Associate Program Officer – Health at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead 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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Associate Program Officer – Health, Nigeria Country Office (Limited Term Employee)

Job ref.: B013448
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job type: Full time
Duration: Estimated to be 18 months

Position Summary & Responsibilities

The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation is currently searching for an experienced candidate to support the Primary Health Care (PHC) portfolio on its Nigeria Country Office (NCO) team.
The Associate Program Officer (APO) will provide technical, operational and project management support primarily to the members of the Nigeria health team and to other foundation teams as needed.
Operational duties include: organizing and facilitating internal meetings across teams at the NCO around PHC; health and broader systems strengthening activities in Nigeria; summarizing grant activities and budgets as requested; facilitating donor coordination meetings on health investments; organizing grantee coordination events and assuring proper follow up and communication; responding to requests from country governments and other partners for information; and supporting the NCO health team in its activities with other teams in the foundation broadly.
Project management duties include: portfolio management and grantee coordination; note taking and summarizing; preparing international trip terms of reference and trip reports; collating and circulating meaningful and pertinent information for staff involved in PHC work; maintaining team file management systems; following up on various requests for assistance and support from the NCO health team; establishing solid coordination and communication models within the NCO health team in terms of grants, contracts, budgets, reporting tools.
Technical duties include: literature reviews and discrete research tasks related to primary health care and health systems strengthening; analytics, including basic manipulation of data for quantitative analysis; support to strategy development for the NCO; and ad hoc requests from the NCO health and other foundation teams for research support.
The anticipated duration of this position is estimated to be 18 months
The Associate Program Officer will report to the Deputy Director for Health, Nutrition and Eradication, in close coordination with the Senior Program Officers on the team.

In addition to the above, duties may include:

Reviewing grant and contract progress and drafting internal analyses.
Helping to draft proposal documents including requests for proposals/calls for letters of interest, proposal analysis review documents, proposal approval memos, etc.
Assisting with proposal management process with internal and external partners.
Carrying out literature reviews, landscape analyses and other analytical reviews as assigned.
Providing support for preparation of materials and slide presentations on team initiatives as needed.
Providing other analytical support to the NCO as needed.
Traveling to field sites within Nigeria and supporting the implementation and coordination of investments both at the Federal and State levels.
Develop and monitor implementation of formal engagements with government (e.g. MOUs, workplans) and technical grants in support of engagement strategies.
Participate in partner and/or government-sponsored events on behalf of the NCO
Lead and support efforts
Performing all other duties as requested.

Requirements

The APO role requires knowledge and experience in international health systems, health policy and administration, or health financing.
The candidate should also have an understanding of the global health and international development environment; experience working in or living in Nigeria or another developing country is a plus.
A minimum of 3-5 years professional experience, preferably in public health program management.
MPH, MPA or similar discipline required. MBA with non-profit or international development experience would be acceptable.
Demonstrated work experience in a dynamic environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple and opposing demands and establish priorities, while providing continual attention to detail in proofing materials, tracking projects, and grants.
Dedication to Foundation core values, mission and programs.
Proven ability to rapidly acquire knowledge and execute good judgment in a variety of global health and development contexts.
Excellent written and oral communication skills. Hausa language skills are a plus.
Experience in a role requiring teamwork within an organization, as well as a proven ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy as part of a team effort.
Experience with other donors (USG, GAVI, Global Fund, DFID, ..) and implementing partners work in supporting public health programs in developing countries
Proven capacity and initiative to solve problems with energy and positive attitude.
Willingness to work in a flexible environment.
Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally.