Program Officer, Routine Immunization Strengthening Program (LTE)

As a Program Officer for the Routine Immunization Strengthening Program (RISP), you will work collaboratively with internal and external partners to implement investment approaches aimed at improving immunization coverage and equity in select sub-national geographies. Your strong experience in supporting health services in low-resource and humanitarian settings motivates you to support programs for reaching those people who have not been reached yet. You strive to mainstream gender transformative approaches in your work and encourage your partners to understand and improve their gender practices. You are a systems problem solver who enjoys creatively tackling challenging problems and is willing to take risks to test new ideas. Your excellent diplomacy and communication skills will help you forge trusting relationships with government technical staff, implementing partners, and donors in the immunization sector. You will manage the transition of foundation-supported
efforts to governments and other partners with a focus on long-term sustainability. You will apply your strong analytical and quantitative skills to ensure effective monitoring of grants, investments, sustainability transitions and programming strategies. You will support the team's strategy and learning efforts to generate evidence-based lessons on what works and what doesn't to strengthen immunization coverage and equity. This role reports to the Deputy Director, RISP & RI Learning, work in a hybrid work environment from our London office and be expected to undertake up to 40% international travel.
This is a two-year Limited Term Employment position. Relocation to London, UK. will be provided.
What You'll Do

• Partner Collaboration: Develop deep, trusting relationships with key country-level partners such as Ministry of Health technical managers, colleagues from donor organizations like Gavi, World Bank etc., humanitarian and development actors, civil society representatives and implementing partner staff; proactively shape and pursue opportunities for co-managed and co-financed collaborations with government and other donors, encouraging a collaborative partnership culture where impact is the focus, credit is shared, and transparency is the norm.


• Investment Management: Manage grants and contracts aimed at improving immunization coverage and equity in select sub-national areas. Work closely with grantees and contractors to ensure strong alignment on investment goals that is reflected in high-quality grant proposals, budgets and report submissions. Rigorously track the progress of country-level investment portfolios against outputs and outcome goals, using data and evidence for rapid strategic adjustment where necessary.


• Gender Integration: Mainstream gender intentional or transformative approaches in every grant and contract you manage, advocate for immunization partners to implement strategies that reduce gender-related barriers to immunization.


• Innovation and Risk-Taking: Identify and implement innovative approaches to both improve immunization coverage and equity as well as improve long-term sustainability. Encourage and test new ideas, encouraging partners to question the status quo, take risks and learn from failures.


• Sustainability and Transition: Support planning for the eventual transition and closure of foundation-supported programs and investments, ensuring clear communication, monitoring and problem-solving, with a focus on long-term sustainability.


• Learning and Analysis: Contribute to the team's monitoring and learning goals, ensuring evidence-based lessons are effectively captured to inform internal and external diffusion of models and practices that are most effective for improving immunization. Prepare and write updates and briefs to share internally and externally.


• Strategy Support: Contribute to the development and adjustment of team strategy, ensuring the translation of country-level realities to global policy.


• Leadership Reporting & Engagement: Support foundation leadership engagements, advocacy and reporting.


• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Embed diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into the implementation of day-to-day work, interactions with colleagues and the portfolio of investments you manage.


• Travel: Expectation of up to 40% international travel.
  
  A Bachelor's degree or equivalent demonstrated experience; master's degree or equivalent experience preferred.


• Experience with immunization programming in low-resource and humanitarian settings.


• Knowledge of vaccination program strategies and awareness of global policy, strategy and partnership dynamics, with experiencing engaging and empowering government partners.


• Creative problem solver with the flexibility to adapt quickly based on new information, an appetite to take risks, and willingness to embrace failure as an important step in learning.


• Effective change agent with the ability to be an advocate and driver of successful change, including prioritizing what needs to change, strategically deploying resources to provoke change and move others through the change process through intentional actions.


• Impact-focused, with the ability to rigorously apply quantitative and analytical skills to better understand data and complexity.


• Experience with implementing gender intentional and transformative approaches to reduce gender-based barriers to immunization.


• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, political, geographic, and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.


• Bilingual in English and French



• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

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
Vaccines are a core priority of the Gates Foundation and can save millions of lives a year when delivered effectively. The mission of our Immunization program strategy team is to urgently reach children, adolescents, and adults - no matter where they live - with the vaccines they need. Our goal is a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases, and we do this by working with countries, development and humanitarian partners, and civil society organizations, to make sure that vaccines and immunization are effectively prioritized and delivered. Robust and resilient immunization programs are critical to achieving the promise of vaccination and are a cornerstone of primary health care, and we work to ensure that there are sufficient, affordable supplies to meet demand. We seek to bring new perspectives to challenging problems as we focus on results that can be delivered at scale. All our work on vaccines and immunization contributes to IA2030, which is a vision and commitment by the global
community to extend the full benefits of immunization to all by 2030.


• Purpose: We put what is good for the long-term future of the world first,


above our own ambitions or preferences. We go big, seeking the transformational contribution our foundation can make toward improving health.

• Results: We are outcome-oriented, working against goals we aspire to achieve. We consistently reassess our efforts, capabilities, and investments to apply them toward the greatest impact.


• Learning: We approach our work with curiosity and a sense of adventure. We spark new ideas and explore alternatives, bringing an inventive, creative and open-minded approach to everything we do. We fail fast, learn without blame, and get back to work.


• Ownership: We each take ownership of the whole of our team. We own our individual experience at work, seeking clarity and help when we need it. We play our part in how our team works, providing clarity and offering feedback to build the strength of our colleagues and team.


• Humility & Openness: We are humble and open to influence and give one another the benefit of doubt. We actively work to mitigate our unconscious biases and assumptions.


• Appreciation: We enjoy one another and remain grounded in how fortunate we are to be here doing this. We listen for brilliance, partnership, and wisdom among diverse voices and celebrate the richness of one another's skills and experiences. We fluidly and frequently acknowledge contributions.