Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recruitment for a Program Assistant in Abuja

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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 Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.


Job Title:  Program Assistant

Job description
Division Global Policy & Advocacy
Department Africa Representation
Location Abuja
Requisition Number 6327BR

We Have Four Missions ToFoundation Overview Guided by the belief that all lives have equal value, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation pride ourselves in being ‘impatient optimists' whose purpose is to work to reduce inequity. Our vision is to ensure a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.

• Ensure more children and young people survive and thrive;
• Empower the poorest, especially women and girls, to transform their lives;
• Combat infectious diseases that particularly affect the poorest; and
• Inspire people to take action to change the world.

Key to enabling these missions is our commitment to science and innovation, collaboration and partnership, measurement and rigor, as well as optimism and risk taking. Based in Seattle, the foundation has a worldwide staff of 1,500 people and is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. We have offices in the United States, Europe, India, China and Africa.

Group Summary The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) program is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation's work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation's policy objectives nationally and globally. Because the foundation's resources alone are not enough to solve the challenges ahead, GPA also supports advocacy efforts to engage diverse stakeholders and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. GPA is composed of our Regional Offices in India, China and Africa; our Donor Government Relations (DGR) teams, one for Europe and the Middle East, based in London, and another for the United States, Canada and Asia-Pacific region, based in Washington, DC; a Program Advocacy & Communications team; a Development Policy & Finance team; and our Philanthropic Partnerships team. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health and Global Development Programs, the Executive office, and foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.

ResponsibilitiesThe Program Assistant (PA) is a key member of the Africa Country Office located in Nigeria. Program Assistants provide varied administrative support to Deputy Directors and multiple S/POs, in support of the overall goals of the team. Efficiency, attention to detail, flexibility and good judgment to ensure smooth operations of the team are critical in this role. Primary responsibilities are listed below.

• Manage multiple complex calendars with high volumes of appointments and meetings. Assist with prioritizing and balancing workflow by successfully understanding dependencies and relationships.
• Assist in scheduling and planning for events, such as on-site and off-site meetings, conferences, and presentations, which may include coordinating arrangements for participants, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials. Escorting on-site guests, arranging catering and set up & maintenance of conference rooms. May also include both domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries including answering and prioritizing calls, emails, and mail communications. This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field.
• Maintain organized files and records and a system of tracking, monitoring and prioritizing tasks and projects. Compile and process expense reports, reimbursement, and check requests.
• Work on special projects as needed. May include conducting basic research and analysis of data to respond to requests.
• Provide support to fellow senior program assistant as needed.
• Provide support to visiting foundation staff during Africa based work or Africa work-related travel.

Reports to Director, Africa.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in an office setting, preferably in an administrative role for a complex and fast-paced organization, interacting intensively with internal and external contacts.
• Bachelor's degree is preferred and/or equivalent experience with the Africa Country Office of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Experience setting priorities and meeting deadlines, balancing the needs of multiple individuals along with balancing the overall needs of the team.
• Experience with calendaring, travel arrangements (including international experience is strongly preferred), and event/meeting planning coordination.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions with individuals at all levels inside and outside an organization.
• Ability to problem solve through situations that have undefined boundaries, lack of clarity or missing information.
• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office is required, in particular MS Outlook. Previous experience using MS SharePoint preferred, but not required. Experience in learning new software applications.
• Demonstrated positive, collaborative approach to work.
• Maturity, discretion and a sense of humor.

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.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should Click Here to Apply

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