Associate Program Officer – Polio Eradication at Gates Foundation
Application Deadline: 20/10/25
The Role
You strategically develop and manage portfolios of grants
and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, monitoring, and
evaluation. You act as a key advisor on strategy initiatives and contribute to
the continued development of the team’s strategic vision while partnering
closely with team leadership to set the overall strategy and goals for the
team. You coordinate the team’s engagement with GPEI on outbreaks across
regional and global levels, including managing and hiring talent. You work in
close collaboration with national authorities, NGOs, and the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners at the global, regional, and country
levels.
This position is based in Nairobi and
reports to the Interim Deputy Director, Health, based in South Africa.
Key roles and responsibilities
- Support
the Senior Program Officer and overall, Non-Endemic Outbreaks team in
implementing the strategy for stopping outbreaks of Type 2 circulating
vaccine-derived polioviruses globally in Africa with particular focus on
DR Congo and Lake Chad Bassin (francophone) countries.
- Coordination
with Global Polio Eradication Initiative partnership in Kenya to ensure
optimum implementation of polio strategy.
- Support
facilitation, project management, partner management and follow-up on
initiatives and projects to address cVDPV2 transmission led by the Polio
Outbreaks team, with a particular focus on strengthening grant and
consultant and management and tracking program progress.
- Draft
sections of key documents, reports and presentations for a variety of
purposes and audiences, summarizing developments and recommendations for
internal and external audiences; handle overall process for document
preparation.
- Conduct
basic data analysis in support of the Foundation’s work.
- Interact
and communicate clearly and consistently with grantees and partners in the
field; support team program officers on select investments
- May
directly own a small number of investments.
Your Experience
- An
advanced degree, or equivalent demonstrated experience, in management,
administration, consulting, public health, or a related field, with
a minimum of three (3) years of professional experience.
- Experience
in strategic planning and strategy implementation, particularly as it
relates to polio eradication and immunization.
- Experience
in emergency response, program management, and program operations.
- Previous
experience managing teams in cross-cultural, cross-location settings
Other Attributes
- Ability
to develop and maintain strong partnerships and relationships inside and
outside the organization, manage conflicts, and build consensus.
- Proficiency
in English and French is required; knowledge
of Portuguese will be considered an advantage.
- Ability
to travel up to 50% internationally.