Senior Manager, Legal Operations- Remote

GiveDirectly has delivered more than $1B in cash directly to 2+ million people living in poverty across 15 countries since 2011. We believe cash transfers are one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and dignified forms of aid, with the

research

to back it up. GiveDirectlys People Operations team owns global payroll, employee lifecycle, HR data, and total rewards delivery for a workforce spread across more than 20 countries. As the team has grown, so has the case for additional capacity at the leadership level to help own the operating engine that keeps payroll, service delivery, and people data running well every day. The Senior Manager, People Operations will manage a team of Associates and Coordinators (3 in total for now). Youll own end-to-end payroll delivery, the ticketing system and employee lifecycle (onboarding, offboarding, transfers), HRIS data quality, and execution of the annual compensation cycle and mobility transactions. Youll be the first point of contact for country HR teams on operational payroll, data, and ticketing matters, and youll build depth across your team so critical knowledge doesnt sit with one person.
Job Type:

Full-time
Reports to:

Senior Manager, People Operations
Location:

Remote, with a requirement to overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours, and meaningful overlap with US Eastern hours. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas in the U.Travel Requirements:

Must be able to travel ~3-4 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats and oversight.
Lead, coach, and develop a team, setting clear priorities, standards of work, and ownership across payroll, service delivery, people data, and lifecycle operations
Serve as the first point of contact for country HR teams on operational payroll, data, lifecycle, and ticketing matters

Global payroll:
Own end-to-end payroll delivery for all global staff across entities and employer of record arrangements, ensuring accurate and timely processing of salaries, benefits, and deductions
Manage payroll providers operationally, including service quality, issue resolution, invoicing, and migrations
Run annual bonus administration end to end, ensuring calculations are accurate and payments are made within designated timelines

People operations service delivery and employee lifecycle:
Own the ticketing system and its operating rhythm, including triage, assignment, SLA performance, and reporting
Drive the implementation of tools that improve functionality and user experience
People data and systems:
Own HRIS operations and data quality, including the method for preventing inaccurate data entering the system at source
Total rewards and mobility operations:
Produce the analysis behind compensation decisions, including benchmarking, compa ratio and cost modelling, and equity audits
Execute mobility transactions end to end, including payroll and entity transfers, contract issuance, location-based pay changes, work permit and employer of record administration, and the supporting trackers and records

Participate in cross-functional initiatives and organizational projects, representing People Operations requirements
Perform all other duties that may be assigned to you from time to time by the Senior Manager, People Operations and stakeholders

6+ years of professional experience in People Operations, HR operations, or global payroll, including at least 2 years managing a team

~ Direct experience running multi-country payroll and people operations, ideally including Sub-Saharan Africa and employer of record arrangements
~ Demonstrated ownership of an HRIS, including an implementation, migration, or significant data quality turnaround
~ Working knowledge of employment and statutory requirements across multiple jurisdictions, with sound judgment on compliance risk and a clear sense of when to decide and when to escalate
~ Ability to liaise remotely with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures, and to act with credibility, tact, and diplomacy
~ Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate technical people operations content to non-specialist audiences
~ Comfort operating with incomplete guidance and shifting priorities, and strong time management across competing deadlines
~ Professionally proficient in English
~ Experience in a global non-profit, international development organization, or mission-driven company with an Africa presence preferred
~ Familiarity with employer of record and contractor models across multiple countries (Oyster, Remote, or similar) preferred
~ Aptitude to learn new software tools such as Slack, BambooHR, Jira, and Asana, and comfort with AI-assisted tools to streamline people operations workflows
~ 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.

We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. Bonus at Target Performance:

10% (~$11,466, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $13,415 in 2025)
Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $126,126+
Bonus at Target Performance:

10% (~£7,760, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be £9,079 in 2025)
Estimated Total Compensation at Target: £85,360+
Bonus at Target Performance:

10% (~$8,382, with potential for upside. For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $9,807 in 2025)
Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $92,202+
This role is fully remote, so if you are not based in the US, UK or Kenya, we will share an estimated salary benchmark for the country you are based in during the hiring process.

LI-REMOTE