Senior Program Officer, Product Delivery Enablement (LTE)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

About The Position

We are the largest nonprofit fighting 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, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally. As part of the Global Development Division, the Global Health Agencies and Funds (GHAF) team leads the strategic relationships and drives the engagements on governance, strategy, operational effectiveness and programmatic impact with several of the foundation’s key global health institutions (GHIs): UNICEF, WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria (Global Fund), UNITAID, and through the Islamic Development Bank the Lives & Livelihoods Fund and through the World Bank, the Global Financing Facility (GFF). We engage with leaders of these institutions, participate in governance through membership on boards and committees and in advisory groups, and make investments to improve the operational effectiveness of the institutions and the impact of their programs. While many teams within the foundation work with these GHIs, the GHAF team specifically works to: 1. Bring deep knowledge of the strategic, governance, operational and programmatic approaches of and across the GHIs to inform foundation strategies and engagements; 2. Drive internal alignment on foundation-wide strategic priorities, objectives, outcomes, and accountabilities with these GHIs; and 3. Increase the strategic coherence across the GHIs on priorities for the wider foundation through cross-institutional collaboration. The SPO for Product Delivery Enablement is responsible for supporting the program and product delivery and managing a portfolio of grants and contracts designed to ensure that progress is monitored and that program outcomes are achieved. You act as a key connection point between other technical areas and manage critical aspects of engagement, maintain relationships, ensure that support is prioritized against the highest strategic opportunities, and provide value to GHAF and Program Strategy Teams. You lead and participate in team initiatives, particularly around our support to UNICEF's supply division and relevant program areas. You also will work with WHO and other GHIs on supporting their roles in product development, launch, introduction and scale activities using a product life cycle approach. This position is a limited-term position for 11 months. Relocation will not be provided.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will hold an advanced degree in medicine, pharmacy, public health, or other health related area (PhD would be an asset) with 10+ years of experience predominantly working on access to health product for LMIC, pharmaceutical policies and strategies and end-to-end product development, introduction and delivery
Technical experience in the role of GHIs in new product introduction or health product market dynamics in Low and Middle-Income countries.
Understanding and experience in the global health ecosystem, particularly UNICEF and WHO, experience in handling complex health programs with multiple partners, including Global Health Institutions, building successful coalitions while navigating complex partner dynamics.
Familiarity with steering and navigating decision making processes and tradeoffs in matrix teams and organizations, with a track record of thoughtful balance between efficient, timely action and ensuring partner voice and inclusion.
Demonstrated experience working in cross-team programs and proven track record to adapt to a fast-paced environment and the networking and coalition-building demands of a highly matrixed organization.
Ability to influence without direct authority.
Ability to see ahead to future possibilities, understand and navigate political economy, and develop strategies, concrete theories of change and actions taking complex interests and accountabilities into consideration.
Excellent oral, facilitation and written communication skills in English, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.
Commitment to the foundation’s core values, mission, and programs with an approach that is consistent with the foundation’s guiding principles and holding self to the highest ethical standards.
Flexibility to travel up to 35% of time.
Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Support foundation engagement with WHO and partners on strengthening evidence based guidelines to improve efficiency, timelines and quality.
Develop and support implementation of cross-institutional frameworks and workplans that facilitate improved GHI collaboration to accelerate equitable access, introduction, and scale of quality, affordable products.
Drive interventions along the product life cycle in collaboration with multiple GHIs to bring new products to market, assuring quality, affordability, timely availability and fostering rational use in LMIC.
Work with WHO and relevant partners in their efforts for accelerating access and country adoption of quality health products through quality assurance, guideline development and other normative tools.
Strengthen the foundation's understanding and engagement with relevant regional procurement agendas, mechanisms and other localization efforts for non-vaccine products and delineate the risks and opportunities that procurement trends may bring to GHI’s procurement facilitation and functions
Contribute expertise within the foundation on the role of GHIs, particularly WHO and UNICEF, in product introduction and markets to improve cross-functional and coordinated product development planning for specific medical products within the foundation.
Work with foundation Program Strategy Teams and Regional and Country Offices to partner with WHO and UNICEF for efficient product introduction at national level, including national product introduction prioritization and alignment across GHIs.
Drive internal processes and work on cross-foundation activities important to product development priorities with development partners, grantees, and UNICEF, including the design of new strategies, collaborations and implementation plans to ensure sustainability/impact.
Influence global partners and multilateral institutions towards shared goals and targets.
Synthesize data analysis, identifying patterns and relevance, to develop and regularly refine product introduction efforts and clearly articulate technical findings to non-technical partners.
Represent the Deputy Director Health Products Access and Agencies as needed in internal and external meetings.
Engage with senior partners, clearly communicating complex programming and nuanced strategic priorities of the foundation.
Negotiate, complete, and manage a complex portfolio of grants or performance-based contracts.
Consult with grantees and other partners to improve project impact and ensure grants are meeting strategy goals; this may include conducting site visits, providing operational guidance, and convening meetings of key partners.
Support inclusive culture through modeling behaviors and actions; raise issues promptly to appropriate partners.