Program Officer, Government Relations & Policy - EU London, England
Job description
The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. By building a global and cultural workplace that supports greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — together with our employees and partners, we can help all people improve their lives from poverty and health to education. As an organization we offer full healthcare premiums coverage, generous paid time off, contribution to your retirement fund, several employee communities, and a commitment to embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into everything we do.
The Team
The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division 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 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 partners and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, U.S. and Gender Equality programs and Foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.This role will be part of the Europe, Middle East and East Asia (EMEEA) team, which leads the foundation’s geographic presence in the largest donor countries outside North America and China, covering Europe (with a focus on UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Nordics, Netherlands and European Union institutions,) the Middle East (Arab league countries) and the Asia-Pacific region (Japan, South Korea and Australia). Our focus is on government donors and we are most active in Europe, whose governments represent over half of global foreign aid. However, the nature of our work means that we also frequently engage with non-government actors such as the media, civil society organizations (CSOs), think-tanks and academic institutions as we seek to make the case for sustained commitment to international development programs.
This position will both support our government relations, advocacy and policy work in Brussels and will be based at the foundation’s London office.
Your Role
The Program Officer, Government Relations & Policy - EU will support the advocacy, government relations and policy work towards the EU institutions and key processes that bring together Member States to advance the mission of the foundation particularly in the areas of, but not limited to, global health, agriculture, and gender. This position is responsible for providing policy research and analysis in support of our advocacy work and help in implementing our country specific advocacy strategies. They will report to and will work closely with the country lead for the EU and engage with political partners, grantees and other relevant external and internal contacts. The Program Officer must be able to communicate and interact effectively with individuals across all political parties and partners.
The EU is the fourth largest bilateral donor and plays a key role in policy and coordination across Member States. It is also among the top-three funders for global health research and development (R&D), and its competences are increasing on pandemic preparedness and cross-border health threats. It is not only a key donor in its own right, but it also plays a critical role in coordinating Member States in the areas of development and global health. The postholder will support the EU team to further the foundation’s engagement with the European institutions and support ongoing and prospective partnerships.
This position reports to the Senior Program Officer, EU Relations.
What You'll Do
Support the Foundation’s heads of EU relations in drafting and implementing the respective policy and government relations strategies, by taking into consideration both external as well as internal strategic priorities.
Help build and manage relationships with a broad range of political and technical partners and expand the foundation's broader relationship network with think tanks, philanthropy, academia, civil society, and the private sector.
Lead and directly manage external support through consultants on specific policy research that guide our advocacy work, manage policy paper development and work with partners, such as CSOs and think tanks on advocating for policy issues regarding the foundation’s key priorities.
Plan, prepare and support foundation leadership dialogue with relevant high-level government counterparts and oversee the follow-up implementation activities.
Plan, manage and implement a wide range of activities in support of mid-term strategic planning, grant management and external relationship management.
Work collaboratively with other internal market leads for relations with EU member states to coordinate the foundation’s cross-European advocacy strategies.
Represent the foundation to selected external constituencies, as appropriate, at meetings or events.
Prepare and write briefs; provide written analysis of key topics for foundation teams and management.
Draft briefs, memos, background research and other materials upon request.
Your Experience
A Bachelor’s is required; advanced degree preferred.
Solid advocacy, government relations and/or policy experience.
Has relevant work experience in Brussels and a deep understanding of the political landscape in EU/Brussels and Member States.
Exceptional ability to interact effectively with a diverse set of partners such as representatives of Government, Parliament, influential individuals, consultants and grantees.
Good knowledge and understanding of governmental and administrative processes and structures of the EU institutions and key Member States pertinent to international development.
Superior judgment and ability to maintain professional, upbeat attitude and sense of humor under tight deadlines.
Strong public presentation skills, including ability to represent the foundation at external events and meetings.
Strong analytical skills and ability to break down complex issues into concise presentations.
Very good understanding of international development policy, particularly in the areas of global health, agriculture and/or gender.
Solid MS Office skills, especially PowerPoint and Excel.
Team player who can also operate independently, as well as possess positive relationship management skills to handle confidential information and situations with flexibility and diplomacy.
Highly organized and efficient and possess strong judgment with a demonstrated ability to balance multiple tasks, complex issues, and competing priorities with strong attention to detail.
Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
Strong English communication skills a must.
Other Attributes
Passion and commitment for the foundation’s mission, core values and programs.
Willingness to travel up to 20%.
Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
Application Deadline: 13 February 2023
Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.
Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.
Inclusion Statement
We are 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 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.
