Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially t...

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Your Role

The Global Ed team is recruiting a Program Officer (PO) to design and manage high impact investments to improve foundational learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. This role will support country-level implementation in Kenya, advance the use of educational technology (edtech) and AI in teaching and learning, and generate and translate evidence on what works to inform and support government-led foundational learning initiatives across SSA.

The PO will lead the development and management of a portfolio that includes applied research, innovation, and implementation support. This includes identifying and testing effective interventions in Kenya and supporting interventions across Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing edtech and AI-enabled solutions, and distilling key drivers of success across contexts. The role will convene and leverage insights from experts and disseminate and facilitate evidence take-up in low resourced contexts.

The PO will be responsible for cultivating country partnerships and engaging directly with country and regional education leaders and partner organizations to focus on improving learning outcomes at the system level. They will manage a portfolio of grants and contracts requiring investment management, monitoring, and evaluation skills. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of the education evidence base and experience with at-scale program implementation.   

The postholder will partner closely with matrixed colleagues and other foundation teams working in education and adjacent areas to exchange learnings and leverage partnerships, including our K-12 Education Team and functional teams such as Digital Public Infrastructure and Philanthropic Partnerships. You will support the foundation in its efforts to engage with philanthropists and other partners to draw in new resources to advance literacy outcomes for children.

The role is based in Nairobi, Kenya and reports to the Director, Economic Opportunity, with a dotted line to Deputy Director, Innovation and Country Implementation.

What You’ll Do

Design and manage a portfolio of investments focused on advancing foundational learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, including at-scale implementation of programs in Kenya, supporting interventions in Africa more broadly, and testing of edtech/AI products and solutions. Review grant proposals and provide clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.

Lead the Kenya portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa, working with local partners, the Ministry of Education, education Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies and the education community. Develop and oversee study designs, field evaluations, and analyze results; ensure that programming is responsive to real-time data and insights. Strengthen and leverage local partners’ capacity to drive implementation and maximize impact.

Develop and maintain partnerships with key government stakeholders, researchers, implementers, practitioners, and donors across sub-Saharan Africa to support, design, and test interventions that improve early grade literacy and numeracy outcomes at scale and better understand the drivers of implementation effectiveness. Ensure that research questions are demand-driven by country priorities, and partner closely with Global Ed colleagues to translate evidence into effective country-level programming.

Consult with grantees and other partners to improve impact of projects and ensure grants are meeting strategy goals. This may include site visits, providing operational guidance, convening meetings of key partners, and monitoring and evaluating components of grants.

Lead and serve as a thought partner in strategic discussions and leadership engagement within the Global Ed team and the foundation. Contribute to the design of strategies and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. Prepare written analyses and communications to effectively engage at all levels of the organization.

Collaborate with donors and philanthropies to create co-funding and collaboration opportunities focused on drawing in new resources to foundational learning to boost outcomes.

Effectively manage relationships and concurrent investment planning with multiple colleagues and shared partners. Collaborate closely with Global Ed colleagues to continuously improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Represent the foundation in regional forums as needed, championing the adoption and scaling of successful evidence-driven literacy interventions.

Your Experience

We are seeking an experienced education leader with a deep understanding of early grade learning, a talent for building strategic collaboration, and a drive to improve learning outcomes. If you are passionate about transforming education systems and driving measurable improvements in foundational learning, this is a unique opportunity to make a global impact. You will shape and manage a high-impact portfolio of investments aimed at improving learning outcomes in Kenya and across SSA. You will lead applied research initiatives, collaborate with national and regional education leaders, and influence system-level reforms through evidence-driven innovation.

Bachelor’s degree in education or related field with 5+ years of senior-level experience, or equivalent.

Demonstrated experience in pedagogy and implementing and/or supporting large-scale programs to improve early grade outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong understanding of the global evidence base.

Strong understanding of AI and edtech, including how they can support improving the quality of teaching and learning, how edtech / AI interventions scale inside of systems, and familiarity of how to test, at increasing scale, the relevance and suitability of non-tech and edtech solutions for students.

Experience in developing and managing strong and equitable partnerships and relationships with senior decision makers, education partners, and implementation partners.

Demonstrated ability in using soft skills, managing conflicts, and building consensus. Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships, and effective matrix management skills

Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems with little oversight, high creativity, high energy, and a positive attitude.

Outstanding project and team leadership skills, including ability to lead strategy development, develop shared goals and execution plans, prioritize, facilitate meetings, manage budgets, develop consensus, and work both autonomously and collaboratively.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information into clear recommendations and messages to reach diverse audiences and build consensus

Experience managing a donor funded portfolio either as a grantee or grantmaker, receiving and reporting on performance, with direct responsibility for management.

Experience working in an environment with ambiguity while helping teams adapt to change.

Ability to work with flexibility and a high level of rigor, collaboration, and diplomacy, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.

Other Attributes

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.

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

Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.

• Design and manage a portfolio of investments focused on advancing foundational learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, including at-scale implementation of programs in Kenya, supporting interventions in Africa more broadly, and testing of edtech/AI products and solutions. Review grant proposals and provide clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
• Lead the Kenya portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa, working with local partners, the Ministry of Education, education Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies and the education community. Develop and oversee study designs, field evaluations, and analyze results; ensure that programming is responsive to real-time data and insights. Strengthen and leverage local partners’ capacity to drive implementation and maximize impact.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with key government stakeholders, researchers, implementers, practitioners, and donors across sub-Saharan Africa to support, design, and test interventions that improve early grade literacy and numeracy outcomes at scale and better understand the drivers of implementation effectiveness. Ensure that research questions are demand-driven by country priorities, and partner closely with Global Ed colleagues to translate evidence into effective country-level programming.
• Consult with grantees and other partners to improve impact of projects and ensure grants are meeting strategy goals. This may include site visits, providing operational guidance, convening meetings of key partners, and monitoring and evaluating components of grants.
• Lead and serve as a thought partner in strategic discussions and leadership engagement within the Global Ed team and the foundation. Contribute to the design of strategies and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. Prepare written analyses and communications to effectively engage at all levels of the organization.
• Collaborate with donors and philanthropies to create co-funding and collaboration opportunities focused on drawing in new resources to foundational learning to boost outcomes.
• Effectively manage relationships and concurrent investment planning with multiple colleagues and shared partners. Collaborate closely with Global Ed colleagues to continuously improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Represent the foundation in regional forums as needed, championing the adoption and scaling of successful evidence-driven literacy interventions.

• Strong understanding of AI and edtech, including how they can support improving the quality of teaching and learning, how edtech / AI interventions scale inside of systems, and familiarity of how to test, at increasing scale, the relevance and suitability of non-tech and edtech solutions for students.
• Experience in developing and managing strong and equitable partnerships and relationships with senior decision makers, education partners, and implementation partners.
• Demonstrated ability in using soft skills, managing conflicts, and building consensus. Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships, and effective matrix management skills
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems with little oversight, high creativity, high energy, and a positive attitude.
• Outstanding project and team leadership skills, including ability to lead strategy development, develop shared goals and execution plans, prioritize, facilitate meetings, manage budgets, develop consensus, and work both autonomously and collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information into clear recommendations and messages to reach diverse audiences and build consensus
• Experience managing a donor funded portfolio either as a grantee or grantmaker, receiving and reporting on performance, with direct responsibility for management.
• Experience working in an environment with ambiguity while helping teams adapt to change.
• Ability to work with flexibility and a high level of rigor, collaboration, and diplomacy, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.

• Bachelor’s degree in education or related field with 5+ years of senior-level experience, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience in pedagogy and implementing and/or supporting large-scale programs to improve early grade outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong understanding of the global evidence base.