Senior Program Officer (SPO), Country Malaria Engagement at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people- especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Program Officer (SPO), Country Malaria Engagement

Job Requisition ID: B020800
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job type: Full-time

The Team

• The Africa Team works to enable the foundation’s ambitious goals of scaling evidence-based interventions that target a range of diseases and socio-economic conditions which are endemic across Sub-Saharan Africa. 
• Specifically, the focus of the Africa Team is to enable collective impact for the foundation in Africa by influencing policy and finance towards key development priorities, strengthening capacity, and enabling systems for delivery, and innovating and using cross-cutting enablers for impact at scale. 
• The team performs its responsibility through direct country engagement to deploy interventions and delivery models, and by building the partner architecture to replicate successful interventions and models across multiple countries.
• The Global Health team harnesses technological advancements to tackle health challenges in low- and middle-income countries. We aim to address significant issues that lack adequate attention and resources. Our approach involves enhancing existing tool delivery and investing in innovative solutions.
• Our Malaria strategy is anchored on the need to improve existing tools and discover and develop new ones to reduce and prevent malaria transmission, and in the long term, eradicate malaria worldwide. Our Malaria strategy is anchored on the need to improve existing tools and discover, and develop new ones to reduce and prevent malaria transmission, and in the long term, eradicate malaria worldwide.

Your Role

• The Africa Regional Office and the Malaria Program Strategy Team (PST) are recruiting a Senior Program Officer (SPO), for Strategic Partnerships and Country Engagement to support the Director and team in achieving its impact goals by:
  • Translate Strategy into Country-Specific Engagement
  • Support Innovation adoption.
  • Engage with Diverse Stakeholders
  • Drive Impactful Investments Aligned with Strategic Objectives
  • Optimize Project Impact and Promote Learning
  • Leverage Cross-Sector Opportunities
• This position is Abuja-based and will report to the Deputy Director for Disease control and a dotted line to the Deputy Director for Strategic Partnerships and Country Engagement of the malaria PST.

What You’ll Do
Translate Strategy into Country-Specific Engagement:

• Develop a tailored approach for Nigeria, incorporating a clear technical vision, overarching goals, and detailed country-specific investment plans. These plans should align with Nigeria’s national malaria priorities and drive impactful, measurable outcomes.

Support Innovation adoption:

• Find opportunities for innovation adoption in the program against malaria that will bring a step change to achieving better health outcomes. This includes identifying and nurturing non-traditional partnerships and networks for malaria eradication.

Engage with Diverse Stakeholders:

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, implementing partners, the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), and the Ministry of Health (MoH). 
• Provide strategic and technical support through joint efforts, participation in technical forums, and by complementing and aligning resources and interventions.

Drive Impactful Investments Aligned with Strategic Objectives:

• Collaborate with global and national partners to conceptualize, develop, and manage high-impact investments that address Nigeria’s malaria strategic objectives. Ensure these efforts align with both the Gates Foundation Nigeria Country Office’s goals and the Malaria Team’s broader strategic priorities.

Optimize Project Impact and Promote Learning:

• Partner with grantees and stakeholders to improve project impact and promote evidence generation and knowledge sharing. Activities may include establishing a learning agenda, a learning and sharing platform and partnerships, translating learning into operational guidance.

Leverage Cross-Sector Opportunities:

• Work with stakeholders to identify and pursue cross-sector grant-making opportunities that drive the Malaria response program. These may include collaborations in related program areas such as Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH), Routine Immunization, Primary Health Care, and Health System Strengthening.

Requirements

• The foundation is seeking a global expert specializing in evidence generation and innovative delivery at national and global levels with a preference for experience in Malaria program design, implementation and evaluation. 

The ideal candidate will be a respected member of the Malaria communities and should have:

• MPH, MD, Masters in a related field is required for this position.
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience working on malaria program implementation.
• Regional multi-country experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is essential. Having worked with or for a national malaria control program will be a strong asset.
• Thorough and up-to-date technical knowledge of malaria epidemiology, WHO policies, and implementation guidance.
• Experience working with global institutions including malaria donors like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and the US President Malaria Initiative.
• Consistent track record of leading and influencing others positively.
• Proficiency in developing and implementing strategies.
• High detail orientation and affinity for data, with the ability to artfully lead tactical execution while remaining objective when absorbing and communicating information.
• Proven track record to exercise independent judgment in developing methods, techniques, and evaluating criteria for obtaining results.
• Demonstrated excellence in scientific writing and data analysis, written and oral communication skills, and experience advocating and communicating with a broad and diverse audience.
• Demonstrated capacity and initiative to solve problems with energy and a positive demeanor.
• Experience in a role requiring collaboration (both internally and externally), prioritization, and results-orientation in a fast-paced, complex organization.
• Intellectual quickness, curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently, tactfully, and flexibly, particularly as part of a team. Experience working in teams with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

Other Attributes:

• Strong oral and written communications
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.
• Strong initiative, organizational skills and ability to work autonomously and cross functionally while remaining flexible to changing tasks, priorities, and roles and responsibilities
• Effective meeting and relationship facilitation
• Ability and comfort working within a highly matrixed organization
• Strong negotiating skills

Application Closing Date
6th March, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Informantion and Notice

• 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.