Senior Program Officer, Global Health - Architecture and Collaboration (9-month LTE) in London

The Foundation is 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 Global Development Division 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. The Division encompasses our India Country Office and Africa Team, with physical offices in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Abuja, Nairobi and Dakar. The Global Health Agencies and Funds (GHAF) team leads the strategic relationships and drives the engagements on governance, strategy, operational effectiveness and programmatic impact with key global health institutions (GHIs): UNICEF, WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria (Global Fund), UNITAID, and through the Islamic Development Bank’s Lives & Livelihoods Fund and through the World Bank, the Global Financing Facility (GFF), Anchor Trust Fund (ATF) and Pandemic Fund. We engage with leaders of these institutions by participating in governance through membership on boards, committees, and advisory groups. We make investments to improve the operational effectiveness of the institutions and the impact of their programs. While many teams within the foundation work with these GHIs, the GHAF team specifically works to:

• Bring deep knowledge of the strategic, governance, operational and programmatic approaches of and across the GHIs to inform foundation strategies and engagements.
• Drive internal alignment on foundation-wide strategic priorities, objectives, outcomes, and accountabilities with these GHIs.
• Increase the strategic coherence across the GHIs on priorities for the wider foundation through cross-institutional strategies for topics like product access, introduction, & scale and surveillance.

The Senior Program Officer, Global Health - Architecture and Collaboration will be responsible for leading key components of the foundation’s work with key GHIs to identify and support opportunities for change that could deliver increased health impact. Your work on these issues will encompass both a focus on near-term improvements, as well as considering how the global health ecosystem should evolve over the long-term to adapt and respond to a changing context. Our focus on near-term opportunities includes considering the interplay between major GHIs – like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Global Fund), Gavi and the Global Financing Facility (GFF), and with others like the World Bank and WHO - and identifying gaps, overlap and areas where improved collaboration could deliver greater results. Your work will include engagement with the Global Fund, Gavi and GFF in four key areas where they have established collaborative workstreams - malaria, in-country coordination, health systems strengthening and back-of-house functions.

Your work will also include a focus on the longer term and entail future strategic planning and driving a body of work within the foundation on how the ecosystem for global health (i.e. policies, structures, funding modalities, programmatic focus) can be optimized to respond to future challenges. You will bring to this work an ability to collaborate across teams within the foundation and with diverse external stakeholders in the architecture for global health.

This is a limited-term position (LTE) for nine months. Relocation will not be provided. The postholder will be based at the foundation’s office in London and report to the Deputy Director, Health Funds & Architecture, GHAF.

The selected candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Work with internal teams (geographic, programmatic and functional), donor and recipient country governments, and GHIs (particularly Global Fund, Gavi and the GFF) to determine strategy, theory of change, requirements and working processes to effectively support improvements and reform within the architecture for global health to increase its impact on the foundation’s health priorities.

• Support the implementation of our strategic approach through donor, secretariat and board level interactions as well, as with other influential stakeholder groups, including representing the foundation and our strategies and policy positions to external constituencies. This could include formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, committee/working group representation and other meetings.

• Analyze and track trends on previous and current global health and development architecture reform efforts.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with GHIs and governments, ensuring clear and consistent communication and representing the foundation as required.

• Draft background documents, briefs, policy and governance positions, and presentations, including preparing for team and foundation leadership engagement in discussions on the global health architecture.

• Manage processes, tools and templates to facilitate project planning, effectively monitor progress, support cross-workstream coordination, and drive alignment on priorities and resource allocation.

• Facilitate regular meetings and workshops internally, and as needed externally, to share progress updates and as needed, to review and analyze data, evaluate tradeoffs and define priorities.

• Design, execute, monitor, and assess complex, performance-based contracts/grants with consultants and grantees.

• Maintain high-quality interactions and oversight of grantees and consultants, providing course correction.

• Conceptualize and lead complex formal and informal partnerships and working groups.

• Participate and learn from the foundation’s efforts on Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

• Other special projects as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, development, international relations, public policy, or a related field and/or progressively senior level experience in the fields of global health.

• Deep understanding of: a) players, governance arrangements, strategies, operating models, modalities and processes of GHIs (especially Global Fund, Gavi and GFF), including significant experience working with secretariats and governing bodies to achieve health impact; and b) bilateral and multilateral donors and agencies; governments in low- and middle-income countries (especially within Africa); implementing agencies; and non-governmental organizations engaged with and influential with global health institutions.

• Experience developing strategies and theories of change to influence the strategic, programmatic, policy and resource decision of GHIs. Ability to see ahead to future possibilities and understand political economy to inform strategic and tactical choices.

• Experience navigating complex relationships between multiple governmental, non-governmental and private sector partners with tact and diplomacy including through interaction with formal governing bodies and forums.

• Experience in project management such as managing a portfolio of grants, either as a grantee or as a grant manager, or management of complex initiatives and consultation processes.

• Demonstrated experience working in cross-matrix programs and proven track record to adapt to a fast-paced environment and the networking and coalition-building demands of a highly matrixed organization. Demonstrated ability to influence others in a constructive and optimistic manager while building and sustaining collaborative relationships.

• Demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, and diplomacy in a complex, fast-paced environment.

• Demonstrated initiative and ability to multi-task and resolve unstructured problems with little oversight, creativity, high energy, and a positive attitude.

• Excellent written, facilitation and oral communications skills to produce and share evidence-based materials and recommendations clearly and quickly.

• Ability to build bridges among and trust with many different partners, including internally and externally.

• Knowledge of the product access, introduction, and scale functions of the global health ecosystem, and the critical role GHIs play in enabling equitable access to health products, including: a) familiarity with global and regional pooled procurement mechanisms and policies, such as those of the Global Fund, UNICEF Supply Division, UNFPA, and the PAHO Revolving Fund.; b) deep understanding of how market shaping levers such as demand forecasting, tiered pricing, volume guarantees, and innovative financing are deployed to reduce entry barriers, expand supplier diversity, and create sustainable markets that drive affordability; and c) Understanding of how GHIs, including Gavi, the Global Fund, and UNITAID, apply these market shaping tools to accelerate product introduction and scale, while working with countries to ensure regulatory readiness, health system capacity, and the long-term sustainability of access.

• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.

• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

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

Application deadline: 20 September 2025

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

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.