Jobs at Gates Foundation

Your Role  

• The Senior Program Officer (SPO), R&D Systems Advocacy, will design and lead policy and advocacy efforts to ensure strong health innovation systems—globally, but particularly in Africa are able to speed the development and approval of new global health tools and technologies. All with an eye toward future uptake and use. More specifically, the SPO will work with internal and external partners to advocate around:  
• Clinical research financing and infrastructure, including helping to optimize the impact, efficiency, and equity of the African clinical trials ecosystem;  
• Regulatory systems, including supporting financing and policy for ethical, faster, and more harmonized regulatory institutions at global and regional levels;  
• Health product manufacturing, including sustainable regional manufacturing agendas that support long-term innovation and access goals;  
• Accelerated and evidence-based pathways for future product introduction as new innovations are approved; and 
• The importance of global health R&D broadly, including innovation policies and effective financing; the role of public-private and South-South partnerships; and approaches to product development that supports the health needs of vulnerable populations. 
• The SPO will report into the foundation’s Africa PAC team based in Nairobi, while also serving as a key member of the global GHI PAC team anchored in Seattle. While the SPO will have a particular focus on partnerships and outcomes in Africa, this is a global strategy role with accountabilities across our foundation’s health R&D systems agenda. Responsibilities will include managing key relationships with relevant foundation technical teams, global donors, global health institutions, regulatory authorities, civil society, and others across the health R&D ecosystem. The SPO will also support R&D systems advocacy related to the foundation’s work in India and other key geographies where needed.  
• This role will report to the Deputy Director, PAC, based in Nairobi with a dotted line to the Deputy Director, Global Health Innovations PAC, who oversees the relevant global strategy. They will work closely with the full GHI PAC team, the Africa Regional team headquartered in Nairobi, and teams across foundation divisions and offices.   

What You’ll Do  

• Within the foundation’s overall GHI policy, advocacy, and communications strategy, and as part of a dynamic and collaborative team, develop, implement and refine advocacy and communications strategies and tactics to advance R&D systems goals. These strategies and tactics may include: 
• Market-specific coalition and champion building and advocacy c paigns;    
• Policy analysis and political/economic assessments of R&D ecosystem issues and equity challenges; and/or     
• Evidence-based investments that drive policy and resources outcomes for health innovation systems. 
• Develop partnerships with people and organizations in the public and private sectors, including in civil society, industry, and research institutions – relevant to foundation R&D and health innovation goals.  
• Develop, negotiate, and manage a portfolio of investments that support R&D systems outcomes, particularly but not exclusively in Africa, including all related grant making processes (e.g., research and analysis, investment reviews, strategic alignment, grantee engagement, etc.). 
• Lead key collaborations with internal teams across the Global Health, Global Policy and Advocacy, Global Development, and other Divisions to advance cross-functional global health R&D and innovation financing goals. Engage most specifically with the Africa regional and country offices, but also our India and China offices and donor government relations teams. 
• Serve as a point of contact on portfolio-related issues for internal and external partners, working within a complex matrix style organization. 
• Represent the foundation to external constituencies. This could include formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, committee representation and other meetings. May serve on boards and working groups.  
• Produce high-quality and informative written briefs, reports, and other materials for foundation leadership on key Global Health R&D topics, health innovation challenges, and other relevant issues. 

Your Experience  

• Experience as a leader in global health R&D advocacy or on another highly relevant topic, whether in the public, private, or NGO sector; experience in the conception, design and management of health R&D-related advocacy strategies, initiatives, and programs. 
• Deep familiarity with global health R&D and innovation systems related to low- and lower middle-income country needs, including clinical research, regulatory, manufacturing, and/or product introduction. Familiarity with the key bilateral and multilateral institutions and mechanisms that manage and support these systems, particularly in Africa. 
• Demonstrated understanding of how health R&D policies can advance impactful and more equitable health outcomes; and of how health R&D issues and partnerships intersect with national and regional health systems particularly in Africa.  
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of advocacy and communications efforts to increase awareness of global health and development issues and to inform political and financial support for health and development goals. 
• Experience interacting with senior level policy makers, civil society organizations, coalitions, and governments. 
• Experience managing grants or as a philanthropic grantee. 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within fast-paced, dynamic, and matrixed teams across many time zones; and to provide vision and influence others in a constructive, optimistic manner, while forming and sustaining key relationships. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus. 

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What You’ll Do

• Research, analysis, investment, and program design:
• Conduct technical research and analysis to inform investment, initiative and program strategy design and decision making to advance the priorities of EA and Africa team.
• Synthesize and translate outputs from the research and analysis from grantees and third parties into insights, concepts, and practical next steps to inform strategic or implementation shifts for EA and the Africa team, with an eye towards incorporating, gender, diversity, equity and inclusion in the design and implementation of investments and strategy developments in EA.
• Support timely requests from the Africa regional team and program strategy teams for research and analysis support related to political economies, learning agendas and impact of our work in EA.
• Support program activities as assigned by program leadership and staff and ensure the timely processing and the delivery of required materials.
• Project management:
• Organize and facilitate internal partner meetings with program teams; Draft  summaries of grant activities and budgets as requested, update country profiles, and support documentation and dissemination of minutes and pertinent information to staff across Africa.
• Organize and facilitate external grantee/partner/donor coordination meetings, including writing briefing documents; organize workshops and learning sessions; coordinate field and site visits, including preparing documents and overseeing logistics.
• Track and coordinate follow-ups on requests for assistance and support from the Africa team; establish regular coordination within the Africa team around grants, contracts, budgets, reporting tools.
• Support effective coordination of/participation in cross-team coordination mechanisms such as country working groups, investment coordination forums, etc.  
• Manage special projects as assigned by leadership.

Your Experience

• A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in international development, public health management or the private sector is desirable.
• MBA, MPH, MPA, MA or other advanced degree in a relevant field is desirable.
• Prior experience in supporting research and analysis to inform the design of development programs in the foundation's programmatic areas preferred.
• Experience working in or living in more than one East African country and fluency in Swahili and English is a plus.
• Strong research and analysis skills, including experience working with analytical models
• Demonstrated ability to convey complex information using supporting tables, graphs and other visual representations.
• Ability to synthesize data and evidence to elicit and communicate implications for program design.
• Strong relevant work experience in roles for developing, implementing, and managing projects/programs.
• Ability to work with a wide range of internal and external partners to incorporate new information.
• Must possess strong oral and written communication skills to represent leadership and staff of the Africa regional team effectively and accurately, as needed, to a variety of audiences as well as draft and proof-read written documents.
• Innovative and open-minded approach to all aspects of work.
• Demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint is required.
• Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.