Some women do not access or use contraceptives for a variety of reasons, even when they want to avoid pregnancy. They may have misconceptions about their risk of becoming pregnant, or be deterred by the cost, inconvenience, or concerns about side effects. In some cases, opposition from family members or a limited range of available methods can be a key factor in non-use. Less than 20 percent of women in Sub-Saharan Africa and barely one-third of women in South Asia use modern contraceptives.
Continued innovation in contraceptive technology is needed to address these barriers and meet the demands of women in different circumstances and at different stages of their lives. We support the discovery, development, and distribution of new technologies that address reasons for non-use, with a focus on improving acceptance and continued use among priority user groups: women who have achieved their desired family size, women who are not using an existing method due to side effects, and young women. These long-term investments will address contraceptive needs far beyond 2020 and will also include collaboration with the foundation’s HIV program to develop new technologies that prevent both pregnancy and HIV acquisition.
Based in Seattle, the Director, Family Planning leads the team’s overall strategy and coordinates with broader global health efforts within the foundation to achieve greater global access to voluntary family planning.
- Leading the Family Planning program, including strategy development, execution, staffing, managing and guiding the team, synthesis and sharing of learning, and assessment of impact;
- Building and nurturing critical relationships with peers and internal stakeholders;
- Conceptualizing and articulating strategies contributing to progress against the long-term goal of universal access to voluntary family planning;
- Actively collaborating and pursuing synergies across foundation program, function, and country teams, and federating efforts that contribute to Family Planning goals;
- Overseeing the Family Planning grant portfolio and creating robust systems that ensure quality grantee interactions, balance in the portfolio and effective annual planning;
- Providing rigorous review of our investments that can incorporate internal and external stakeholders’ perspectives; anticipating and proactively addressing mid-course project corrections and proposing structural changes to investments to ensure key outcomes are achieved;
- Publicly representing the foundation with stakeholders including both public and private entities, grantee organizations, other funders, universities, think tanks and other valued partners on the international stage.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
- Development and implementation of a post-2020 family planning strategy for the foundation that builds on prior success and continues progress against the longer-term goal of universal access to voluntary family planning.
- Strong partnerships with key national governments to support their family planning programs and advocacy to relevant global leaders to keep family planning on the global agenda.
- Improved data and monitoring around country progress toward family planning goals to hold donors, governments, programs, and providers accountable.
- Continued evidence generation around effective service delivery interventions that expand access to and use of contraceptives.
- Research on and development of innovative and affordable contraceptive technologies.
- A high-functioning Family Planning team aligned to our ‘Culture for Impact’.
The ideal candidate will be a thought leader on family planning issues and their impact on women, girls, and broader communities in the developing world. S/he will bring an interest in both upstream and downstream investments in family planning and will be a credible representative for the foundation to government leaders, partner organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
Managerial acumen
- A track record of leading teams of high-performing professionals and holding significant budgetary responsibility.
Family planning expertise
- Expertise in both upstream (research and development) and downstream (service delivery) family planning interventions is ideal.
Global networks and stature
- An opinion leader with existing networks in the global family planning community who can credibly represent the foundation on the global stage.
International experience
- Experience working in a range of different regions of developing countries; comfort working in an international environment. Resident experience in developing regions desirable.
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
Leading People
- An inspiring leader who actively contributes, and leads by example, to our ‘Culture for Impact.’
- Brings together team members with diverse backgrounds, approaches, and beliefs to pursue a coherent long-term direction, and collaborates with the team on how to achieve it.
- Delegates objectives with clear and explicit intent to a team with high technical acumen, allowing the freedom to be creative in devising solutions.
- Sets up practices to reinforce independent and open communication among team members and other groups both internally and externally that contribute to the work of Family Planning.
- Holds people accountable for their commitments, providing clarity and assisting when barriers arise; maintains the team’s focus on results, integrity, and impact.
Strategic Thinking
- Defines the evolving future of the Family Planning strategy within the foundation with a systems-thinking approach and an intellectual agility that stimulates creativity in innovation.
- Contributes to a Family Planning strategy and vision that:
- Moves between the conceptual and the applied, integrating and constructively challenging current issues and initiatives, core values, and future needs in a clear and coherent way.
- Provides a clear strategic direction for the Family Planning team and the broader foundation that is based on analytical rigor in goal-setting, large scale project management, and impact measurement.
- Thinks five to ten years ahead to influence systemic behavior change and impact.
Collaborating and Influencing
- Systematically builds support at multiple levels and across groups using complex, coordinated influence management skills that are adapted to people, organizations and networks.
- Engages global leaders from the private and public sectors, building support at the highest levels for this work.
- Builds partnerships based on a common agreement that acknowledges individual differences but creates a new commonality beyond root beliefs or culture.
- Inspires key stakeholders to create opportunities and participate in driving meaningful change using well-honed verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
OTHER PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- A healthy balance of self-confidence and humility, along with a keen desire to learn.
- Intellectual curiosity and honesty; attentive, empathetic and responsive listener.
- Resilience in the face of difficulties; handles setbacks without losing confidence or drive.
- Genuine passion and commitment to the foundation’s core values and mission.
- Integrity and high ethical standards.
- Ability to see the humor in difficult situations and to not take him/herself too seriously.