[Remote] Project Manager

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. GiveWell is a nonprofit organization that researches cost-effective ways to save and improve lives, shares its work openly, and directs donations to high-impact programs. The Project Manager will support researchers by managing research and grantmaking projects, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, maintaining accurate systems and documentation, and improving operational workflows.

Responsibilities

• Project management of research and grantmaking plans. Project Managers are project management experts who manage the execution of research and grantmaking workflows.Project Managers 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. Project Managers 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. Project Managers 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. Project Managers 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. Project Managers 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

Skills

• You have a bachelor's degree (or higher) and 2 to 5 years experience in project management or operational support
• You are skilled at planning and managing projects, including identifying and focusing on the most decision-relevant aspects of a project and communicating effectively with teammates. You are known for proactively moving work forward – anticipating what's needed, raising risks early, and creating momentum for the team
• You enjoy creating order out of disorder, especially when there are many overlapping pieces and stakeholders
• You are obsessed with details and love checking things off of your list, and you're energized rather than overwhelmed by knowing there will always be more to tackle
• You consider the big picture, asking questions like: is this project appropriately formulated and the best use of my time? How might we allocate our time more efficiently? Do we have the capacity to complete our goals?
• You clearly communicate what you believe and why, as well as what you are uncertain about
• You are comfortable working in a document-heavy culture, where careful writing, clear documentation, and well-maintained systems enable effective collaboration
• You ask a lot of questions, and are curious, rather than defensive, when interrogating your own or others' work
• You are respectful, effective, and efficient in your interactions with colleagues as well as external parties
• You are passionate about helping improve global health and alleviate global poverty as much as possible
• For this role, we can currently only hire team members based in the UK, Canada, or the United States who have prior work authorization
• Research team members are sometimes required to attend international site visits and conferences; on average 1-2 per year, with additional travel (including internationally) for those interested in traveling more
• Additionally, we strongly encourage staff members to attend quarterly whole-org and department retreats to bond with other team members and complete in-person work
• GiveWell's staff work primarily remotely within the U.S. and abroad

Benefits

• 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
• Four months of fully paid parental leave
• Ergonomic home workstations or coworking space memberships
• Automatic contribution equal to 5% of your gross salary into your 403(b) retirement plan (for U.S. based staff)
• Flexible working, including flexible hours, working remotely, and working from the office when you choose
• You will be compensated at a flat rate of $115 for the Coordinating an RFP work trial

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