Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Looking for Senior Program Officers

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is guided by the belief that every life has equal value and works to help all people live healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people especially those with the fewest resources have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Job Title:  Senior Program Officer, Country Immunization Programs, Vaccine Delivery, Nigeria
Requisition Number: 5966BR
Division: Global Development Program
Department: Vaccine Delivery
Location: Abuja
Responsibilities
As part of the foundation’s Global Development – Vaccine Delivery team, the Senior Program Officer (SPO), Vaccine Delivery will join the Country Programs and Partnerships (CPP) cluster serving as a core team member of the Nigeria immunization team (routine immunization and polio). The SPO will be responsible for supporting the team’s engagement primarily in Nigeria through a combination of grants and building/maintaining key relationships. S/he will work with internal teams such as Integrated Delivery and disease-specific Program Strategy Teams (PSTs). S/he may also support and potentially own key relationships with external partners at GAVI, grantees and immunization partners. The incumbent will be expected to manage complex programs, provide high quality analysis and recommendations, ensure that key deliverables and plans are met, and that our collective activities contribute to the strategic goals of the team. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for supporting subnational work on strengthening RI in Nigeria, as per focus areas agreed to with the Nigeria RI team lead


• Supports strategy development for strengthening RI at country and state levels; helps identify overlaps and synergies in Foundation portfolio of investments that touch on RI


• Collaborates closely with Polio and Integrated Delivery teams as needed, to coordinate, leverage, and bolster Foundation efforts to understand where RI strengthening approaches can improve the impact and lower the cost of achieving Foundation goals


• Manages a discrete grant portfolio and works in support of grant-making, strategy refinement


• Provides technical assistance in area(s) of expertise to improve the delivery of the Foundation’s Nigeria immunization strategy, approaches, tools, and technologies


• As key member on the Nigeria immunization team, work in close coordination and collaboration with the Nigeria RI team lead and foundation staff working on Nigeria


• Manage immunization work and engage with State teams in select locations to strengthen RI per the Foundation’s collaboration in key geographies (to potentially include Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Kano and potentially up to two other States); this includes providing deep engagement in the assigned states, with tracking/follow up of grantee immunization work


• Manage a portfolio of grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, including applying and evaluating milestone-based performance objectives


• Contribute to writing background documents, briefs, and presentations, including carrying out relevant literature reviews, landscape analyses, and data analyses


• Maintain high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications internally, as well as with grantees and partners in the field


• Be available to travel extensively (up to 50%) to Nigeria, including to high risk areas such as Borno and Yobe


• Participate actively and contribute to Vaccine Delivery and CPP annual planning, strategy reviews, team meetings and monitoring


• Serve as a valued resource for other staff and teams within the Foundation as we continue designing and scaling up programs in global health and development


• Be accountable for achieving results under the Vaccine Delivery strategy

Preferred Qualifications
Qualifications – Master’s Degree in policy, public health or business strongly preferred.

• Minimum ten years directly related professional experience with majority of that experience acquired within the Global Health context.


• Previous experience managing projects and programs in country (Nigeria).


• Experience in complex organizations and/or complex working environments valued.


• Desire to manage and support a diverse portfolio of work and ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and efforts simultaneously. Highly-organized and efficient.


• Demonstrated initiative to solve unstructured problems with limited oversight, high energy, and persistence.


• Creative problem solver with a rigorous approach and a great attitude. Not afraid to explore different options for problem solving.


• Experience or familiarity with global health and immunization.


• Ability to develop solid working relationships quickly and strong evidence of success in effective working relationships even in complex environments.


• Very strong representational skills. Able to operate with significantly more senior colleagues with ease.


• Superior oral and written communication skills will be necessary for success in this role.


• Experience in developing countries, particularly in Africa and South Asia a plus.


• Ability to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply below

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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Looking for Senior Program Officers