The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation’s work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation’s 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 partners and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, U.S. and Gender Equality programs and Foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives!

The Program Advocacy and Communications (PAC) 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.
- Using leadership and foundation voice to implement advocacy strategies.
- Developing and managing grant portfolios dedicated to achieving advocacy outcomes.
- Directly advocating with sector leaders, influencers, media and government officials to achieve advocacy outcomes.
- Leading issue-specific communications in service of advocacy goals.
- Developing policy recommendations or proposals in partnership with programmatic and regional offices.

Application Deadline: June 23, 2023.

Your Role

As a Senior Program Officer (SPO), you will lead and manage a portfolio within our Policy, Advocacy and Communications team focused on strengthening the gender equality sector.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, Gender Equality Policy Advocacy and Communications, the SPO will contribute to team goals and objectives designed to use global and regional platforms and processes that enable deeper coordination, new commitments, and data-driven accountability for accelerated progress on SDG5. Within this portfolio, this SPO will oversee, contribute to, or directly manage work that aims to:

Strengthen the individual and collective power of CSOs and governments to increase the quantity and quality of resources and at-scale programs for the GE sector.

• Support Generation Equality Forum commitment accountability and platform sustainability.

• Improve global gender data and SDG 5 accountability.

• Strengthen private donor collaboration to advance gender equality.

• You will maintain and develop key grants as part of our sector strengthening portfolio.

• Alongside your grantmaking responsibilities, you will seek to engage with and build coalitions, as well as participate in direct advocacy to multilateral institutions and donors, to build alignment around shared priorities.

What You’ll Do

• Develop, implement, manage, and evaluate portfolio of grants and contracts focused on strengthening the gender equality sector and key partners within it.

• Consult with grantees, colleagues, and other external partners to build trust and strengthen the impact of partnerships and team priorities. This work may include: establishing regular check-ins and communications channels, conducting site visits, providing operational guidance, and convening meetings of key partners.

• Work with the gender equality program team and our colleagues in key markets to translate standard methodologies, needs assessments, and data from the field into globally and nationally relevant policy and resource mobilization asks, briefs, messaging, and approaches.

• Contribute to communications teams initiatives (including GE PAC communications, leadership voice planning, and external communications), to ensure that communications work by the foundation is supporting and elevating key advocacy goals and grantee priorities in key markets.

• Represent the foundation to key external constituencies, communities of practice, and platforms related to area of expertise and responsibilities of the position.

• Develop briefings, talking points, and memos for leadership engagements on relevant bodies of work. Ensure leadership is sufficiently briefed on relevant opportunities and risks related to the portfolio.

• Manage Program Officer, Gender Equality Advocacy to ensure they are supported to deliver high-quality work that feeds into team goals and priorities.

• Focus on building relationships and partnerships across our advocacy and communications division and will work closely with program teams, country offices, government relations, philanthropic partnerships, and other internal teams to build understanding of and support for our goals. You will also support briefings, learning sessions, and advocacy activities by the foundation’s leadership.

Your Experience

• Significant (10+) years’ experience working in government, public affairs, multilateral institutions, civil society organizations, and/or communications roles aimed at influencing policy change and resource flows.

• Advanced degree, or equivalent work experience, in public policy, international relations, gender equality, global development, communications or a related field.

• Knowledge of global gender equality, health, and development ecosystems; experience working in or with relevant gender institutions a plus.

• Experience developing strategies or campaigns that advance policy change, resource mobilization goals, or norms change, particularly in global contexts

• Comfort and demonstrated success working with senior partners from across civil society, government, philanthropy, UN institutions, and the private sector.

• Proven track record to contribute to, develop, and lead partnerships and coalitions that drive progress towards larger strategic goals.

• Ability to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus. Clear and coherent writing style.

• Experience advising or developing communications campaigns and sophisticated global strategies in support of policy initiatives, advocacy programs, and events

• Excellent negotiating and diplomacy skills with an emphasis on collaboration and strong communication across a range of cultures, time zones, and sectors. Strategic problem solver and an honest broker of ideas and information. Ability to work informally and formally to collaborate with others to achieve results.

• Comfort working under pressure and in evolving or unclear circumstances, with demonstrated ability to prioritize effectively. Ability to understand and anticipate priorities and focus on time-sensitive tasks in response.

• Clear perspective on how to demonstrate grantmaking and philanthropic influence to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals

• Demonstrated success leading and managing change and cultivating strong cross-team relationships in a large, matrixed organization with a diverse array of internal stakeholders and external partners.

• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time domestically and internationally.

The typical salary range for this role is $144,200 to $267,800 USD. The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role.

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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 strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all 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.