Senior Program Officer, Innovation Introduction, Seattle, United States

500 Fifth Avenue North
Seattle, WA 9
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation8102
Tel: +1 (206) 709-3100

Division

Global Development Program

Department

Integrated Delivery

Location

Seattle

Foundation Overview

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 Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Group Summary

The goal of the Global Development Program (GDP) is to increase opportunities for people in the developing world to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty and to help deliver targeted healthcare solutions in these regions. Our strategies focus on Agriculture Development; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; Financial Services for the Poor; and Family Health which includes Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Family Planning, and Nutrition. These strategies are supported by functional teams that focus on Vaccine Delivery and Integrated Delivery. GDP also has Special Initiatives that focus Urban Poverty, Emergency Relief, and Value for the Money.

Responsibilities

Located in Seattle, WA, the Senior Program Officer for Innovation Introduction will provide strategic & technical expertise to inform the design of innovations/products to optimally meet system & user requirements & drive toward fast & appropriate launch working in collaboration with internal & external partners. The portfolio could include various innovations – drugs, diagnostics, health commodities, consumer product goods, vector control, sanitation technologies, behaviors/practices, other. The SPO will need to be able to consider the use cases for which the innovation can be cost-effective, scaled, & sustained & translate those system requirements into the design of the innovation during the development phase. In addition, the role will require identifying & sequencing problem-solving again the range of activities

– clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, policy evidence, etc.

– to drive toward fast launch. Moreover, the role will require being able to assess external analytics regarding the market landscape on production technologies and costs, cost reduction strategies, manufacturer market strategies, competitive landscape, buyer/procurer dynamics, demand forecasting, etc. – to collaborate with our procurement/supply chain experts, financing team, and/or Life Sciences Partnership team to determine if and how the foundation could improve specific markets to better serve the needs of the poorest countries in the world. The SPO will bring depth & breadth of experience & knowledge in business new product design, launch/commercialization experience, & business strategy, ideally with experience/knowledge of developing country markets. This position will report to the Deputy Director for the Innovation Introduction team.Key areas of work will include:

Strategic & technical expertise in technology introduction/commercialization
- Collaborating with foundation colleagues sponsoring innovation development to design specifications of the innovation (technology, services, or other intervention) to meet user, system & market needs
- Assessing market (segments, consumer preferences, market size, demand projections, competitive landscape, product supply projections, etc.) to inform strategic planning
- Applying information to refine user requirements/target product profiles, optimize portfolios, & define go/no-go criteria
- Developing critical path for innovation launch & ensuring timely execution of necessary activities in partnership with internal and external partners (regulatory planning, manufacturing plans/price, costing/financing, guideline development, support for policy decision-making – e.g. cost-effectiveness analysis, program design/demonstration projects, developing awareness/commitment/demand, etc.) to drive toward fast launch

Investment management
- Scope, shape, propose, & manage investments (grants and/or contracts) to execute activities to support programmatic goals
- Develop projects with clear, measurable outcomes & milestones that clarify expectations up-front & enable nimble course-correction
- Analyze & synthesize lessons & results

Partner relations
- Scan the area to find promising opportunities to advance strategies
- Develop effective relationships & collaborate with internal & external partners & grantees to ensure implementation of the launch plans

Strategic planning/performance management/team participation
- Provide objective, evidence-based input to design strategic plans & participate in annual planning
- Contribute in identifying & gathering quantitative/qualitative information to measure progress against strategic goals

Communications/external representations
- Communicate effectively with senior management through memos, meetings, & field visits
- Represent the foundation to key external constituencies, including participation in conferences & meetings


Qualifications

    10+ yrs experience in assessing market in order to define user requirements/target product profile, managing activities to plan and drive technology implementation or commercialization strategies to introduce innovation in global context, and managing against milestones/results preferred
    - Experience with strategic planning for marketing/launch of different types of innovation (services, medicines, water technology, drugs, vector control, diagnostics, other) ideal
    - MBA, MA/MSc. in business, Engineering, Sciences, Planning or equivalent experience
    - Development experience ideal – preferably interacting with key global health institutions and stakeholders
    - Knowledge of government and health systems, rural agriculture, and/or finance health systems in developing countries ideal
    - Experience collaborating with private sector service delivery systems preferable
    - Ability to orchestrate effective decisions across a broad range of issues and stakeholders, assess progress, analyze gaps, and make necessary changes
    - Experience developing and managing projects in a matrix team environment – ideally including oversight of team
    - Innovative and open-minded approach; ability to question and challenge colleagues including managers and partners in constructive manner
    - Demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, and diplomacy in a complex, fast-paced environment
    - Ability to think/act like an investor
    - Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people
    - Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey complex situations in a clear and concise manner, in positions requiring communication with a broad and diverse audience
    - Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally
    - Self-motivated and self-managing
    - A sense of humor

    As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check.


Requisition Number

3241BR
To Apply,Clickhttp://unjobs.org/vacancies/1363784204888