gblcareers.com

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Director, Africa Job
Apply now Apply now
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Division Global Policy and Advocacy
Department Africa
Location Addis Ababa
Foundation Overview 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, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Group Summary The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) program is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation’s work in developing countries, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation’s policy objectives nationally and globally. Because the foundation’s resources alone are not enough to solve the challenges ahead, GPA also supports advocacy efforts to engage diverse stakeholders and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. GPA is composed of our Regional Offices in India, China and Africa; our Donor Government Relations (DGR) teams, one for Europe and the Middle East, based in London, and another for the United States, Canada and Asia-Pacific region, based in Washington, DC; a Program Advocacy team; a Development Policy & Finance team; and our Charitable Sector Support team. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health and Global Development Programs, the CEO’s office, and foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.

Responsibilities The Director will lead the GPA Africa Team to support and drive the foundation’s engagement in Africa. Drawn from the priorities set out by the foundation’s program strategy teams (PSTs), this role is focused on maximizing the health and development outcomes of the foundation, particularly in priority countries where the foundation currently has offices (Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa) and where the foundation may expand in the future.

Key responsibilities include:
– Serves as a key member of the foundation and GPA leadership teams, contributing to the overall strategy of GPA and the foundation.
– Oversees the development and implementation of the foundation’s strategic approach in Africa and integrated country plans in support of key program and advocacy goals. This is focused on priority countries with existing foundation offices (Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa); including potential scaling up and expansion into other countries with the greatest opportunity to impact disease and poverty.
– Manages the Africa Representation Team based in Seattle and Africa. Including a network of staff, consultants and other partners to assist in governmental and multilateral relationships in select African countries where the foundation has important programmatic priorities but no official presence.
– Helps establish and strengthen, and in key areas, lead critical relationships with key foundation partners. Including politicians, government officials, donors, media, NGOs, multilateral organizations, and the private sector in Africa to boost political will and advance the foundation’s programmatic priorities.
– Serves as the relationship owner for the foundation’s highest priority governmental and multilateral partners and institutions in Africa, such as the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA).
– Collaborates closely with staff in priority program areas and the Integrated Delivery team to support and advance strategic goals and cross-cutting issues.
– Contributes to foundation-wide global policy and advocacy priorities, particularly around Polio, Agricultural Development, Family Planning, Maternal & Newborn Child Health, and cross-cutting issues like country financing for social issues and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Qualifications – Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
– 20+ years of international experience including a good understanding of the political landscape in Africa and knowledge of development and other issues, including: governments, multilateral institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other funders/foundations. Experience in some of the foundation’s program strategies is expected; some exposure to multiple strategies is ideal.
– Significant leadership experience working in Africa with governments and other key organizations at the highest levels. Success in multiple countries is strongly preferred.
– Successful experience opening new operations, establishing a presence, ideally in multiple locations.
– Strong interpersonal and influencing skills when engaging with senior level executives and government officials on a global scale. Able to secure government and partner agreement.
– Ability to think strategically about working with the foundation’s programmatic work and the intersection of the public and private sectors.
– Solid people management skills – can effectively lead, manage, develop and retain a diverse team of full-time employees and consultants across multiple locations. Has directly managed a diverse team of professionals, at least 10 to 15 full time equivalents. Team will likely grow to 30+ full time equivalents.
– Outstanding written and verbal communication skills and experience speaking at international events held in Africa.
– Fluency in at least one African language and English is strongly preferred. French is an additional advantage.
– Ability to travel within region and to the U.S. at least 35% of the time.

Reporting Relationship & Location
– This position will report to the President of Global Policy & Advocacy and will be located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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 comprehensive background check.

Requisition Number 4621BR

Job Segments: Agricultural, Manager, Not for Profit, Agricultural Development, Global Health, Agriculture, Management, Nonprofit, Healthcare
APPLY NOW