The Senior Program Officer will play a key strategic role in a small team with large aspirations. In particular, they will help finalize the implementation approach to the recently-approved Global Education strategy with a view to maximizing its impact on the field. The SPO will manage flagship investments emanating from the implementation plan. They will help evolve the team’s strategy based on the lessons learnt from our initial engagement.
Areas of Responsibility:
- In close collaboration with the Director, shape the global investment architecture that best supports our strategic goals;
- Own and guide signature grants in the portfolio. Will involve consulting with partners and shape grants to achieve desired strategic objective;
- Guide internal processes in support of good grant management, e.g., grant budgeting and reporting;
- Support ongoing evolution of the strategy through analytics, syntheses, and engagement with Foundation leadership.
- Represent the foundation in appropriate forums.
Educational Background:
Advanced degree, PhD preferred, with demonstrated years of relevant experience
Skills/Experience:
- Demonstrated knowledge of the political economy of education improvement in a South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa;
- Demonstrated familiarity with the global literature on improving K12 outcomes in low- and middle-income countries;
- Understanding of the role of think tanks/NGOs/philanthropies in supporting educational outcomes; prior grant making experience valued;
- Leadership abilities to work with multiple stakeholders, including government, other donors, researchers and grantees to co-create implementable solutions to complex problems;
- Ability to work at both a tactical and strategic level with willingness to roll your sleeves up to accomplish the work
- Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people; prior experience working on – preferably in – South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa valued;
- Strong analytical, writing and verbal skills for communicating with a broad and diverse audience;
- Effective as a collaborator in complex internal and external orgs;
- Extensive project contribution and management experience;
- Works with efficiency and diplomacy
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
May 3 2018
Active Until:
Jun 3 2018
Hiring Organization:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
industry:
Nonprofit