Project Manager at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

What You'll Do

• Manage the immigration and work authorization process for a significant number of incoming staff over the next year, working directly with the Government of Kenya.
• Organize external partner and grantee coordination events, including the official office opening, and ensure proper follow up and communication both internally and externally -- this includes supporting senior staff, field visits, communications, president, co-chair and CEO engagement; preparing trip terms of reference and trip reports, etc. that take place during the first year of the office.
• Support planning for the Africa regional team’s engagement with foundation leadership, and internal colleagues by helping prioritize, manage, and track critical relationships, convenings and events, and prepare presentation materials updating them on the progress of the Kenya office.
• Maintain grantee/partner databases and information on key events. In partnership with the foundation’s events team, provide event planning support by securing meeting space, vehicles, arranging travel, organizing registration for participants, preparing agenda and handouts, arranging technology support and managing vendors.
• Combine foresight, strategic vision, and tactical sense to support the Africa Director’s Office and other principals in the regional East Africa team to manage and navigate events, presentations, trips, meetings, and other activities related to the new office.
• Apply organizational skills to support the Kenya office to fulfill multiple tasks, employing sound judgment and ability to resolve issues at multiple levels. Manage special projects as assigned by leadership.

Your Experience

• At least 5 years of program management or related experience with a track record of success.
• MBA, MPH, or other advanced degree in a relevant field preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated strength in structured problem solving and strategic business planning with the ability to easily identify and communicate frameworks to facilitate strategy creation and analyze core issues.
• Strong end-to-end project management experience with excellent planning, execution, and analytic skills.
• Excellent organizational, facilitation, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to learn new content quickly, identify connections and implications and demonstrate proficiency. Strong pattern recognition grounded in relevant knowledge
• Ability to manage a high level of ambiguity within and across projects and unstructured situations
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to rapidly build trusted advisor relationships with senior leaders.

Other Attributes

• Proven ability to shepherd issues across organizations, various staff levels and different cultural contexts.
• Ability to work in a self-guided manner, prioritize, and work towards demanding timelines.
• Ability to question and challenge colleagues including managers and partners in constructive manner.
• Ability to work effectively and with sensitivity across barriers such as language, culture, and distance. Excellent listening skills and compassion.
• Demonstrated ability to convey complex information using supporting tables, graphs, and other visual representations.
• Experience working in Africa preferred, especially in Kenya.
• Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally.