Senior Program Officer, Global Delivery Program Special Adviser

• Assist the GDP Director in facilitating effective decision-making by ensuring the Director’s involvement in a project or decision-making process at the right moment.
• Coordinate the execution of strategic initiatives such as the GDP Strategic Advisory Group. This will include researching, bench-marking, and analyzing data to make recommendations, crafting and managing projects, and engaging internal and external resources to deliver on outcomes.
• Collaborate with HR on behalf of the director to ensure direct report staff processes and needs are handled efficiently and judiciously and keep track of progress until resolved. This will include partnering with HR to draft/review job descriptions, outline an interview process, and screen candidates for roles reporting into the Director.
• Assess inquiries directed to the Director GDP & figure out the proper course of action and delegate to the appropriate individual to handle.
• Assist the GDP Director in setting strategic priorities and evaluating progress against them. This includes working with the Senior Program Assistant to assess and prioritize requests for the Director’s time and travel.
• Support the Director’s efficiency by helping prepare for meetings and in their follow up. Together with the SPA, the Chief of Staff will review upcoming meetings to ensure the leader has all of the information needed to be as productive as possible and sending out agendas or documents to meeting attendees as necessary.
• Run the docket of work and supporting meeting cadence for the GDP Leadership Team, collaborating with Deputy Director, Strategy Planning & Management and leadership team members to prioritize and shape topics for discussion and decision. Ensure agenda materials are sent in advance, time is well spent, and objectives are achieved.
• Set a cadence of regular, proactive and reactive communications for the GDP director and leadership team. Prepare and review key internal and external communications such as newsletters, reports, speeches or presentations for the Director.
• Run and plan team retreats in collaboration with the Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management.

Success Criteria:

• Builds trust and rapport with people at all levels, within GDP, across the foundation, and externally, including the GDP Director, GDP and the Leadership Team;
• Results-driven attitude combined with resilience – meets adversity with tenacity and drives to solutions;
• Demonstrates off the charts emotional intelligence by understanding the underlying motivations of key actors and working with political acumen while remaining positive, empathetic, flexible and curious.
• Speaks truth to power with a focus on solutions
• Effectively interacts with senior management in GDP and across the foundation and external partners;
• Communicates clearly and respectfully in ways that gain trust at all levels of the organization;
• Brings constructive recommendations to resolve complex problems;
• Elevates the work of the GDP Management and Leadership teams through thoughtful planning, preparation and partnership
• Comfortable behind the stage, supporting the person in the spotlight
• Ability to anticipate needs of others before they are spoken and gains energy from this support
• Brings humility to the work while being ‘all in’ for the goals of the team
• Respects confidentiality by acting as a ‘steel trap’ with confidential information