Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management - Communications

Hiring/Reports to Manager: Director, Office of the Chief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. By building a global and cultural workplace that supports greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — together with our employees and partners, we can help all people improve their lives from poverty and health to education. As an organization we offer hybrid work arrangements, generous PTO, 15% contribution to your retirement fund, a diverse and inclusive workplace backed by 11 Employee Resource Groups and embed DEI in everything we do!

The Team

In June 2020, the foundation hired a Chief Communications Officer and established a new Communications Division to oversee the foundation’s global communications strategy. The division brings together internal and external communications to advance the foundation’s mission of a more equitable world.

The Office of the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) team is responsible for ensuring strategic and operational alignment within the division and across the foundation, through strategy planning and development, business operations, measurement and insights, portfolio management, and process/project development and management.

Your Role

The Deputy Director for Strategy Planning and Management (DDSPM) will work in close coordination and collaboration with the existing DDSPM from the Office of the Chief Communications Officer and across the Communications Division. This includes co-leading the Strategy Planning and Management (SPM) team within the Office of the Chief Communications Officer (OCCO). The position is responsible for leading a range of divisional strategic planning and operations functions, including oversight of critical strategic projects; strategy development, implementation planning and reporting; portfolio management of contract and grant investments; partner and agency engagement; knowledge management; and process improvements.

This is a senior position requiring leadership, strategic focus, exceptional management and social skills, and personal initiative. The DDSPM is a member of the Communications Leadership Team (CLT) and key advisor to the Communications Executive Team to enhance divisional operations by implementing process improvements and coordinating team workflow and governance to optimize the quality and efficiency of the delivery of Communications services and to help advance our shared strategic objectives.

What You’ll Do

• Owns the strategic planning process including strategy development, strategy revision, strategy performance measurement, portfolio management, and special initiatives to accelerate the impact of the foundation. Supports strategy execution by providing shared resources to facilitate and support cross-cutting programmatic and/or operational projects/priorities.
• Drives business model improvement and sets direction and support teams in strategy performance management, annual planning, portfolio and strategy reviews, and other leadership processes, presentations, and engagements.
• Advances our DEI priorities by integrating DEI in our policies and practices, workstreams, strategy development staff recruitment, team culture, talent development, strategy refinement/execution, and partner engagement and then supports accountability for them.
• Thought partner to the Chief of Staff on resourcing the strategic priorities of the division –to build trust in the foundation- and cultivate a high functioning culture based on employee wellbeing.
• Co-lead SPM team with existing DDSPM (Program Coordinators, Program Managers, etc.) to direct their efforts in support of strategy development, planning, management, and measurement.
• In partnership with Finance, Human Resources and Enterprise Business Management, facilitates division-wide headcount management, professional development, ensuring effective use of team time and continuously improving our approach to talent development and performance management.
• In partnership with the finance team, develops and maintains division’s budget, forecasting investment pipelines with special focus on contract/vendor management, communications agency engagement, and procurement.
• Scope and implement special projects or initiatives of cross-cutting importance for Communications teams, collaborating with Directors on specific projects.

Your Experience

• Deep knowledge of strategy creation, execution, management; including design of performance management system of goals, targets, and monitoring process (for both strategy and people development purposes)
• Expertise implementing strategies, programs and initiatives grounded in the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Understands and values inclusion and seeks input from a variety of sources. Challenges practices or policies that may be exclusionary and has a strong commitment and experience being race-intentional in both strategic and operational processes. Ability to craft strategies with a focus on racial and socioeconomic equity (regarding both partner selection and implications of strategies).
• Proficient in structured problem solving and strategic business planning, with the ability to easily identify and analyze issues and craft and communicate solutions that are globally/regionally minded.
• Adept at project management; including critical path thinking, detail orientation, setting priorities, and planning. Ability to adapt to changing priorities and business needs, and proactive in identifying areas of need and generating action plans. Deep organizational skills that can manage dozens of live requests and processes at any time and ensure progress and tracking of all items.
• Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills. Experience and capability to affect others without direct authority and to navigate politically charged situations. Ability to work informally as well as formally to achieve results. Ability to remain credible and impartial while maintaining a personable and favorable disposition.
• Exemplary written and verbal communicator, comfortable communicating in multiple ways who are curious and listens intently and with a bias toward being responsive and productive. Synthesizes and extracts meaning from complex bodies of work and effectively communicates key insights and takeaways to diverse audiences. Strong preparation and presentation of executive-level information.
• Ability to navigate a wide range of operational issues including, legal, IT, financial, HR and balance the needs of the foundation, bringing an appreciative and balanced point of view to both sides. Ability to remain objective and optimistic when both absorbing and communicating information.
• A learning mentality, curiosity, rigor, and resourcefulness. Able to maintain an optimistic view. Demonstrated excellent judgment and calm under stressful conditions.
• Proven effectiveness and interest in leading and coordinating colleagues from a variety of subject areas in a complex organization. History of results in roles requiring logical, systematic thinking while managing multiple priorities in a highly changing environment.
• Experience in communications, marketing, public relations and/or in an emerging market country context is a plus.
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to hr@gatesfoundation.org.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.