Givedirectly

Senior Manager, Corporate Audit

Nairobi, Kenya Full Time

About GiveDirectly

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 $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different 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.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations -- it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, dynamic and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow.  We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

Location: This role is fully remote but must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

About this role

The Corporate Audit Manager will establish and lead GiveDirectly’s new Corporate Audit function, expanding the scope of Internal Audit beyond program and field audits to include organization-wide governance, controls, and compliance systems.

This role will serve as a trusted, independent assurance partner, providing objective insight into how effectively GiveDirectly’s core processes and controls function across operations, finance, legal, compliance, and technology.

Working closely with the Director of Internal Audit, as well as the Legal & Compliance team, this role will build and execute a risk-based audit plan designed to strengthen GiveDirectly’s internal control environment and governance maturity.

The Corporate Audit Manager will not only assess controls but also help leadership understand why gaps exist and how systems can be improved – reinforcing a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Reports to: Director, Internal Audit 

Level: Senior Manager 

Travel Requirement: Must be able to travel ~3-4 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or field visits 

What you’ll do:

  • Build and Execute GiveDirectly’s Corporate Audit Program
    • Lead the design and implementation of a risk-based corporate audit plan, aligned with organizational priorities and the enterprise risk framework.
    • Expand IA’s scope beyond field audits to include financial, operational, compliance, and governance reviews.
    • Coordinate with the Senior Manager, Legal, Risk & Compliance to ensure risk data and control libraries inform audit planning.
    • Conduct independent reviews of the design and effectiveness of internal controls across departments (Finance, HR, Legal, Operations, IT, Procurement, etc.).
    • Manage end-to-end audits: scoping, fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up.
  • Provide Assurance and Insight
    • Assess whether systems and processes are operating effectively and efficiently, in compliance with internal policy and external requirements.
    • Identify control weaknesses, inefficiencies, and risks – and recommend actionable solutions.
    • Partner with management to track remediation plans, ensuring audit findings are resolved and controls strengthened.
    • Present concise, high-impact audit reports and recommendations to the Director of IA.
  • Strengthen Governance and Control Systems
    • Partner with GLC and Finance to review organizational policies, processes, and control design.
    • Provide independent assurance on critical areas such as:
    • Procurement and contract management
    • Data privacy and security
    • Financial management and reporting
    • Regulatory and donor compliance
    • Fraud prevention and ethics controls
    • Identify opportunities to simplify and strengthen controls without creating bureaucracy.
  • Promote a Culture of Accountability and Learning
    • Work collaboratively with departments to demystify audit – positioning it as a partner in improvement, not a punitive function.
    • Support the development of audit readiness and control awareness across teams.
    • Contribute to IA’s learning agenda by sharing insights, trends, and systemic lessons.
  • Conduct investigations
    • Where necessary work with the IA team to undertake investigations when systems, processes or controls are found to have been violated 
    • Present findings of these investigations to Senior Leadership 

What you’ll bring:

  • Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
  • Education and Experience
    • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certification (e.g., CPA, CIA, CISA, ACCA) strongly preferred.
    • 4-5 years of experience in internal audit, risk, compliance, or assurance — ideally within international NGOs, development organizations, or global enterprises.
    • Proven experience designing or executing risk-based audits and evaluating internal controls across multiple functions.
  • Technical Skills
    • Strong understanding of internal audit frameworks (e.g., COSO, IIA Standards).
    • Working knowledge of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) concepts and tools.
    • Ability to assess both process and system controls, and to translate findings into practical recommendations.
    • Skilled in data analysis, risk assessment, and audit report writing.
    • Language: English (required); French or Portuguese preferred.
  • Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
    • Excellent communication and relationship management skills; able to collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
    • Strong project management and organizational skills; capable of managing multiple audits concurrently.
    • Ability to coach and mentor junior auditors or cross-functional colleagues involved in audit activities.
  • Preferred Qualifications:
    • Experience working in donor-funded or regulated environments (e.g., USAID, FCDO, UN, or EU-funded programs).
    • Prior experience implementing or optimizing internal audit software or tools.
    • Understanding of fraud detection methodologies and data analytics in audit contexts.
  • Desirable Qualifications:
    • Certified fraud or investigations credentials, e.g. ACFE

Compensation

At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to ensure that staff’s total compensation package (base compensation + bonus)  falls within the 75th percentile of similar roles, at similar organizations. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. Read more about our compensation philosophy here.

  • We’ll be updating this JD with the salary details over the next few days.

Why work at GiveDirectly?

At GiveDirectly, we work to ensure that you have everything you need to excel in your role and on your team, including:

  • A positive and supportive team with opportunities for advancement 
  • A demonstrated commitment to helping all staff develop and grow
  • A competitive salary, including bonus
  • A robust health benefits plan (exact details will vary by country)
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Allowances for desk set-up and learning and development

 #LI-REMOTE

 

Working at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Flagging for US applicants: We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization working with communities to eliminate extreme poverty, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any abuse or misconduct related matters involving potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we work with, and prevent abuse to our recipients and staff.

**GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect people and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance when it comes to preventing,  reporting, or responding to any form of abuse or  exploitation.” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.**

 

Reasonable Accommodations

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at careers@givedirectly.org with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!