Senior Program Associate

This Senior Program Associate position is ideal for someone who is looking to grow their skills and experience in project management. Crucial for the success in this role, the candidate must have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), be highly organized, detail-oriented, conscientious and flexible and have excellent multi-tasking and decision-making skills. The SPA will be expected to successfully manage competing priorities and deadlines, successfully interact with a diverse DC and internationally based team, and be able to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team. This position is based in Washington, D.C. and will report to SPARC’s Senior Program Officer. Responsibilities: The Senior Program Associate will be expected to provide a broad range of technical and project functions that include, but are not limited to,:

Contributing to the development of high-quality work products, including presentations, concept notes, thought pieces, briefing materials, blog posts, newsletters, meeting summaries, and e-communications to share with both internal and external audiences.
Contributing to technical activities, such as conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis on technical and policy issues related to health systems and financing
Coordinating and developing project deliverables (reports, workplans, tracking progress against targets, etc.)
Facilitating and supporting routine business processes, such as recruitment, procurement, financial/budget analysis, contracting, and payments
Performing and supporting internal administrative processes critical to the functioning of a rapidly growing team and organization
Providing organization and logistics support for convening of stakeholder meetings, workshops, and other collaborative forums.
Supporting the development and maintenance of positive relationships with multiple stakeholders, including within R4D and with partner and funding organizations
The SPA is expected to be self-motivated, able to work independently within a multi-functional team, and have a high degree of flexibility to be responsive to the needs of colleagues and other project stakeholders.

Qualifications: Successful candidates are likely to have the following qualifications:

Undergraduate / graduate training in Public Health, Economics, Business Administration, Management, Public Policy, Political Science, International Affairs, or other relevant discipline;
Up to three (3) years of relevant work experience in a research institution, government, bilateral or multilateral development agency, consulting firm, NGO, or think tank.
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills;
Exceptional oral & written communications skills;
Experience working in a team environment;
Demonstrated interest in health, health financing, and/or social sector policy development;
Ability to deliver high-quality outputs and results within tight timeframes;
Familiarity with routine administrative and project management functions;
High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word; and
Full professional fluency in written and spoken English; French fluency highly desired.
Willingness to travel international approximately 10-20%, depending on project need