Strategy Officer, Africa

Summary
The primary purpose of this job is to support the Africa team with the development, integration, implementation planning and evaluation of the foundation’s strategies in Africa, as well as exploring new pathways to contribute to continent-wide impact at scale. The focus of foundation’s work in Africa is in women’s and children’s health issues, agricultural development, nutrition, urban sanitation and financial services for the poor. The focus of the Africa team is to enable collective impact for the foundation in Africa by influencing policy and finance towards key development priorities, strengthening capacity and enabling systems for delivery, and innovating and leveraging cross-cutting enablers for impact at scale. The Strategy Officer will lead high-impact projects that span strategy development and execution planning for the Africa team’s regional and country programs, including integrating cross-foundation efforts and undertaking new areas of exploration. The Strategy Officer will also provide strategic thought partnership, project management, and analytical support to senior Africa team leadership. The Strategy Officer will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa and will report to the Deputy Director of Strategy Planning and Management (DDSPM) for Africa.

• Collaborate with the SPM team to design the Africa team’s overall process for strategy development and act as the day-to-day manager of the strategy process
• Oversee development of materials to facilitate the strategy development process – e.g. analyses, project charters/plans, meeting materials, ultimate strategy document outputs
• Facilitate discussions with internal teams, external experts, and other global health/development partners
• Employ strategic resources to develop and assess options, ensure logical reasoning, and challenge assumptions
• Guide a customer-focused strategy development process – e.g., effective communication and emphasis on relationship management
• Bring creative solutions to develop group processes – e.g., managing conflict and driving alignment
• Provide recommendations to improve overall foundation strategic planning and management process.

• Collaborate with the SPM team to design the process for strategy implementation planning
• Oversee development of materials to strengthen the strategy implementation planning process – e.g. analyses, project plans, meeting materials, ultimate implementation plan outputs
• Guide the strategy implementation planning process that is focused on enabling teams align investments, staff and voice necessary to implement program strategies and achieve impact for the foundation.

• Identify and design required analytical work
• Develop analytical methodology and analyze data to support decision-making – collating information required from literature and existing public databases on finance, health, and development
• Participate in the development and use of tools to facilitate strategy development and processes associated with budgeting, portfolio management, and other areas as needed

Core Knowledge and Skills

• Broad understanding of global health/development issues and some global health/development experience is preferable.
• Experience with strategy implementation, measurement, review and adjustment is preferable
• Excellent oral, facilitation, and written communication skills.
• Experience working in a matrix environment strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to function successfully in a politically demanding environment
• Excellent quantitative/financial knowledge, including experience creating complex models, with a demonstrated ability to extract appropriate data to convey complex information through the use of supporting tables, graphs and other visual representations.
• Excellent organizational skills, demonstrated ability to lead teams through a complex and ambiguous task
• Ability to be self-guided and work effectively and with sensitivity across barriers such as language, culture and distance
• Excellent software skills with Microsoft Office applications. Ability to quickly learn new software modules
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally
• A sense of humor
• 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

Education and Experience

• MBA or other advanced degree in a relevant field such as Business, Engineering, or Sciences preferred.
• A minimum of seven years of professional experience desired, with at least three years in a strategic capacity (preferably leading projects at a top tier strategy consulting firm).

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

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is 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 the mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 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
• Prior Protected Activity