Manager, Gift Processing

The Role

We are hiring a Manager, Gift Processing to lead the team and function that processes gifts from over 30,000 donors per year, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The quality of our gift processing function directly impacts the donor experience and therefore GiveWell’s ability to save and improve lives around the world. The Manager, Gift Processing will own critical systems and processes at the intersection between fundraising, donor experience, and operations. They will report directly to our Head of Business Operations and manage a small team of individual contributors. 

Why we’re hiring this role right now: We have recently moved gift processing under operations so that the team can more closely collaborate with our tech and finance teams. We think a dedicated manager over the function will enable us to optimize our operations and reach our goals more quickly.

Specific duties will include: 

Managing your team. You’ll be responsible for leading our gift processing team and seasonal staff. You’ll coach them through challenging issues, mentor and provide feedback to help them grow, direct them on how to allocate their time, and inspire them to bring their best every day.

Oversee gift processing operations. You’ll have ownership over the full life cycle of gift processing: receipt, recording, acknowledgment, reconciliation, and compliance. You’ll ensure donor intent is honored and IRS regulations are met across all transactions.

Managing our donation systems and data. You’ll implement or upgrade giving systems for diverse donation types that decrease risk, reduce friction for donors, and increase efficiency. You’ll partner with tech to ensure there are thoughtful integrations and seamless, high-quality data flow between platforms. You’ll generate reports and insights that inform our fundraising strategy and operational decisions and help us become more data-driven.

Collaborating across GiveWell. You’ll partner closely with our leaders across finance, tech, and philanthropy to ensure our donors have a frictionless donation experience with GiveWell.

Project management. You will take on projects that optimize how we process gifts and evolve our approach at GiveWell. For example, that could include managing timelines, budgets, and stakeholder communication for system upgrades or implementing a new process that streamlines donor communications.

About You

We’re looking for at least five years of experience within gift processing, advancement, or revenue operations. Additionally, the strongest candidates will have a solid track record of:

• A minimum of two years as a people manager where you led your team to exceptional results
• Primary responsibility for an operations function
• Leading strategy and setting goals for continuous improvement
• Leading complex projects and process improvement initiatives
• Experience in a non-profit or mission-driven organization
• Impeccable communication skills, both written and verbal
• Working within a fast-paced startup environment
• Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including building cross-functional relationships
• Utilizing data (specifically within Excel and Google Sheets) to generate reports, insights, and dashboards
• Ability to flex into administrative details and day-to-day operations 
• Implementing and navigating new technologies and systems

We also think these factors will help you do well in the role and at GiveWell:

• Alignment with our values and a passion for GiveWell’s mission
• Proficiency with Salesforce (we use NonProfit Success Pack)
• Experience hiring and onboarding staff, specifically temporary/seasonal employees
• Growth mindset and skill in delivering feedback, seeking feedback, and taking action in response to feedback
• Composure during stressful, intense spurts of work (e.g., giving season)
• Familiarity with Asana for project management

Key Questions & Information

What is giving season like at GiveWell?

Seventy percent of our donations occur during the giving season (October through January), which resulted in over 56,000 gifts during those four months last year. Throughout giving season, we narrowly focus on supporting the philanthropy team and ensuring that donors have a positive experience. In the off-season, we concentrate on enhancing our capacity, mitigating risks, engaging in strategic initiatives, and improving our skill sets.

What are some of the reasons this role is exciting?

This is an incredibly high-leverage position from an impact perspective. Improvements in GiveWell’s gift processing function have an outsized impact due to the scale of funding, the number of donations (over 30,000 donors per year), and the high-impact uses of the funding.

What are some of the reasons I might not like this role?

We’re seeking a hands-on leader who enjoys getting involved in the work. If you’re someone who prefers a role focused entirely on management, this might not be the best match for you.

What is the hiring process like?

Our basic plan for the hiring process is listed below. If you move to step 2, you’ll be in touch with a member of our recruiting team who will quickly answer any questions about logistics and timelines.

1. Submit your application below. You don’t need to write a cover letter (we deliberately turned off the cover letter upload field); we only need you to answer our application questions and submit your resume.
2. Thirty-minute conversation with our Manager of Talent Acquisition
3. Short multiple-choice assessment to evaluate your Excel skills.
4. Three virtual interviews with several folks across our operations and outreach teams, amounting to around four hours of synchronous interview time. One of the interviews will require preparing some materials in advance.
5. Reference checks.
6. Offer.

Please note that we could choose not to move forward at any stage of the process described above, and we do not share individualized evaluative feedback with applicants.

We plan to devote substantial time to reviewing applications, and we will respond to everyone who applies. We’ll review applications on a rolling basis, so it’s better to apply sooner. If we decide to close the application by a specific deadline, we’ll update this page at least one week in advance.

Details

• • Team: You’ll report to our Head of Operations and manage a team of three (and potentially additional seasonal staff).
  • Compensation:
    • New York City or the San Francisco Bay Area: $152,400
    • All other US locations: $138,200
    • International: Similar to the “all other US locations” salary, based on historical exchange rates and delivered in locally-denominated currency. We can share a precise figure upon request after the first work trial stage.
  • Location: GiveWell’s staff work primarily remotely within the US and abroad. This position is eligible to work fully remotely.
    • Offices: You are welcome but not required to work from our offices in Oakland, California; Brooklyn, NYC; or London, UK. We’ll cover relocation expenses for candidates who wish to move to any of our physical office locations.
    • International work: We are happy to employ staff internationally on a case-by-case basis. A successful candidate will need to commit to a work schedule that has some overlap with American working hours and the schedules of key coworkers.
  • Flexibility: We support and encourage flexible working, including flexible hours, working remotely, and working from the office when you choose. The majority of our staff, including senior management, work flexibly in one way or another.
  • Visa Sponsorship: If you want to work in the United States and need a work visa, we’ll do our best to sponsor it (and also cover up to 100% of relocation expenses on a case-by-case basis). Please note that government entities ultimately dictate our ability to sponsor visas.
  • Benefits: Our benefits include:
    • Fully funded health, dental, vision, and life insurance (we cover 100% of premiums within the US for you and any dependents)
    • Four weeks of paid time off per year
    • 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave
    • Ergonomic home workstations or coworking space memberships
    • 403(b) retirement plan
  • Travel: Every year, we host two Visit Week gatherings in our Oakland office with the entire GiveWell team. We also have an annual operations department retreat. We’ll expect you to attend each of those three gatherings, although we’ll offer some flexibility in the event of major conflicts or emergencies. 
  • Start date: We’d like a candidate to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer, but we’ll offer flexibility for candidates whose personal or professional circumstances require them to moderately delay their start date.