International Development jobs in United Kingdom

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of it on evidence‑free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty.

GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large‑scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non‑profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non‑hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations – it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, dynamic and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow. We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

Location: This role is fully remote but must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

About this role

The Global Procurement Manager will lead and strengthen GiveDirectly’s procurement systems across all country offices and global teamsp>

As GiveDirectly continues to scale globally, this role ensures that procurement practices are transparent, efficient, ethical, and compliant – aligning operational speed with strong governance standards. Reporting to the Director of Legal & Compliance and working closely with country Operations and Procurement Managers (OPMs), this role acts as the organization’s procurement center of excellence.

The Global Procurement Manager will provide strategic and hands‑on support to teams across the organization – helping design, implement, and monitor procurement systems that uphold donor, legal, and internal standards. The role serves as a key bridge between Operations, Legal, Compliance, and Risk, embedding procurement governance across the organization.

This position also plays a critical role in safeguarding procurement integrity – implementing preventive controls, building staff capacity, and identifying and mitigating procurement risks. Over time, this role will help build a unified, globally consistent procurement model that strengthens accountability and trust across GiveDirectly’s operations.

Reports to: Director of Legal & Compliance

Level: SR Manager

Travel Requirement: Must be able to travel ~1-2 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or field visits AND/OR add specific percentage

What you’ll do:

Procurement Leadership and Advisory

• Serve as GiveDirectly’s global procurement expert, advising leadership and country teams on procurement strategy, risk, and best practices.
• Oversee procurement activities for U.S. and global services, managing complex and high‑value procurements when required.
• Support the annual procurement planning process across all country offices and global functions.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to maintain up-to-date vendor prequalification standards, templates, and approval thresholds.
• Provide technical oversight and dotted‑line mentorship to in‑country OPMs; support recruitment, onboarding, and professional development of procurement staff.
• Participate in Procurement Committees as needed, ensuring transparency and adherence to policy.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager, Legal, Risk & Compliance and Internal Audit to ensure procurement risks and controls are effectively tracked, tested, and improved.

Procurement Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure all procurement activities comply with GiveDirectly’s policies, donor regulations, and local legal requirements.
• Identify, monitor, and mitigate procurement risks; ensure controls are in place to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Conduct periodic procurement audits, spot checks, and compliance assessments, recommending corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain centralized procurement data and ensure consistent documentation, reporting, and record‑keeping across offices.

Procurement Systems and Knowledge Management

• Oversee the standardization of procurement policies, templates, and procedures across GiveDirectly’s global operations.
• Support implementation and optimization of procurement software or digital tools; ensure staff can effectively use procurement systems for planning, tracking, and reporting.
• Work with Legal and Risk functions to document and map procurement‑related controls.
• Facilitate sharing of procurement innovations and lessons learned across countries and teams.

Training, Capacity Building and Staff Development

• Develop and deliver training programs and learning materials to strengthen procurement skills and awareness organization‑wide.
• Conduct onboarding and refresher trainings for procurement staff and non‑procurement colleagues engaged in sourcing or vendor management.
• Foster a culture of accountable and ethical procurement, where staff understand both the “how” and “why” of procurement integrity.

What you’ll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow‑through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low‑income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
• Education and Experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, international development, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
  • 5–8 years of progressive experience in procurement, ideally in an international NGO or multi‑country organization.
  • Proven experience with procurement governance, donor compliance, and vendor management in complex environments.
• Technical Skills
• Strong knowledge of global procurement standards and donor regulations (e.g., USG, UN agencies, major institutional funders).
• Experience with procurement systems, digital tools, and reporting dashboards.
• Excellent command of Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and familiarity with procurement software.
• Working language: English (required); French or Portuguese (preferred).
• Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
• Strategic thinker able to design and operationalize procurement systems.
• Skilled communicator who can explain procurement principles to non‑specialists.
• Strong analytical, risk management, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to lead through influence – mentoring and aligning cross‑functional teams around shared procurement standards.
• High integrity, discretion, and sound professional judgment.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience implementing or managing procurement systems or digital platforms.
• Familiarity with local procurement regulations in one or more of GiveDirectly’s countries of operation (e.g., DRC, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda).
• Prior experience managing procurement in a compliance or governance framework (e.g., USAID, DFID/FCDO, EU, UN).

Compensation

At GiveDirectly, we strive to pay our employees generously and equitably. We use an accredited third party salary aggregator to ensure that staff’s total compensation package (base compensation + bonus) falls within the 75th percentile of similar roles, at similar organizations. We also have a no negotiation policy to ensure we are paying staff equitably across roles. Read more about our compensation philosophy here.

We’ll be updating this JD with the salary details over the next few days.

Why work at GiveDirectly?

At GiveDirectly, we work to ensure that you have everything you need to excel in your role and on your team, including:

• A positive and supportive team with opportunities for advancement
• A demonstrated commitment to helping all staff develop and grow
• A competitive salary, including bonus
• A robust health benefits plan (exact details will vary by country)
• Flexible paid time off
• Allowances for desk set‑up and learning and development

#LI-REMOTE

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization working with communities to eliminate extreme poverty, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any abuse or misconduct related matters involving potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre‑hire screens, including in‑depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we work with, and prevent abuse to our recipients and staff.

Reasonable Accommodations

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at careers@givedirectly.org with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.

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