Senior Program Officer

GiveWell is looking for a Senior Program Officer. Senior Program Officers are the leaders of GiveWell's grantmaking, taking primary responsibility for a significant grantmaking portfolio, setting its strategy, and directing the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars to the most impactful opportunities.

You'll combine rigorous review of empirical evidence, cost-effectiveness modeling, strong grantee relationships, and ground-truthing to decide what to fund and how to structure it.

• Take primary responsibility for a significant grantmaking portfolio and set its strategy,
• Review and evaluate funding opportunities to identify those with the greatest impact potential,
• Make grant allocation decisions that inform the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars to dozens of grantees,
• Combine rigorous review of empirical evidence, cost-effectiveness modelling, and grantee relationships to inform funding decisions,
• Conduct ground-truthing of how programs are actually delivered in practice,
• Engage with subject matter experts and understand broader context to inform strategy,
• Communicate externally about GiveWell's work and research findings,
• Mentor and advise other members of the research team,
• Balance exploring new opportunities with funding cost-effective programs at scale,
• Design and structure new funding mechanisms when needed,
• Triangulate empirical evidence against expert opinion and qualitative factors

• At least 5-10 years of professional experience, with a significant portion in similar or closely-related roles,
• Strong track record using empirical tools to make rigorous, evidence-based decisions under uncertainty,
• Experience with funding, building, or scaling new programs, initiatives, or organisations,
• Demonstrated ability with rigorous quantitative analysis and cost-effectiveness modelling,
• Strong relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders (funders, research organizations, NGOs, etc.),
• Experience owning large budgets and/or grant portfolios,
• Excellent written and verbal communication with emphasis on directness and clarity,
• Ability to set and iterate on strategy in complex, fast-moving environments,
• Deep curiosity and willingness to interrogate evidence and challenge assumptions,
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort making bets under uncertainty,
• Ability to think critically about value judgments and mental models,
• Appreciation for strong relationships and ability to moderate directness when communicating externally,

• Experience in global health, development, or related fields,
• Experience reviewing randomised controlled trials and impact evaluations,
• Experience working with governments or multilateral organisations,
• Experience gathering first-hand data to inform program design,
• Experience managing diverse grant types including advocacy and market-shaping initiatives

To apply for this role, please fill in the application form below.