Senior Program Officer – Development Policy and Finance, PAC (Limited Term Employee), Washington 38 views

Organization: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Country: United States
City: Washington
Office: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Washington, United States
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At the Gates Foundation, we believe in the importance of creating an environment for our employees to thrive, both personally and professionally. When our employees are thriving we recognize there is maximum impact toward our worldwide missions to achieve our Foundation’s vision.
At our Foundation, our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things! We expect our staff to intentionally and consistently embody our four agreements; show respect, offer trust, be transparent, and create energy.
Division Summary
The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation’s work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation’s objectives nationally and globally. Because the foundation’s resources alone are not enough to solve the challenges ahead, GPA also supports advocacy efforts to engage diverse partners and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, U.S. and Gender Equality programs and Foundation Communications to build an environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.
Group Summary
The Program Advocacy and Communications (PAC) team works in partnership with program teams and other teams in Global Policy and Advocacy to achieve their policy and finance goals by:
Developing and coordinating the execution of advocacy and communications strategies.
Using leadership and foundation voice to implement advocacy strategies.
Developing and leading a grant portfolio dedicated to achieving advocacy outcomes.
Directly advocating with sector leaders, influencers, media, and government officials in order to achieve advocacy outcomes.
Leading issue-specific communications in service of advocacy goals.
Developing policy recommendations or proposals in partnership with programmatic and regional offices.
Position Summary
The Senior Program Officer (SPO) will serve as the PAC lead to identify and implement advocacy pathways for funding and policies to support an inclusive economic recovery via equitable access to education and sustainable economic opportunities in select foundation engagement countries. This role will focus on advocacy for equitable economic recovery (about 70% of focus) and helping to re-energize our human capital agenda, supporting our Global Education team’s advocacy efforts (about 30% of focus). This role will be a key partner to the Development Policy and Finance (DPAF) team and will advance GPA division priorities by using DPAF’s cross-cutting and technical expertise and PAC’s issue-specific advocacy capabilities.
Core Responsibilities
Partner with the DPAF team, programmatic teams, and country and regional offices to develop and implement the foundation’s advocacy agenda for development finance advocacy and its Equitable Economic Recovery initiative. Successfully build and implement an advocacy approach that leads to specific policy/funding goals around equitable recovery.
Advance and build out the foundation’s advocacy work and narrative on human capital, with a primary focus on support to the Global Education team to advance and implement the team’s policy, advocacy and communication strategy, including developing concrete advocacy and communications goals for Global Education at the global, regional and potentially country level; developing and managing a grant portfolio to achieve advocacy and communications outcomes; and identifying priorities for foundation engagement and use of foundation voice.
Develop, negotiate, and manage a portfolio of advocacy investments, including oversight of the portfolio budget and all related grant-making processes (e.g., investment reviews, strategic alignment, grantee engagement, etc.)
Conceptualize and lead high-impact and complex partnerships, grants, coalitions, and advocacy campaigns; identify risks to investments and the overall investment portfolio and implement mitigation strategies.
Conduct research and analysis to strengthen investment decisions and provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
Represent the foundation and our strategies to external constituencies, including formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, committee representation, and other meetings. May serve on boards and working groups.
Write and produce informative briefings, reports, email updates, and other materials on relevant issues for foundation leadership.
Participate in cross PAC efforts to evolve our structure, strategies, and culture to improve our impact.
Position Reports to: Deputy Director, Program Advocacy & Communications.
Please Note: This role is a Limited-Term Employee (LTE) position with an expected 2-year duration.
Core Knowledge and Skills:
Consistent record of advocating effectively with bilateral donors, multilateral donors, and UN agencies supporting specific policy and funding goals.
Experience supporting innovative resource mobilization strategies and initiatives.
Strong understanding of bilateral and multilateral financial institutions and mechanisms, including policy and fund development programs at both national and regional levels.
Experience in international economic and development finance policy and advocacy is highly preferred
Experience in policy and financing in low and middle-income country contexts.
Experience managing a grant portfolio (ideal) either as a Grantee, receiving and reporting on a grant, or as a Grant Manager, with direct responsibility for grantmaking and management.
Proven track record of working at a global, regional, or country level in policy formulation. Policy translation in at least one of the foundation’s key priority areas (health and nutrition, agriculture development, financial inclusion, gender, etc.) is required.
Experience working on global education policy and advocacy is also highly desirable.
Experience working with the policy departments of multilateral development banks is a plus!
Consistent record of leading and influencing others in a constructive manner to build and sustain collaborative relationships and coalitions.
A skilled communicator with the ability to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.
Experience working in an environment with ambiguity.
Willingness to travel up to 30% as COVID-19 protocols allow.
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in public policy, international development and/or relations, public health, development or a related field with 7+ years of progressive senior-level experience, including leadership experience with policy and advocacy initiatives in global development finance.
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Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.
Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to hr@gatesfoundation.org.
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.