Global Phone Procurement Manager

About this role

Phones are core to how GiveDirectly delivers cash — recipients need one to receive mobile money — and we buy close to a million of them a year across our country programs. That means constant coordination: what each country needs and when, which suppliers can deliver it, whether the price is fair, and what happens when a batch arrives damaged or a shipment runs late.

This role owns that end-to-end: forecasting demand with Programs, managing supplier relationships and orders, and keeping price, delivery, and quality on track across every country we operate in.

Reports to: Senior Manager, Global Supply Chain

Level: Manager

Location: Nairobi preferred; open to any GiveDirectly country office (New York, Washington DC, Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, London) for the right candidate. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

What success looks like:

What you’ll do:

Forecasting & planning

• Partner with Programs and country Operations & Procurement Managers (OPMs) to build and maintain rolling phone demand forecasts by country and model
• Translate forecasts into purchase timelines that avoid both stockouts and overstock

Sourcing & supplier management

• Own supplier communication for feature phones and smartphones
• Run RFQ/RFP processes to bring on new suppliers where needed, in coordination with country procurement teams
• Track supplier performance and address quality, pricing, or reliability issues directly with vendors

Order & payment management

• Process and track purchase orders from request through delivery
• Coordinate with Finance on vendor payments, invoice discrepancies, and budget tracking
• Manage returns, warranty claims, and defective-device resolution with suppliers

Reporting & continuous improvement

• Track and report OTIF, cost savings, and Programs satisfaction on a regular cadence
• Flag emerging risks — price increases, supply shortages, customs delays — before they affect delivery
• Work with the Phone Inventory System Lead and Global Supply Chain on inventory visibility as new tooling comes online

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.
• Language Requirement: English
• 2+ years in procurement, supply chain, or vendor/category management; electronics, telecom, or hardware sourcing experience is a strong plus
• Experience with demand forecasting and purchase order management
• Strong negotiation skills and a track record of managing supplier relationships, including resolving commercial disputes like returns and warranty claims
• Comfort coordinating across multiple African countries, time zones, and stakeholder groups (Programs, Finance, country OPMs)