Organization: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Type: Full time
Application deadline: November 12th, 2025
ABOUT
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest private philanthropic organization, works to fight poverty, disease, and inequity worldwide through partnerships with governments, organizations, and communities. Guided by the belief that all lives have equal value, it focuses on improving health and expanding opportunity globally. Employees benefit from comprehensive, premium-free healthcare, paid family leave, a foundation-funded retirement plan, generous time off, and a diverse, collaborative, and innovative work environment that supports both personal and professional growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategy & Advocacy Development
- Design and co-lead advocacy strategies that address regulatory, policy, and financing barriers to the introduction and scale-up of MNCH innovations.
- Work closely with national governments, donors, and advocacy coalitions to align interventions with national priorities and strengthen domestic resource mobilization.
- Champion systems-level approaches that integrate new technologies into existing health delivery frameworks.
2. Policy Engagement & Partnerships
- Collaborate with ministries of health, regional bodies, and implementing agencies to accelerate product registration, approval, and adoption.
- Serve as a senior policy and advocacy advisor, ensuring that evidence and technical insights inform decision-making.
- Represent the Foundation in high-level meetings, multi-stakeholder platforms, and global health forums.
3. Grant & Portfolio Management
- Oversee performance-based advocacy grants and contracts related to MNCH product introduction.
- Ensure accountability, high-quality execution, and continuous learning among grantees and partners.
- Identify and manage “smart buys” — strategic investments that deliver strong advocacy and policy impact per dollar.
4. Evidence & Learning
- Lead or commission micro-planning analyses that identify key enablers and bottlenecks for product scale-up.
- Support the creation of evidence packages, policy briefs, and case studies to build political will for MNCH innovations.
- Facilitate cross-country learning exchanges to share successful advocacy and financing models.
5. Cross-Team Collaboration
- Coordinate across Foundation teams (policy, product development, country offices, and communications) to ensure alignment between innovation, policy, and financing workstreams.
- Work with colleagues to amplify advocacy for MNCH product introduction within broader health system strengthening and universal health coverage (UHC) efforts.
6. Strategic Communications & Reporting
- Develop strategy memos, briefing notes, and talking points for Foundation leadership engagements.
- Provide regular progress reports and presentations summarizing advocacy milestones, risks, and opportunities.
Qualifications and Experience
Education & Professional Background
- Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, medicine, health economics, public policy, or a related field.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in advocacy, policy, or health systems strengthening, ideally with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health or related sectors.
Technical Expertise
- Demonstrated experience in advocacy and communications for product introduction, access, and scale-up.
- Proven ability to work with governments, donors, and implementing partners in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts.
- Strong understanding of the MNCH, family planning, and reproductive health landscape and the product introduction value chain.
Leadership & Soft Skills
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities — capable of distilling complex technical information into clear, persuasive messaging.
- Proven capacity to build partnerships, negotiate effectively, and drive collective action across diverse stakeholders.
- Skilled at navigating complex political and institutional environments with diplomacy and cultural sensitivity.
Other Attributes
- Flexible, adaptive, and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
- Willingness to travel up to 40% (domestically and internationally).
- Deep personal commitment to health equity, integrity, and inclusive development.
How to Apply:
Fill the application form in the link below:
Senior Officer, Advocacy – Health Product Introduction
For more information:
Visit Gates Foundation official website on the link below:
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