Senior Officer, Program Advocacy & Communications at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - 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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Officer, Program Advocacy & Communications

Job Requisition ID: B020980
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Employment type: Full time
Department: Compliance & Legal

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 an 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 teams in GPA to achieve their policy and finance goals by:
  • Developing and coordinating the execution of advocacy and communications strategies.
  • Developing, when required, resource mobilization strategies in collaboration with relevant teams.
  • Demonstrating leadership and foundation voice to implement advocacy strategies.
  • Developing and leading a grant portfolio 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

Your Role

• As part of the foundation's Nigeria Policy, Advocacy and Communications team, the primary responsibility of the Senior Officer – Policy, Advocacy & communications is to manage execution of a comprehensive advocacy strategy that will enable the foundation and its partners to achieve our shared programmatic goals in Nigeria. 
• This will be done in close collaboration with Nigeria-based leadership and staff, advocacy partners in the Gates Foundation’s Africa Regional, Washington D.C. and Seattle offices, program teams, and communications colleagues.
• It will also involve collaboration with a range of external foundation grantees and partners, including the Nigeria’s government at both the federal and state levels, given the Gates Foundation’s engagement in the country.
• The focus of the foundation’s work in Nigeria is women’s and children’s health and nutrition issues, agricultural development and financial service for the poor. The Senior Officer – Policy, Advocacy & Communications will report to the Deputy Director for Policy, Advocacy and Communications based in Nigeria.

What You'll Do

• With leadership and staff colleagues, develop and implement a Nigeria advocacy strategy that deploys foundation assets (e.g., grants and contracts, leadership voice, convening ability, staff time) in support of the Gates Foundation’s strategy and its programmatic, policy and financing goals.
• Support the analysis and tracking of key Nigerian political, fiscal and policy-related trends relevant to the foundation’s influence in Nigeria.
• Work internally with Abuja-based, regional, and global program stakeholders and advocacy
• Colleagues to align strategies, gather information and manage specific projects.
• Manage a grant portfolio of advocacy investments in Nigeria, including managing existing grants and making and managing future grants that advance foundation goals, under the oversight of the Deputy Director.
• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant government officials, donors, and civil society to inform the foundation’s engagement in Nigeria at both national and state levels.
• Together the Deputy Director, work closely with Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) teams, Program Strategy teams and Communications colleagues to coordinate the foundation’s policy and advocacy priorities in Nigeria, and its overall use of voice.
• Advise the Nigeria Country Director and Deputy Director as needed on strategies to support and influence the foundation’s political and NGO relationships at federal and state levels.
• Potentially represent the foundation and the Nigeria program to internal and external constituencies, including both formal and informal presentations, making speeches, attending conferences and other meetings as necessary.

Leadership and Culture:

• We believe that energized people, working well together, motivated by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Public Health, Development, or a related field with 7+ years of progressive senior-level experience leading advocacy initiatives in global health and development.
• Understand the role of advocacy and communications efforts to increase awareness of global health/development issues and craft political and financial support for these issues with governmental and non-state organizations.
• Consistent track record of providing vision and influencing others in a constructive, optimistic manner, while building and sustaining collaborative relationships.
• Outstanding project and team leadership skills including the ability to lead teams and organizations from strategy development through execution, develop shared goals and execution plans, prioritize, facilitate meetings, manage budgets, develop consensus, and work both autonomously and collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus, ideal.
• Experience handling a grant's portfolio either as a grantee, receiving and reporting on a grant, or as a grant manager, with direct responsibility for grantmaking and management.
• Experience developing and leading complex projects and/or grants in support of policy initiatives, advocacy programs, and events at the global, regional, and national levels.
• Experience working in an environment with ambiguity while helping teams adapt to change.
• A keenness for bringing to bear technology, and/or competence in using generative AI tools, for task efficiency is desired.

Core Knowledge and Skills:

• Exceptional knowledge, experience and expertise in policy and advocacy relevant to Nigeria— either directly involving global health and development issues, or in areas that have provided deep and significant experience that can be translated to health and development issues.
• Experience in the conception, design and management of advocacy strategies, initiatives and programs for health, and/or agriculture, and/or financial services for the poor.
• Experience working with Nigerian policymakers at federal and state-levels strongly preferred, as is knowledge of the Nigerian civil society landscape, and of major donor and multilateral institutions.
• Experienced driving advocacy and communications efforts to increase awareness of global health/development issues and shape political and financial support for these issues with governmental and non-state organizations.
• Ability to translate complex ideas and information into simple messages and strategies.
• Experience working with international organizations and/or in multiple countries is preferred.
• Experience or high ability to work in a complex, matrixed environment – requiring cultural awareness, and a collaborative nature that knows the benefits of seeking consensus.
• Ability to work with flexibility, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort. A proven track record to effectively manage and adapt within a changing environment.

Other Attributes:

• Ability to work with flexibility and a high level of rigor, collaboration, and diplomacy, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
• Thorough understanding of the advocacy landscape and the policy adoption landscape
• High standards of personal integrity.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time, where health and safety protocols allow.
• A deep commitment to development issues in Nigeria.

Application Closing Date
28th May, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information

• Hiring Requirements: As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
• Candidate Accommodations: If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.