The Program Officer (PO) for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Discovery and Tools (MNCH D&T), will lead the development and implementation of the portfolio of investments aimed at improving pregnancy outcomes for mothers and newborns in low and middle-income country settings. This initiative is part of an internal framework that aims to develop new tools to target underlying vulnerabilities in pregnancy and early childhood in order to reduce morbidity and mortality of mothers and children. This role requires the ability to execute on a diverse portfolio of grants with a sense of urgency and thoughtfulness by bringing together key internal and external stakeholders. Much of this portfolio contains development of novel / clinical algorithms for diagnostics such as operator independent ultrasounds, or tools to assess progression of labor and their integration into existing or future devices. As such, familiarity with machine learning and artificial intelligence or a quantitative background of a similar nature is highly desired.
The PO will have responsibility for creating and supporting new investigative efforts that involve outreach to established investigators in both high income and low/middle income settings a well as engagement with biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
- Implement strategic approaches to address MNCH Discovery &Tools’ goals focused on pregnancy and peripartum period with a sense of purpose and urgency.
- Develop and manage grants of a portfolio which involve novel approaches to device development, algorithm integration and field efficacy evaluation.
- Work across multiple teams to ensure seamless integration into broader portfolio.
- Create innovative approaches to advance capacity of partners so that they can complete their implementation and advocacy work.
- Develop outreach plans that include listening to external partners and beneficiaries, sharing our strategies, and progressing our goal to improve outcomes for mothers, infants and children.
- Represent key program-related external constituencies. This includes both formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences and other meetings as necessary.
- This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field so that packages of interventions can be designed to improve maternal and child outcomes.
We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.
Core Knowledge & Skills
- We are looking for people who enjoy the challenge of working on complex projects and collaboratively creating solutions that have the potential for transformational change. We seek an experienced leader with knowledge of (or demonstrated ability to quickly learn) clinical and epidemiological aspects of maternal health, or health during pregnancy, infancy and childhood. This would include: evaluation of projects, operations research, data analysis, management of strategies and programs that reduce maternal and infant-related morbidity and mortality.
Education and Experience
- Expertise in both academic and field-based research that is scientifically rigorous and catalytic of policy and program change.
- An ability to identify priority areas for funding in maternal and newborn health; ability to shape ideas and proposals into successful programs.
- The capacity to identify and activate interconnections with related areas in public health, product development, regulatory frameworks and policy.
- Background in one or more of engineering or quantitative aspects such as machine learning, artificial intelligence is highly desirable.
Additional Skills and Experience:
- Demonstrated outstanding written and oral communication skills in positions requiring communications in a broad and diverse audience on a range of complex technical issues.
- Experience in a role requiring collaboration as well as a demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency and diplomacy both individually, as part of a complex team effort and across multi-disciplinary boundaries; ability to work in a cooperative and collegial fashion.
- Demonstrated ability to successfully assemble, coordinate, and manage complex inter-group collaborations and partnerships, guiding such programs to meet programmatic and strategic goals.
- Experience in the execution, conduct and/or management of performance based contracts or cooperative agreements. Ability to exercise independent judgment in soliciting, shaping, and comparing grant opportunities to identify optimal partners, and identifying and deciding between numerous strategic or technical approaches.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across traditional disciplinary boundaries in a highly collaborative manner.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior leadership and senior policy makers.
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to solve problems with energy and positive attitude.
- Ability to organize/prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and build relationships to gain the respect and trust of others.
- Solid understanding of the realities and complexities of matrix based organizations.
- Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
- A sense of humor.
- Demonstrated passion for the foundation’s values with a commitment to deliver results against the foundation’s mission.