Program Officer, Global Education

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofitfighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve.We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities.As a workplace, were committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO) division works to catalyze sustainable transformative change in the face of inequities and market failures, to realize the potential of untapped markets, and to see the economic and social benefits of including everyone. We focus on the areas of Agricultural Development; Financial Services for the Poor; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Nutrition; and Global Education. We seek solutions that are sustainable, transformative, and inclusive with an eye toward applying technology innovations as well as data evidence to motivate change in the worlds developing countries.

The Foundations Global Education (Global Ed) team works to improve reading and math outcomesalso referred to as foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) for primary school aged children in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The learning crisis is dire, and latest data from the World Bank indicates that the learning poverty rate (the proportion of children who are unable to read a simple passage with comprehension by age 10) in low- and middle- income countries is an estimated 70%. This figure is estimated to be 89% and 70% in sub-Saharan Africa and India respectively. Our focus is to strengthen education quality for children in lower primary (typically Grades 1-3), and our emphasis is on identifying, advocating for, and funding evidence driven, cost-effective, and scalable interventions that improve learning outcomes at scale within government systems.

Your Role

We are looking for a Program Officer (PO) to design and manage investments to strengthen foundational learning in low- and middle-income countries. Specifically, the PO will play a vital role in expanding Global Ed’s current work in this area by identifying and codifying high impact scalable teaching and learning solutions to improve FLN outcomes. This will include looking at the role education technology can play in enhancing teaching and learning.

The role will involve convening learning sessions to consider new solutions, commissioning applied research, and considering ways to disseminate and facilitate take up in low resourced contexts.

You will be responsible for managing a grant portfolio and leading research and analysis in support of grant-making and strategy development.

This position reports to the Director, Global Education, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This position is an 11-month LTE role starting in January 2024.

What Youll Do

• Keep abreast of latest developments in teaching and learning, including edtech based solutions, in high-, middle- and low-income countries and consider their relevance for Global Eds portfolio

• Contribute to technical discussions on how to most effectively improve foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes, focusing particularly on improving teaching and learning at scale

• Plan, manage and execute investments to build tools, knowledge, and the evidence base to strengthen foundational learning outcomes at scale in Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

• Identify and develop complex investment opportunities, grant management and external relationship management.

• Undertake strategic analysis of the global education sector and Global Education teams role in it

• Utilize internal processes to ensure operational efficiency and effective management of investments.

• Prepare written analyses and communications at all levels of the organization.

• Work with other Global Education Senior/Program Officers in a geographically dispersed team working closely together in a remote environment.

Your Experience

You are a creative, thoughtful, and curious professional who has an excellent track record of achievement in roles of increasing responsibility. We seek a professional with a Bachelors degree with a minimum of 4+ years of experience in education, strategic philanthropy, and/or equivalent experience. An advanced degree, for example in education or a related field is preferred. Direct experience in education technology or digital learning is preferred as is experience working in low- and middle-income countries.

Additionally, we seek:

Strong understanding of the evidence base on improving foundational literacy and numeracy in the primary grades.

• Good understanding of how edtech can support in improving the quality of teaching and learning

• Good understanding of how to test, at increasing scale, the relevance and suitability of non-tech and edtech solutions for students

• Good understanding of how to support high quality design and implementation of education programs in order to improve learning outcomes in low resource contexts

• Demonstrated experience working with stakeholders at a range of levels. Experience working at state or national level is desirable.

• Demonstrated initiative to solve complex problems with little oversight, creativity, high energy, and a positive attitude.

• Excellent inter-personal skills, and ability to work independently as well as with a remote team across many time zones

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong ability to effectively synthesize information.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships.

• Ability to work with flexibility and a high level of rigor, collaboration, and diplomacy, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.

• High standards of personal integrity.

• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time when health and safety protocols allow.

*Applicants for this role will only be considered if they are able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $137,500 to $206,200 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences where our offices are located, inSeattle, Washington D.C., and Boston (Cambridge). The range for this role in these locations is $149,800 to $224,600 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission and new hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidates job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion of voices, ideas, and approaches and we support this diversity through all 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.