• Creatively helping teams plan and execute on their top priorities, and assisting in re-prioritizing when needed.
• Improving guidance, templates, and processes that would better suit the team's needs.
• Handling straightforward issues independently, and flagging more complex challenges early to managers or other team members, offering options for how to address them.

About You

We are growing and changing quickly, so above all we seek a team player who is flexible, organized, and eager to proactively seek out ways to support the team so that we can do more work, better.

In addition, we expect you will be characterized by many of the below qualities. Exceptions may be made for excellent applicants who do not meet these criteria :

Why this role might not be a good fit :

Details