Senior Program Officer, Global Health Advocacy Communications, Program Advocacy and Communications
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Category: Nonprofit-Program Management Philanthropy-Administrative-Non-profit
- Posting Date: 04/14/2023
- Application Deadline: Open until filled
Job Description
Senior Program Officer, Global Health Advocacy Communications, Program Advocacy and Communications
The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. By building a global and cultural workplace that supports greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — together with our employees and partners, we can help all people improve their lives from poverty and health to education. As an organization we offer full healthcare premiums coverage, generous paid time off, contribution to your retirement fund, several employee communities, and a commitment to embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into everything we do.
The Team
The Program Advocacy and Communications team works in partnership with program teams and other teams in Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) to achieve their policy and finance goals by:
- Developing and coordinating the execution of advocacy and communications strategies.
- Leveraging leadership and foundation voice to implement communications and advocacy strategies.
- Developing and managing a grant portfolio dedicated to achieving communications and advocacy outcomes.
- Directly advocating with sector leaders, influencers, media and government officials in order to achieve communications and advocacy outcomes.
- Leading issue-specific communications in service of communications and advocacy goals.
- Developing policy recommendations or proposals in partnership with programmatic and regional offices.
Your Role
The Senior Program Officer (SPO) for Global Health Advocacy Communications will lead the foundation’s Global Health advocacy communications team, managing strategic communications on a diverse range of Global Health areas, including Infectious Diseases (Malaria, NTDs, TB, HIV), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (Global Fund).
The SPO will provide strategic mentorship and management support to the Global Health advocacy communications team, including Program Officers working across Malaria, HIV, TB, NTDs, Global Health (GH) R&D, Pandemic Preparedness & Response, and GH functional teams.
What You'll Do
- Lead the implementation of multiple advocacy communications strategies to generate attention, resources, and policy changes vital to achieve the foundation’s programmatic objectives.
- Support the foundation’s Malaria Program in developing and implementing communications strategies that are aligned with the program, policy, and advocacy goals of the foundation and its key partners.
- Support the foundation’s TB/HIV Programs in developing and implementing communications strategies that are aligned with the program, policy, and advocacy goals of the foundation and its key partners.
- Support foundation leadership in developing and implementing communications strategies to help mobilize public- and private-sector investment in the Global Fund.
- Manage a diverse and inclusive global portfolio of grants and contracts to advance the communications and advocacy outcomes in support of program strategies, including reviewing letters of inquiry and grant proposals and provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
- Support the foundation’s efforts to identify communications risks and develop strategies, in coordination with grantees and partners, to mitigate those risks
- Oversee agency and consultant support to help implement advocacy, communications, and champion building objectives.
- Develop a broad array of evidence-based materials (including messages, fact sheets, press releases, FAQ documents, data visualizations, and other creative writing materials) that communicate the foundation’s key policy advocacy priorities to key opinion leaders, decision-makers, and the media.
- Represent the foundation to external constituencies. This includes both formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, and other meetings as vital.
- Manage and provide strategic support and mentorship to the GH advocacy communications team. Including hiring and leading the talent needed to achieve our goals, ensuring successful employee onboarding, communicating performance expectations, creating goal alignment, and, giving and seeking feedback.
Your Experience
- Extensive strategic communications experience, leading the conception, design and management of communications strategies, campaigns, creative content management, excellent writing and editing skills, and a demonstrated capacity to translate sophisticated health and development issues into compelling persuasive writing.
- Advanced degree with senior experience in communications and advocacy, or equivalent experience
- Comprehensive experience working in either the public or non-profit sectors, and comprehensive experience linking communications with advocacy work
- Knowledge of global health and development issues as well as a deep dedication to the sector; ability to learn new concepts quickly and communicate effectively with different audiences.
- Demonstrated understanding of the role of advocacy and communications efforts to increase awareness and build political/financial support for health and development goals in the developing world with governmental and non-state organizations.
Other Attributes
- Shown ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships; ability to present publicly in meetings, defend different strategies or approaches and keep various parties abreast of both the work in play and the ultimate results/impact.
- High standards of personal integrity, and comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic, and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
- Experience directly managing and leading teams
- Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
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Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.
Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.