Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle

Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Job (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Job
Date: Apr 10, 2014
Location: Seattle, WA, US
Division: Global Development Program
Department: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Location: Seattle

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. The Global Development Program focuses on creating opportunities for people to lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Within this program, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH) initiative supports effective, sustainable and scalable ways to assist the 2.5 billion people who lack access to adequate sanitation. The WSH team launched its new strategy in July 2011 under the banner “Let’s Reinvent the Toilet” and is investing in radical technological innovation that aim at step‑changes in the sustainability and profitability of sanitation.

• Lead a strategic investment portfolio to complement ongoing technology development and commercialization efforts, with the aim of increasing adoption of new technologies and access to the global market, particularly in pro‑poor markets in developing countries.
• Make investment to support products compliance with national and international standards and certificates; assist the development of final product specifications that are acceptable to the end users and reflect their needs and aspirations.
• Develop test plans, gather and distill the data and disseminate to the wider team for review and feedback.
• Develop and lead the relationship with national and international standards and certification authorities to develop certificates of conformity for Foundation‑funded technologies that qualify for global commercialization.
• Coordinate certification and accreditation tasks with Foundation partners.
• Support national and international regulatory bodies to adopt or develop new certification processes that support adoption of sanitation innovations.
• Build and maintain an excellent communication and relationship with national and international certification and accreditation bodies to keep Foundation updated on latest developments and new requirements for product certification.

• At least five years professional experience in fields of inspection, auditing and / or certification preferred.
• University degree in engineering, natural sciences, MBA or other relevant disciplines.
• Excellent understanding of international standards; certification processes and organizations (example: ISO and IEC).
• Demonstrate experience in products certification to support end users adoption and global commercialization.
• Understanding of, and engagement with, certification or regulatory agencies in the developing world (Africa or Asia) for several years is preferred.
• Ability to think/act like an investor.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a larger team.
• Experience working with a range of clients, colleagues, consultants, and other partners with broad exposure to private, public and NGO sectors.
• Strong analytical skills, including quantitative assessments and a focused approach to complex problems.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey complex situations in a clear, concise manner.
• Excellent command of English language is obligatory. Additional knowledge of other modern languages is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, and diplomacy in a fast‑paced environment.
• Innovative and open‑minded approach to all aspects of work.
• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
• Ability to travel up to 33% of time international and domestic as needs dictate.
• Impatient and optimistic.

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check.

Requisition Number: 4434
Nearest Major Market: Seattle
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