Interim - Associate Program Officer Health, Nigeria Country Office at Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation

Job ID: B016858

Group Summary

• The Global Development Program includes a diverse range of program areas aimed at finding creative ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in low-income countries who need them most. We focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach millions of people.
• Our program strategies include: Emergency Response; Family Planning; Maternal Newborn & Child Health; Nutrition; Polio Eradication. A common theme across these programs is focus on innovative delivery, including an emphasis on strengthening primary health care systems.
• The Global Development Program also encompasses our India Country Office and Africa Team, with physical offices in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and Abuja. Our Program Strategy Teams work in close partnership with these Country Office Teams to align the foundation’s health and development equity agenda with the government’s broader priorities.

Leadership and Culture:

• 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 foundation employees to intentionally and consistently embody our values of optimism, collaboration, rigor, innovation and inclusion.

Position Summary

• 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.
• This role is a 12-month Limited Term Employment (LTE). The Interim - 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.
• The Interim - Associate Program Officer will report to the Deputy Director for Health, Nutrition and Eradication, in close coordination with Program Officers on the team.  

Core Responsibilities

• 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 ensuring 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 relevant 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.

In addition to the above, duties include:

• Managing a modest portfolio of direct investments and strategic partnerships such as State relationship management, country-led donor partner coordination efforts, etc.
• Developing strategy for digital health and concept for new investments.
• 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.
• 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
• Potential limited travel to field sites as needed and approved within COVID-19 protocols.
• Perform all other duties as requested.

Education & Experience

• MPH, MPA or similar subject area is preferred. MBA with non-profit or international development experience would be acceptable.
• A minimum of 3 years professional experience, preferably in public health program management.
• 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.
• Demonstrated work experience in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple and competing demands and establish priorities, while providing continual attention to detail in proofing materials, tracking projects, and grants.
• Commitment to Foundation core values, mission and programs.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire knowledge and implement good judgment in a variety of global health and development contexts.
• Demonstrated outstanding written and oral communication skills. Hausa language skills are a plus.
• Experience in a role requiring collaboration within an organization, as well as a demonstrated ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy as part of a team effort.
• Experience with other donors (e.g. GAVI, Global Fund, GFF) and implementing partners supporting public health programs in developing countries
• Demonstrated 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 as needed and/or approved.