Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (11-month LTE)
About The Position
The Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH), will lead priority investments and support strategic execution across the WSH Market segment identification and Industry Development portfolio. Working with senior program officers and deputy directors, the role backstops day-to-day portfolio management and advances the strategy to commercialize and scale transformative sanitation technologies. The position manages grants and contracts, engages industry partners and early-market first movers, and identifies opportunities to strengthen partnerships, accelerate market formation, and generate evidence that can reduce delivery costs and improve alignment and impact across investments. The role combines critical thinking and rigorous portfolio management with partner engagement and day-to-day grant management. The Program Officer synthesizes portfolio learning to inform decisions, tracks investment and portfolio performance, and collaborates with foundation colleagues across program, country offices, legal, communications, finance, and other functions. Success requires a thoughtful, pragmatic, agile, and detail-oriented approach, comfort navigating ambiguity and complex partner conversations, and an ability to maintain trusted relationships. The position works across the market and industry development portfolio and reports to the Deputy Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. It is an 11-month limited-term opportunity located in Seattle, Washington, with foundation benefits and a flexible/hybrid work schedule. The role requires up to 25% travel. Relocation assistance is not available.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- Background in project or portfolio management and partner- or client-facing work.
- Track record of translating strategy and the big picture into concrete execution.
- Strong strategic and analytical thinking, including the ability to synthesize broad input and evidence and translate it into implications, decisions, and next steps.
- Strong grant, portfolio, and project management skills, including managing multiple investments and partners and tracking progress and performance.
- Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with external partners, including partners with differing priorities.
- Ability to present publicly, engage partners in the work and results, provide candid feedback, and handle difficult conversations.
- Strong collaboration and influencing skills, including experience working across internal functions, differing work styles, and complex customer dynamics.
- Calm, adaptable, and constructive approach through ambiguity and setbacks.
- Unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; the Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship.
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with bringing new products or technologies to market, including partnerships, market conditions, and pathways to scale, particularly in emerging markets.
- Experience working across countries and cultures.
- French-language proficiency.
Responsibilities
- Backstop portfolio leads in day-to-day portfolio management and execution, translating market and industry development priorities into investments, partner engagement, and clear next actions.
- Coordinate deliverables and partners, and manage processes for tracking progress, performance, learning, and follow-up across the portfolio and individual grants.
- Lead grants and contracts from development through closeout; manage them day to day, review progress and performance, and recommend actions to increase impact.
- Build and sustain trusted partner relationships, align partners with differing priorities around shared goals, and navigate challenging conversations with candor and respect.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration, learning, and greater portfolio-level impact.
- Synthesize evidence and learning across partners and investments, surface portfolio-level implications, support decision-making, and define next steps.
- Collaborate with foundation communications, legal, finance, regional offices, and other program teams.
- Represent the foundation in relevant external meetings and forums.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums.
- Generous paid time off.
- Paid family leave.
- Foundation-paid retirement contribution.
- Regional holidays.
- Opportunities to engage in employee communities.
- Foundation benefits.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
