Senior Program Officer, Bihar Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) – Gates Foundation

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, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

Group Summary

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.

Leadership and Culture

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.

Division Summary

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, 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.

Position Summary

Located in New Delhi, the Senior Program Officer (SPO) – Bihar Health Systems Strengthening is responsible for designing and implementing on the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) portfolio of grants in Bihar. All of the work we do in Bihar is aligned to Government to India and Government of Bihar goals, conducted in very close partnership with government counterparts and programs, and implemented through a portfolio of investments. This role will be the Senior Program Officer for all grants related to HSS in the state, a leader in and coordinator of the Bihar Deal/Investment Team, and an active team member on family health and infectious diseases investments in Bihar. The Bihar Deal/Investment Team 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- State HSS, this position is also expected to lead and nurture government engagement in Bihar at the highest levels of state political and bureaucratic leadership.

Core Responsibilities

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

• Work with the Bihar Deal/Investment Team and Program Strategy Teams in designing and implementing the HSS portfolio of grants in Bihar;
• Jointly accountable, with the Bihar Deal/Investment Team, for ensuring the foundation’s goals related to health in Bihar are met in a time-bound manner
• Primary lead on the following workstreams in the state:

o  Strengthen Human-Resources-for-Health (HRH) structures and capacities in public health delivery in Bihar

o  Strengthen data systems & observability to ensure timely, complete, accurate data for effective review and governance

o  Strengthen procurement & supply chain, to help streamline and digitize processes to minimize stockout of essential commodities

o  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 Bihar 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.

Relationship management

• Coordinate the Bihar Deal/Investment team promoting communication, connections and alignment within the team
• Ensure adherence to a cadence of engagement with key external partners – government, grantees and other partners
• Accountable – with Deputy Director States – for the health of all critical external relationships in Bihar; responsible for ensuring opportunities such as Program Coordination Committee meetings are efficiently used and are productive
• Jointly accountable with the Bihar Deal/Investment Team 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 Bihar

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 Bihar’s goals on health
• Partner closely with the Measurement Learning and Evaluation team to codesign the MLE framework and a coherent set of activities and grants in Bihar, 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 review
• 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

Represent the foundation and program to the external world related to position responsibilities:

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

Key Partners

A non-exhaustive list of the most critical internal and external partners for this role is given below:

Internal partners:

• Core team: Deputy Director – State HSS, SPO – UP HSS, PO – Strengthening Institutional Capacities, PO –Strengthening Service Delivery, SPO MLE
• Other critical partners: Country Director, Director – Health, Deputy Director – Family Health, SPO – MNCH, SPO – Nutrition, SPO – Family Health, SPO – Family Planning Private Sector, other DD/SPOs/POs in MLE & Strategy Planning and Management, Infectious Diseases, Digital and Health Innovation, State Systems and Partnerships, Advocacy Communications and Behavioral Insights, Gender Equality, Agriculture, Financial Services for the Poor, Water Sanitation & Hygiene.

External Partners: Principal Secretary/ additional chief Secretary – Health, ACS/ PS- ICDS/ WCD Executive Director – National Health Mission/ State Health Society, MD – Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, Additional/Chief Secretary – Planning, Director General of Health Services, Technical Program officers within department of Health, Multiple state government and semiautonomous Institutues in Bihar

Reports to: Deputy Director – State HSS, India Country Office

Core Knowledge and Skills

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

• Demonstrated experience of critical thinking
• Strong technical knowledge of HSS, particularly in the Indian context
• Ability to travel locally and internationally, up to 70 % of the time. Most of the travel is expected to be in Bihar
• 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
• 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
• Role model for foundation values of rigor, innovation, collaboration, optimism and inclusion
• 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.
• A sense of humor

Education and Experience

• 10+ years of professional experience in public health program delivery
• Experience of working with national and state government in development sector.
• Masters in Sciences, Medicine or Public Health required. MD/PhD is preferred.

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

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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.

Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to hr@gatesfoundation.org.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of 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.