Company Description
The Beginnings Fund
Reports to: Director of Statistics and Impact Evaluation
Location: Proximate to the Beginnings Fund focus countries: Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
Status: Full Time
Salary: $65-75k (commensurate with experience)
Who We Are
In Africa, every year over 182,000 mothers die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, 950 thousand babies are stillborn, and there are 1.2 million newborn deaths. Global progress against maternal and newborn mortality has stalled in recent years, and most African countries are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals related to maternal and newborn survival.
The Beginnings Fund is a philanthropic initiative to accelerate maternal and newborn survival and prevent stillbirths in Africa by investing – in partnership with governments – in the products, people and systems required to sustainably improve care at scale. During its first five years, (2025-2030), Beginnings Fund will focus on Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Investments are developed and managed by an Africa-based Investment Team, led by a Nairobi-based CEO, who reports into an Investment Committee made up of the founding investors in Beginnings Fund.
The Beginnings Fund is fiscally sponsored by Global Impact.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Director of Statistics and Impact Evaluation, the Program Officer will support the design, co-creation, management, and monitoring of programs supported by Beginnings Fund. The Program Officer will work closely with the Measurement and Evaluation Manager and within a diverse investment team to support development of country investment plans and investment recommendations for potential grantees. In addition, the Program Officer will support management of approved investments, conduct periodic data analyses as needed, and prepare presentations and reports. The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated individual with outstanding analytical skills, problem solving capabilities and communication skills. The Program Officer must be able to function independently and have a strong commitment to excellence.
Job Description
What You’ll Do
- Support the co-design and development of Beginnings Fund country investment plans, and underlying investments, working closely with the Director of Statistics and Impact Evaluation, the Measurement and Evaluation Manager, and the broader investment team, including the Director of Finance and Operations.
- Support the review and revision of the Beginnings Fund Impact model in coordination with the multi-country evaluation partner
- Work closely with the in-country data partners to ensure data availability and quality of target indicators for monitoring and evaluation
- Support development and writing of concise, high quality investment recommendations for grantee partners, including appropriately structuring investments and working closely with partners to design program frameworks with clear objectives, activities, budgets, and measures of success aligned to the Beginnings Fund overall impact measurement framework.
- Critically monitor programmatic effectiveness of Beginnings Fund interventions through review of periodic reports and grantee site visits. Identify and mitigate key organizational and programmatic risks and identify areas for improvement or course correction.
- Refine and ensure high-quality grantmaking processes that incorporate learnings from regional, national, and sub-national implementing partners.
- As part of the Measurement, Evaluation, and Impact team, inform the effectiveness of product, workforce, and system related investments on maternal and newborn health outcomes.
- Coordinate and analyze grantee narrative and financial reporting and impact measurements and prepare documentation to facilitate timely grant payments and other grant actions.
- Conduct periodic data analyses and preparate presentations and reports including input on the Beginnings Fund annual report
- Diligently manage all relevant aspects of grants administration
- Contribute to organizational learning and strategy development
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director of Statistics and Impact Evaluation
Qualifications
What You’ll Bring
- Minimum 5-7 years’ experience working in program management, program design, grant making, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
- Advanced degree in Medical Statistics, Epidemiology, Public health, Global health, or related field
- Demonstrated understanding of global health issues related to maternal and newborn health interventions
- Exceptional interpersonal and cross-cultural skills with experience working and managing partnerships with African governments, non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, and other implementing organizations, preferably in maternal and newborn health and ability to collaborate with internal teams of diverse backgrounds
- Proficiency in data analysis and ability to analyze and present data in a highly organized manner
- Familiarity with the Global Health architecture and its operational frameworks including key regional, multilateral, bilateral and financing institutions
- Knowledge of health systems and key players in Beginnings Fund focus countries and maternal and newborn health programming
- Excited to work in a startup environment and travel locally and internationally as needed (30-50% of the time)
- Collaborative and team-driven mindset with a strong work ethic and ability to prioritize and multi-task
- Fluency in English with excellent oral and written communication skills
- Self-driven, and ability to work independently
Additional Information
What We Offer
The Beginnings Fund offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience, along with opportunities for professional advancement within a small, collaborative, and dedicated team.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment described below represent the activities and surroundings of the positions. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
To perform the job, the employee is frequently required to talk and listen on the telephone, and verbally communicate in person with individuals and groups. The position requires frequent keyboarding. The incumbent may occasionally reach with hands and arms and carry materials weighing up to 20 lbs. The incumbent is required to read and respond to documents in electronic form.
The work is typically performed in a home office environment. Frequent travel more than 25% of the time may be required.
The Beginnings Fund is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER committed to providing a non-discriminatory and inclusive environment for its employees. We are committed to diversity and consider all applicants for all positions without regard to color, ethnic background, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability status.
