Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Advocacy

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

We are currently seeking a candidate for Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Advocacy (SPO). This critical role will have accountability to two directors (Director, Washington State Initiative (WSI) and Director, US Charters (USC)) both of whom have critical policy and advocacy priorities in Washington State and will report to the Director, Washington State Initiative. The SPO will lead the execution of the Washington State (WSI and USC) policy and advocacy strategy which includes developing and leading an integrated portfolio of grants and contracts in service of the goals. You will integrate the policy and advocacy priorities with the Washington State communications priorities. The SPO will operate in a matrixed organizational structure and demonstrate those structures to drive decisions for the most impactful outcomes. The SPO will build key relationships with state and local advocacy, philanthropic and policy and data government partners to build effective partnerships and enable the success of the strategy. The SPO will gather data about the system and partners to inform insights and integrate those insights to influence strategy and tactics. The role will also act as an advisor to the Director, Washington State Initiative and Director, US Charters on key relationships advocacy and communications priorities to achieve our programmatic objectives.

Our ideal colleague has experience demonstrating the use of policy, advocacy and data as powerful levers for advancing educational equity. They are a skilled convener who can influence an agenda and bring partners together around a shared purpose. They are a strong communicator and collaborator, skilled in supporting non-experts to understand complex technical issues in education and state-level finance policy, finance, advocacy, and data. They are a skilled grant maker, using resources most effectively to achieve results. To be successful with our team, this person will need to be solutions-minded, skilled in collaborative approaches regarding policy and advocacy, and able to balance rigor with practicality and flexibility. They will have experience in education policy and use data in decision-making.

Division Summary

The foundation’s U.S. Program (USP) works to expand access to life-changing opportunities. That’s why our primary focus in education is ensuring that all students – especially Black and Latino students, and students experiencing poverty – have an opportunity to earn a degree or certificate that prepares them for a successful career and fulfilling life. But often, education isn’t enough. Factors outside of schools and the classroom have an enormous impact on a student’s success. That’s why we’re also supporting efforts by public officials and community groups to better understand and advance economic mobility, leading to permanent ladders out of poverty for families and communities, such that race, ethnicity, and income are no longer predictors of outcomes.

Our US Education programs support young people along the PK-16 continuum, from Pre-Kindergarten through postsecondary. In Washington State, we work with local and regional partners to help students see a clear path to success in the careers they choose, with an emphasis on young people who face the highest barriers, including Black, Latino, Indigenous and rural students, and students from low-income backgrounds.

Team Summary

Our historical investments in Washington State have included supporting families and children experiencing homelessness, as well as strengthening the capacity and effectiveness of the local non-profit sector. More recently, the WA Team has focused the majority of its investments in education and especially in two areas: the transitional point in a student’s education journey: enrollment after high school in a postsecondary program that will lead to meaningful employment, and the building of a healthy and high-quality public charter school sector.

The WA Team plays a unique role in the United States Program (USP), leading and grounding the foundation’s national work in place and facilitating learning and alignment between the Washington state team, community partners, and the foundation’s national strategies.

The WA Team works in close coordination with the USP division’s program, and functional strategies (US Charters, Early Childhood Learning, K12 education, Postsecondary education, Economic Mobility and Opportunity, Pathways, and Data). In addition, the team will work in close collaboration with the foundation’s North America Team, which leads the foundation’s work in government relations, policy, advocacy, and communications. This cross-team approach aspires to drive greater collaboration, alliance, and coherence between national strategies and the foundation’s strategic investments in Washington state.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop, lead and implement a policy and advocacy strategy in support of the goals for Washington State, including the Washington State Initiative and US Charters goals.
• Shape and guide a portfolio of grants and contracts to advance policy and advocacy goals. This includes leading resources, developing partnerships, aligning agendas, reviewing proposals and providing clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
• Build and maintain high quality relationships with key policy and advocacy partners including grantees, donors, and civil society organizations. Proactively identify potential platforms to elevate messages that address priority development issues.
• Partner with Senior Program Officers responsible for the programmatic initiatives across Washington State to identify and advance key policy issues to strengthen the approach towards desired outcomes.
• Partner with the communications team to shape media and communications plans to integrate with policy and advocacy priorities and ensure education is integrated throughout the foundation’s public communications efforts in Washington State.
• Gather intelligence on education trends and issues in Washington State and nationally to develop insights that supply policy and advocacy strategy and execution.
• Support the management and development of a portfolio of grants and contracts that demonstrate the Foundation’s prior investments in this space, strategic vision, and future needs with respect to the success of these approaches and the broader goal of institutional change and continuous improvement.

Core Knowledge and Skills

• Experience developing and handling policy and advocacy strategies in support of policy and data initiatives, advocacy programs and events.
• Knowledge of how to use and experience using communications to achieve advocacy goals and policy change.
• Validated ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships.
• A breadth of knowledge and experience with Washington State policy and advocacy community.
• Ability to learn new concepts quickly and communicate effectively with different audiences.
• Ability to optimally synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus. Clear and coherent writing style.
• Ability to effectively alternate between thinking strategically and high-quality execution.
• High standards of personal integrity; and comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally-sensitive behavior with a diversity of people.
• Effective as a collaborator in complex internal and external organizations, including the ability to work with efficiency and tact.
• Calm under pressure with ability to navigate ambiguity or change.
• Strong strategic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Track record of leading and influencing others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships.

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in an education or public policy with 10+ years of experience.
• Experience related to education and data policy, finance in Washington State. Experience in Washington State on data practices a plus.
• Experience related to K-12 and/or higher education; specific familiarity with Washington State and its educational systems is a plus.

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 hr@gatesfoundation.org.

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.