Job Opportunity for Senior Program Officer – Uttar Pradesh Health Systems Strengthening at Gates Foundation in New Delhi

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 Global Development Program includes a diverse range of program areas aimed at finding creative ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in low-income countries who need them most. We focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach millions of people. Our program strategies include: Emergency Response; Family Planning; Maternal Newborn & Child Health; Nutrition; Polio Eradication. A common theme across these programs is focus on innovative delivery, including an emphasis on strengthening primary health care systems. The Global Development Program also encompasses our India Country Office and Africa Team, with physical offices in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and Abuja. Our Program Strategy Teams work in close partnership with these Country Office Teams to align the foundation’s health and development equity agenda with the government’s broader priorities.

Our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things. We expect foundation employees to intentionally and consistently embody our values of optimism, collaboration, rigor, innovation and inclusion.

Our efforts are aligned with India’s objectives of improving the lives of its people – working closely with India’s Central and State governments, we partner with community groups, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and development organizations, to achieve our shared goals. Our strong networks and ability to convene intellectual resources from many every sectors and every regions of the globe allows us to address complex challenges as they emerge or evolve.

Our efforts in India focus on key issues that will affect the future of India’s most vulnerable communities: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition; urban sanitation; agricultural development; gender equality, and digital financial inclusion.

With a particular focus on Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP), we work with partners to develop impactful and sustainable solutions to improve the quality and coverage of key services for the poor and vulnerable. We also work in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra to support programs in urban sanitation, agricultural development, gender equality, and digital financial inclusion. 

Your Role

Located in New Delhi, the Senior Program Officer (SPO) – Uttar Pradesh Health Systems Strengthening is responsible for designing and implementing on the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) portfolio of grants in UP. All of the work we do in UP is aligned to Government to India and Government of UP’s goals, conducted in very close partnership with government counterparts and programs, and implemented through a portfolio of investments. This role will be the SPO for all grants related to HSS in the state, a leader in and coordinator of the UP Investment Team (UPIT), and an active team member on family health and infectious diseases investments in UP. The UPIT comprises colleagues with expertise on Family Health, Digital and Health Innovation, Infectious Diseases, Advocacy and Communications, Measurement Learning and Evaluation, Behavioral Insights, Public Policy and Finance, Gender Equality, Strategy, Portfolio Management & Finance and other relevant program areas as needs arise.

In partnership with the Deputy Director (DD), State HSS, this position is also expected to lead and nurture government engagement in UP at the highest levels of state political and bureaucratic leadership.

This position reports to the DD, State HSS, India Country Office (ICO).

What You’ll Do

Conceptualize, articulate and shape priorities in the foundation’s HSS portfolio in UP

• Work with the UPIT and Program Strategy Teams in designing and implementing the HSS portfolio of grants in UP.
• Jointly accountable, with the UPIT, for ensuring the foundation’s goals related to health in UP are met in a time-bound manner.
• Primary lead on the following workstreams in the state: 1)Strengthen Human-Resources-for-Health (HRH) structures and capacities in public health delivery in UP; 2) Strengthen data systems and observability to ensure timely, complete, accurate data for effective review and governance; 3) Strengthen procurement and supply chain, to help streamline and digitize processes to minimize stockout of essential commodities; 4) Strengthen strategic purchasing and contracting ability of states.
• Contribute as a Team Member in additional streams/bodies of work pertaining to strengthened public finance management, improved public health governance, elimination and control of infectious diseases, strengthened surveillance, improved access to health issues, and better health service delivery through facilities and outreach channels.
• Define and implement all HSS workstreams highlighted above in a creative, rigorous, data-centric, and analytical manner.
• Monitor and track the latest literature in HSS. Adapt the UP portfolio of HSS grants based on the latest and most innovative thinking in the field.

Develop and manage a portfolio of grants and contracts to meet strategic objectives

• Identify and select partner institutions and shape scope and strategy for HSS grants and contracts to meet strategic objectives.
• Manage relationships with grantees, contractors and key partners to achieve the foundation’s desired impact, provide project briefings and updates to foundation leadership, and represent the foundation in meetings with external partners, as well as at scientific conferences and workshops.
• Review grant proposals and write proposal summaries; review interim and final reports; write final evaluation.
• Apply and evaluate milestone-based performance objectives to make go/no-go decisions about specific projects and product candidates.

c) Relationship management

• Coordinate the UPIT promoting communication, connections and alignment within the team.
• Ensure adherence to a cadence of engagement with key external partners (e.g. government, grantees and other partners).
• Accountable – with the DD, State HSS – for the health of all critical external relationships in UP; responsible for ensuring opportunities such as Program Coordination Committee meetings are efficiently used and are productive.
• Jointly accountable with the UPIT members for effective engagement with all internal Program Strategy Teams.
• Identify and use emerging opportunities for increased external or internal engagement that could catalyze impact in UP. 

d) Contribute to foundation knowledge capture, evaluation, learning, and dissemination

• Keep both the ICO and Seattle leadership informed of progress of both individual grants and sets of grants that aim to solve UP’s goals on health.
• Partner closely with the Measurement Learning and Evaluation (MLE) team to co-design the MLE framework and a coherent set of activities and grants in UP, in response to the evidence needs of the foundation and its partners.
• Partner closely with MLE and other members of the State Deal/Investment Teams to implement a cross-state learning agenda.
• Synthesize and document lessons learned across all related grants and contracts; develop reviews, materials, summaries and informative reports for team, program and foundation leadership (e.g.
• President, Co-Chairs and other foundation leadership) that summarize key activities, progress and issues around priority programs.
• Partner with other foundation teams as required to share lessons learned and expertise. 

e) Represent the foundation and program to the external world related to position responsibilities

• Speak and participate in public events, fora and meetings.
• Bring to bear opportunities to disseminate the knowledge and products developed by grantees in order to extend their impact. 

Your Experience

We are looking for people who enjoy solving complex problems, using hypothesis and data-driven approach and working through matrixed teaming to deliver breakthrough solutions

• An MBBS or similar is required. Master’s in Medicine or Public Health is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in public health program delivery and strong technical knowledge of HSS, particularly in the Indian context.
• Experience of working with national and state government in the development sector.
• Prior experience in program strategy, design, and implementation in public health.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading strategic partnerships with key collaborators from diverse sectors including NGOs, government, and the private sector.
• Proven success using evidence and data to inform policy, programming, and management decisions.
• Demonstrated experience of critical thinking.
• Strong ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy, particularly as part of a multi-disciplinary team effort. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse teams including scientists, business analysts, program implementers, and developing country partners, from various cultures, over multiple time zones.
• Experience working in a matrix environment preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to lead teams through a complex and ambiguous task with energy and optimism; ability to influence people without formal authority
• Demonstrated curiosity and comfort in areas beyond current areas of expertise with proven ability to rapidly acquire knowledge and use good judgment in a variety of scientific and political areas.
• Ability to organize/prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands.
• Excellent oral, facilitation, and written communication skills.
• Excellent software skills with Microsoft Office applications. Ability to quickly learn new software. 

Other Attributes

• Grace under fire, sense of humor, happy to take and give feedback.
• Commitment to the foundation’s core values, mission, and programs with an approach that is consistent with the foundation’s guiding principles and holding self to the highest ethical standards.
• Ability to travel locally and internationally, up to 70% of the time. Most of the travel is expected to be in UP. 

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

Application deadline: 25 April 2023

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.