Senior Program Officer, Emergency Response

About Our Team

The Global Development Program includes a diverse range of program areas aimed at finding creative ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in low-income countries who need them most. We focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach millions of people. Our program strategies include: Emergency Response (EMR); Family Planning; Maternal Newborn & Child Health; Nutrition; Polio Eradication.

The EMR strategy consists of three pillars – Preparedness, Relief, and Learning & Innovation. While each has dynamic goals, the learning from each pillar helps to inform the advancement of the others, to continually strengthen the full humanitarian system.

We Do This By

As a team, our mission is to save lives and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian system.

• Investing in strengthening the ability of local institutions – including government, public health institutions and civil society organizations, to help communities prepare for and cope with future shocks.
• Demonstrating, adapting, scaling, and institutionalizing novel approaches, tools, and systems to improve the quality and efficiency within the humanitarian system by working with interdisciplinary teams.
• Providing fast and flexible trust-based catalytic funding for rapid relief efforts to vulnerable populations impacted by crisis.
• Advocating for a culture of learning and innovation in the humanitarian sector.

Leadership and Culture

Our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things. We expect foundation employees to intentionally and consistently embody our values of optimism, collaboration, rigor, innovation, and inclusion.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Senior Program Officer, Emergency Response (SPO, EMR) will support the Emergency Response team to plan, manage, and implement a wide range of activities in support of EMR’s programmatic and strategic goals, including developing new investment opportunities.

What You Will Do!

• Manage a portfolio of investments, which includes consulting with grantees to achieve desired impact of grants; conduct site visits when appropriate, provide technical guidance, convene meetings, and apply and evaluate milestone-based performance objectives. Ensure appropriate documentation, grant budgeting and reporting as well as operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Distill knowledge and identify key findings from current and former investments to inform programming going forward and support better decision making.
• Support the team measurement, learning, and evaluation strategy. Help operationalize processes and systems which will feed data and analysis from grants and research back into key strategy and portfolio management decisions.
• Draft sections of key documents, reports, and presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences, summarizing developments and recommendations for program areas and external partners.
• Interact and communicate clearly and consistently with grantees and partners in the field.
• Prepare and write briefs and synthesize existing literature. Provide written analysis of key topics for foundation management. Fulfill data requests from leadership.

Who You Are!

You Will Have

We are seeking a committed team member with strong interpersonal skills who is motivated by working across a range of projects and driving progress on complex topics.

• Field humanitarian experience: A vision for and belief in innovative approaches for strengthening locally led emergency preparedness, emergency response, and disaster management systems
• Relationship management experience: Ability to influence without formal authority by building positive relationships and connections with a variety of constituents
• Effective communication experience: Ability to communicate effectively and clearly with various partners (internal/external), grantees, governments, and with audiences with varying technical, cultural, and geographic backgrounds.
• Grant making/management experience: Ability to work with the business team to support the design and execution of the investment (grants and contracts) portfolio
• Proven ability to work with agility, efficiency, and diplomacy in an inclusive and dynamic environment.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s with 10+ years of experience in the humanitarian field, or equivalent experience combination.
• Proficient in French, Portuguese, or Spanish is a plus, but not required
• 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 foundation requires all employees based in the United States to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, subject to applicable laws.

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

All Applicants And Employees Who Are Drawn To Serve The Mission Of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 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
• Prior Protected Activity

Posted 8 Days Ago Full time B017008

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, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

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