Background

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. Our work has been covered by The Economist, NPR, TED, and The Washington Post. We are one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2026.

Our culture is candid, analytical, and non-hierarchical. We support high ownership and real professional growth. Curious about what it’s really like to work here? Read our values and hear from the people who do. If they resonate, this could be a great fit!

Location

This role is based in Lilongwe, Malawi.

About this role

GiveDirectly Malawi is growing rapidly – delivering large lump sum transfers at district scale, developing tech-enabled delivery models, and building the operational infrastructure needed to support a significantly larger programme. We need a Director of Operations to take full ownership of our back-office functions and build the systems, team and processes required to operate with excellence at scale.

This role is a new senior leadership position created to address a critical gap: our procurement, logistics, HR, and administrative functions need dedicated expert leadership as we scale from one to multiple operational locations. The Director of Operations will own these functions end-to-end, freeing the Country Director and programmes team to focus on programme quality, research, and strategic growth.

The ideal candidate combines deep operational expertise – particularly in procurement, supply chain, and compliance – with the leadership skills to build and mentor a growing team. You thrive in a fast-paced, non-hierarchical environment, are comfortable making decisions without a predefined playbook, and bring a bias toward action and practical problem-solving.

Reports to

Country Director

Level

Director

Travel Requirement

Regular travel within Malawi to field offices and programme sites. Must be able to travel 1-2 times per year internationally for team retreats.

What you’ll do:

Build and Lead the Malawi Operations Team

• Build, mentor and manage a high-performing operations team including procurement, field office management, and stores/logistics functions.
• Recruit, onboard and develop team members across multiple locations, ensuring the team has the skills and capacity to manage increasingly complex operations
• Create clear roles, responsibilities, and standard operating procedures that enable the team to operate independently and at a high standard.

Design Cost-Effective Systems for Scale

• Build systems and processes capable of supporting a significantly larger programme footprint, anticipating future needs (e.g. direct procurement, warehousing, in-country tech capacity).
• Drive measurable improvements in back-office processes – in terms of speed, cost, and oversight.

Lead Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Function

• Own end-to-end procurement, vendor management, and payments processes, ensuring full compliance with GiveDirectly policies and Malawi regulatory requirements.
• Design and implement new/improved strategies for Malawi supply chain management, secure storage, and transport across multiple operational locations – working closely with Global Supply Chain leadership
• Chair the Malawi Procurement Committee and exercise delegated authority to approve procurement and purchase orders.
• Eliminate operational blockers to ensure programmes teams have what they need to deliver at scale.

• Build, mentor and manage a high-performing operations team including procurement, field office management, and stores/logistics functions.
• Recruit, onboard and develop team members across multiple locations, ensuring the team has the skills and capacity to manage increasingly complex operations
• Create clear roles, responsibilities, and standard operating procedures that enable the team to operate independently and at a high standard.
• Build systems and processes capable of supporting a significantly larger programme footprint, anticipating future needs (e.g. direct procurement, warehousing, in-country tech capacity).
• Drive measurable improvements in back-office processes – in terms of speed, cost, and oversight.
• Own end-to-end procurement, vendor management, and payments processes, ensuring full compliance with GiveDirectly policies and Malawi regulatory requirements.
• Design and implement new/improved strategies for Malawi supply chain management, secure storage, and transport across multiple operational locations – working closely with Global Supply Chain leadership
• Chair the Malawi Procurement Committee and exercise delegated authority to approve procurement and purchase orders.
• Eliminate operational blockers to ensure programmes teams have what they need to deliver at scale.

• Procurement
• Supply Chain Management
• Compliance
• Leadership
• Team Building
• Mentoring
• Operational Expertise
• Problem-Solving
• Decision Making
• Process Improvement
• Vendor Management
• Logistics
• Warehousing
• HR Management
• Administrative Functions

• Deep operational expertise, particularly in procurement, supply chain, and compliance.
• Leadership skills to build and mentor a growing team.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, non-hierarchical environment.
• Comfortable making decisions without a predefined playbook.
• Bias toward action and practical problem-solving.