GiveDirectly is Hiring a Remote Senior Software Engineer for $157,500 Base Salary

GiveDirectly is hiring a Remote Senior Software Engineer to help build technology systems that support its global cash transfer programs. This is a strong opportunity for experienced software engineers who want to work remotely while contributing to mission-driven products used in real-world humanitarian work.

The role is fully remote, but candidates must be available to overlap with the East Africa timezone by at least two hours a few times per week. GiveDirectly also notes that it cannot sponsor or take over employment visa sponsorship in the US or UK at this time..

Job Overview

Company: GiveDirectly

Role: Senior Software Engineer

Location: Remote

Job Type: Full-time

Language Requirement: English

Salary:

United States: $157,500 base salary, with estimated total compensation of $181,125+
United Kingdom: £108,150 base salary, with estimated total compensation of £124,373+
Kenya: $91,500 base salary, with estimated total compensation of $105,225+
Other countries: country-specific salary benchmark shared during hiring

Ready to Apply?

Application Link: You can apply here:

Apply Now

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is a nonprofit organization that sends cash directly to people living in poverty. According to the job listing, the organization has delivered more than $1 billion in cash to over 2 million people across 15 countries since 2011.

Technology is central to GiveDirectly’s work. The company uses software to help identify recipients, send payments, support donor platforms, and power rapid response programs during emergencies. This makes the Senior Software Engineer role important because the selected candidate will help build and improve the systems behind that work.

About the Role

As a Senior Software Engineer at GiveDirectly, you will help build scalable systems that support cash delivery, donor platforms, program operations, and crisis response tools. The engineering team operates with a startup-style culture inside the organization, meaning the role requires ownership, product thinking, and strong collaboration across teams.

The selected candidate may join one of several teams, including Programs Engineering, Fundraising Engineering, or International Rapid Response. No matter the final team placement, the goal is the same: help GiveDirectly deliver more money to more people more efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Software Engineer will work on production systems that support GiveDirectly’s global operations.

Main responsibilities include:

Designing and building scalable software systems
Owning features from architecture to deployment and monitoring
Improving CI/CD pipelines and developer workflows
Increasing test coverage
Debugging production issues
Collaborating with product, data, and operations teams
Supporting donor platforms, payment systems, and crisis response tools
Helping shape the technical roadmap for scale and maintainability

This is a hands-on engineering role, so candidates should be comfortable writing production-ready code, making technical decisions, and working with cross-functional teams.

Required Skills and Experience

GiveDirectly is looking for a senior engineer with strong software engineering experience and the ability to work independently.

The role requires:

4+ years of industry experience building production software and systems
Experience with backend architecture, databases, cloud services, and APIs
Experience building infrastructure for software deployment
Experience with object-oriented languages such as Java, C#, or Go
Experience with scripting languages such as Python or Ruby
Strong ownership and autonomy
Strong analytical and communication skills
Ability to explain technical trade-offs clearly

Python and AWS experience are listed as bonus skills. Experience with payments, financial software, microservices, or serverless architecture may also be helpful.

Salary and Compensation

GiveDirectly provides clear salary information for several locations.

For candidates in the United States, the listed base salary is $157,500, with a target bonus of 15% and estimated total compensation of $181,125+. The role also includes an annual benefits stipend of $21,393.

For candidates in the United Kingdom, the listed base salary is £108,150, with estimated total compensation of £124,373+ and an annual benefits stipend of £2,760. For candidates in Kenya, the listed base salary is $91,500, with estimated total compensation of $105,225+ and an annual benefits stipend of $8,453.

For candidates outside the US, UK, or Kenya, GiveDirectly says it will share an estimated salary benchmark for the candidate’s country during the hiring process.

Benefits

GiveDirectly offers a competitive benefits package for this role. Benefits mentioned in the listing include:

Competitive salary and bonus
Health benefits, depending on country
Unlimited paid time off
Desk allowance
Flexible work location
Opportunities for professional growth and advancement

The role may also involve travel about 1 to 2 times per year for team retreats or field visits in one of GiveDirectly’s countries of operation.

Hiring Process

The hiring process may include:

Take-home coding assignment
60-minute live coding interview
60-minute systems design interview
60-minute project deep dive and behavioral interview

GiveDirectly notes that the process may change if needed, but candidates will be informed of any adjustments during the hiring process.

Who Should Apply?

This role is a good fit for experienced software engineers who want a remote position with meaningful impact.

You may be a strong candidate if you:

Have strong backend or full-stack engineering experience
Can build reliable production systems
Understand APIs, databases, cloud services, and deployment workflows
Can work independently in a remote environment
Communicate clearly with product, data, and operations teams
Are interested in mission-driven technology
Can overlap with the East Africa timezone when required

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply here: GiveDirectly Senior Software Engineer Application

Before applying, prepare your resume, LinkedIn profile, examples of production software projects, and clear details of your backend, cloud, API, and infrastructure experience. The application also asks role-specific questions about your interest in GiveDirectly’s mission and your past technical experience.

GiveDirectly’s Remote Senior Software Engineer role is a strong opportunity for experienced engineers who want clear compensation, remote flexibility, and work that supports real-world impact. With a $157,500 US base salary, bonus potential, benefits stipend, and country-specific salary benchmarks for other locations, the role offers both transparency and meaningful technical responsibility.

For engineers with strong backend architecture, APIs, cloud services, deployment infrastructure, and production software experience, this is a role worth considering.