Senior Program Officer, Financing and Policy, PAC

Senior Program Officer, Financing and Policy, PAC

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Seattle, WA or Washington, DC, United States

Your Role

As the Senior Program Officer (SPO) Financing and Policy, you will lead the development and coordinate the execution of a financing advocacy strategy, advocate with sector leaders, influencers, media, and government officials and diverse partners to advance impact for family planning (FP), maternal, newborn, child health (MNCH) and primary health care (PHC). This role reports to the Deputy Director, Women’s health, FP, MNCH, PHC.

This position will identify solutions to address the policy and financing barriers and opportunities across the RMNCH landscape, with an overarching framing on women’s health, focusing on impact for FP and MNCH outcomes. The position will understand and shape financing channels, support the evidence base, and encourage sound decision-making by partners at global, regional and country levels. This includes identifying innovative financing opportunities across sectors like climate and issues like poverty and economic empowerment.

The SPO will develop and manage a portfolio of grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, monitoring and evaluation, focused on policy and financing advocacy. Using a financing advocacy lens, you will engage with bilateral and multilateral organizations and key partners to advocate for protecting and maintaining budgets for health and ensuring effective spending.

The work will be done in close collaboration with other teams across the foundation, including the Africa Team, India Country Office, and Program Strategy Teams. It involves collaboration with a range of external foundation grantees and partners, including government advisors at both federal and subnational levels.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and lead the execution of a policy financing advocacy strategy for women’s health focused on the goals and impact outlined for FP, MNCH and PHC, with a focus on commodities and products (established and novel) in support of sector wide and issue specific goals ensuring long term sustainability and impact. This includes exploring innovative financing mechanisms and collaborative partnerships, and strong partnership with Program Strategy Teams;
• Track and analyze key global financing developments and trends relevant to FP, MNCH and PHC goals;
• Develop and manage a portfolio of strategic advocacy investments to meet the policy and financing goals within the women’s health and PHC portfolio, including oversight of the portfolio budget and all related grant-making processes;
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of the global, regional and country (key geographies) financing landscape, knowing where investments are coming from, and how funding is distributed with a focus on LMICs;
• Engage with the program teams to align on policy and financing priorities and key data points for impact;
• Maintain oversight of key policy shifts/asks needed for impact on FP, MNCH, PHC, and their corresponding funding needs;
• Foster, maintain and manage existing partnerships and alliances and identify new partners, including innovative mechanisms to unlock resources to help support and advance the objectives of the financing advocacy strategy;
• Develop and manage partnerships and alliances to advance and refine policy, advocacy, and communications strategies based on field and financial data, particularly related to FP, MNCH and PHC and products and commodities;
• Represent the foundation to external constituencies. This could include formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, committee representation and other meetings;
• Write informative briefings and reports, and other materials on key areas and other relevant issues for foundation leadership.

Your Experience

• Outstanding knowledge, experience and expertise in technical advocacy and communications related to health financing and policy advocacy, including understanding of health financing instruments and latest developments towards product financing and innovative financing mechanisms;
• Experience and/or proven track record in engaging with government and partners globally. Experience communicating around policy and advocacy efforts, and in working with governments, academic institutions, NGOs, the private sector (in addition to the media and government), and professional associations preferred. Hands-on experience including interaction with senior level policy makers, coalitions, and private sector partners;
• Experience in working at country level influencing and/or shaping financing mechanisms, playing coordinating roles, working across sectors and partners is an asset;
• Experience in demonstrating impact using financing mechanisms and unlocking funds for impact for FP, MNCH, and/or other health related programs is a plus;
• Understanding of the key issues concerning women’s health care, specifically concerning FP and MNCH (ideal), or broader health and development areas, as well as financing for new product introduction and health commodities;
• Understanding of bilateral and multilateral institutions and mechanisms including how they fund development programs at national and regional and country level;
• Experience in strategic portfolio development, including setting of strategic direction for programs aligned with policy goals;
• Experience or high ability to work in a complex, matrixed environment – requiring cultural awareness, and a collaborative nature that knows the benefits of seeking consensus;
• Demonstrated ability to provide vision and influence others in a constructive, optimistic manner, while building and sustaining collaborative relationships;
• Exceptional project and team management skills including demonstrated ability to lead teams and organizations from strategy development through execution, develop shared goals and execution plans, facilitate meetings, manage budgets, developing partner consensus, and work both autonomously and collaboratively;
• Ideally, the candidate will have experience managing a grant portfolio; either as a grantee – receiving and reporting on a grant or as a grant manager – with direct responsibility for grant making and management;
• Ability to work with flexibility, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort. A proven ability to effectively manage and adapt within a changing environment;
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally;
• Advanced degree in public policy, finance, international relations, public health, development or a related field;
• 7+ years of related experience, or equivalent experience.

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