Senior Program Officer, Development Policy and Finance - Africa at Gates Foundation

What You’ll Do 

Grant Portfolio & Program Management (30%) 

• Assist with the management of a portfolio of country finance grants covering economic growth and policy, domestic resource mobilization (DRM), public financial management (PFM), and fiscal accountability. 
• Serve as a guide and thought partner to grantees and partners to ensure funding is used effectively to advance fiscal policy reforms and pro-poor investment strategies. 
• Provide support in strategy development, measurement and evaluation, and policy impact assessment. 
• Design new grants that will advance the foundation’s development finance strategy for Africa.

​Development Finance & Public Policy Analysis (30%) 

• Working closely with the Policy and Advocacy leads in the foundation’s priority countries, conduct policy analysis on public financial management (PFM), budget formulation and execution, and tax policy in priority African countries. 
• Produce analytical notes, policy briefs, and commentaries on DRM, debt sustainability, and fiscal space. 
• Track economic and political developments affecting fiscal policy and public sector financing in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya. 
• Engage with think tanks, universities, and policy institutions to translate economic research into actionable policy recommendations. 

​​​​​​​​Stakeholder Engagement & Government Relations (20%) 

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with ministries of finance, central banks, and economic planning bodies in key African countries. 
• Work with African policymakers to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, tax policy, fiscal transparency, and public expenditure efficiency. 
• Represent the foundation in policy dialogues, conferences, and technical working groups related to development finance and fiscal governance in Africa. 
• Support advocacy efforts for global financial architecture reforms that enhance Africa’s access to concessional financing and innovative finance mechanisms. 

​​​​​​​​Internal Coordination & Strategic Advisory (20%) 

• Serve as a resource for foundation teams to ensure coordination and alignment of global, regional, and country-level fiscal policy initiatives. 
• Work alongside DPAF colleagues to represent the team at relevant Africa team meetings, working groups, and task forces. 
• Provide strategic input to foundation leadership, preparing briefing notes, background research, and event coordination support. 
• Project manage internal foundation processes to update leadership on development finance trends for Africa including managing input and research products from partners and external consultants. 

Your Experience  

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, public policy, international development, or a related field. 
• 7+ years of experience in development policy, with at least 2+ years of experience working in African countries. 
• Proven experience engaging with African ministries of finance, central banks, or economic planning institutions on fiscal and economic policy. 
• Strong understanding of domestic resource mobilization, tax policy, budget processes, and public expenditure management in Africa. 
• Experience working with think tanks, international donors, or regional development institutions on economic and fiscal policy and governance issues. 
• Strong research, analytical, writing, and public presentation skills with the ability to synthesize complex policy issues. 
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines, and collaborate effectively across teams.