Program Coordinator at the Bill and 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: Program Coordinator, Africa

Ref Jof: B013404
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Type: Full time

Position Summary & Responsibilities

The primary purpose of this job is to support the Africa team with the coordination, implementation and maintenance of a range of projects and activities in support of the life cycle of grants and contracts.
This includes managing a portfolio of investments comprised of grants, contracts, program related investments (PRIs) and other projects in support of multiple programmatic priorities and strategic goals.
The focus of the Africa team is to enable collective impact for the foundation in Africa by influencing policy and finance towards key development priorities, strengthening capacity and enabling systems for delivery, and innovating and leveraging cross-cutting enablers for impact at scale.
The Program Coordinator (PC) will provide budget oversight and planning, financial analysis, financial reporting, and/or portfolio and operations process management and act a bridge between the Africa team and the business support functions in Seattle. The Program Coordinator will report to the Deputy Director of Strategy Planning and Management (DDSPM) for Africa.

Core Responsibilities

Grants and Contracts Administration: Work with program officers, grantees, and business partners during early stages of grant making (e.g. sending out requests for proposals, driving key deadlines for submissions and revisions). Assist with grant management and evaluation by requesting and reviewing written materials (including grant summaries and reports).
Grant and Contracts Coordination: Coordinate the end-to-end contract and grant processes with internal parties (contracts, grants & legal business partners) and external parties (vendors & grantees) within the investment systems. Coordinate contracts, including tracking of invoicing and deliverables, receipt of required reports and monitoring expenses. Shepherd the development, management, and close out of grants.
Data Input, Management and Analysis: Manage data for all grants and contracts in multiple databases and SharePoint sites. Provide detailed financial analysis and ensure data integrity to support team’s financial decision making. Work with Program Manager and Program Officers to keep all pertinent information accurate and up-to-date for reporting and analysis; serve as point-person regarding budget targets and individual investment portfolio management.
Initiative Portfolio Management: Monitor/Manage progress of an initiative portfolio against payout targets. Track programmatic goals and results in coordination with leadership. Develop relationships with key internal and external partners. Work with leadership to develop processes and tools for performance management.
Act as primary support for grantee/vendor initiation, reporting and closure. Serve as liaison across multiple internal teams. Special projects as requested.
Conduct budget analyses for contracts, grant proposals, and grant annual reports to ensure consistency with project objectives and alignment with strategic priorities.
Manage investment workflow and data systems on-boarding for new hires.
Work with DDSPM, Africa on investment portfolio and general coordination. Support team projects as assigned by DDSPM.

Leadership and Culture:

We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.

Core Knowledge, Skills, Education, Experience and Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred with 3-5 years of experience
Excellent organization skills & attention to detail, deadlines & policy compliance
Excellent verbal & written communication skills
Proficient in MS Office Suite and knowledge of CRM systems
Knowledge of budgeting, financial analysis and synthesis
Knowledge of applicable programmatic subject
Ability to analyze data across multiple tools and databases
Ability to work independently and as part of an integrated, diverse team and be comfortable in multiple, high varied settings, and tight deadlines with different work and learning styles
Ability to manage multiple & competing demands and establish priorities
A preference for rigor, purpose driven measurement and cost-effective use of resources
Ability to effectively manage and adapt within a changing environment
Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally
Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behaviour with a diverse range of people