Program Assistant, Nigeria Country Office at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Job Title: Program Assistant, Nigeria Country Office

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.

The Team

The Africa team works to enable the foundation’s ambitious goals of scaling evidence-based interventions that target a range of disease and socio-economic conditions which are endemic across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The team executes its responsibility through direct country engagement to deploy interventions and delivery models, and by building the partner architecture to replicate successful interventions and models across multiple countries.

Summary

The Program Assistant is an integral member of the team, ensuring that all administrative and scheduling functions are completed in a timely manner allowing for highly productive environments! The focus of the Nigeria Country office team is to enable collective impact for the foundation in Nigeria 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 Program Assistant will provide a wide and varied range of organizational and administrative support to the leaders and staff in the Nigeria Country Office while assisting with project coordination and collaborating with a small team of other assistants to support the overall work and ensure the smooth running of the Nigeria office based in Abuja.

Core Responsibilities

•  Schedule numerous appointments and meetings while managing complex calendars for multiple people, and making travel arrangements.
•  Proactively review upcoming weeks/months and support principals with planning, recognizing potential bottlenecks and making recommendations for how to best allocate time/make trade-offs when scheduling issues arise.
•  Assist in scheduling and planning for events, such as meetings, conferences and presentations, which may include coordinating arrangements for participants, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials.
•  Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries including answering and prioritizing calls, email and mail communications.
•  Maintain organized files and records and a system for 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.
•  Establish and manage relationships with grantees in the field as well as internal and external partners.

Core Knowledge and Skills

•  Strong organizational skills reflecting ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
•  Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with internal staff, grantees, high level officials and other partners.
•  Proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability.
•  Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be effective independently.
•  Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion, be adaptable to opposing demands.
•  Clear capabilities in working across multiple time zones and cultures.
•  Knowledge of Nigeria business environment and standards is required.
•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; French skills a plus.
•  Experience in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions inside and outside an organization, with individuals at all levels, including senior executives and other high-level officials.
•  Experience in providing guidance to and supervising the work of others is desirable.
•  Ability to track rhythm of business while also dealing with ambiguity and change.
•  Experience establishing organizational systems to improve efficiency and functioning in a changing environment.
•  Demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint is required. Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.
•  Sets priorities and meets goals while balancing needs of providing support for multiple individuals, including complex calendar, travel and event planning.
•  Able to communicate effectively with internal and external contacts, and have the ability to adjust to a wide variety of working styles.
•  Experience learning organizational priorities and how they align with the goals of a specific department/division.
•  Proven positive, collaborative approach to work, including a dedication to client-service and problem solving.

Education and Experience

•  Bachelor’s degree with at least 3 years of experience supporting senior staff in a development space, preferably in a global and matrixed environment.

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

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.

Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to [email protected].

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.

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, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

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