Director of Operations – Malawi

About the role

GiveDirectly is seeking a Director of Operations for its Malawi office. Based in Lilongwe, you will own all back‑office functions and build the systems, team and processes needed to support a rapidly scaling cash‑transfer programme.

Key responsibilities

• Build and lead a high‑performing operations team covering procurement, field office management, stores and logistics.
• Recruit, onboard and develop staff across multiple locations.
• Design and implement clear roles, responsibilities and standard operating procedures.
• Develop cost‑effective systems for scale, including direct procurement, warehousing and in‑country tech capacity.
• Drive measurable improvements in speed, cost and quality of back‑office processes.
• Travel regularly to field offices and programme sites within Malawi and attend 1‑2 international retreats per year.

Required profile

• Extensive operational expertise, especially in procurement, supply chain and compliance.
• Proven leadership experience building and mentoring teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, non‑hierarchical environment and making decisions without a predefined playbook.
• Strong bias toward action and practical problem‑solving.

Required skills