Specialist, Design, Optimization and Operations Management - GL D - Defined Duration until December 2029
The Specialist, Design, Optimization & Operations Management will serve as a strategic advisor, business architect, and operational governance lead responsible for designing, optimizing, and continuously improving investment policies, decision frameworks, governance processes across the investment lifecycle. The Specialist will drive investment effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and accountability by ensuring that investment planning, prioritization, review, approval, oversight, and reporting processes are strategically aligned, operationally effective, and responsive to organizational needs.
Working in close partnership with teams across SIED, Grant Management, Legal, Finance, Risk, Information Technology, governance bodies, and external partners, the Specialist will act as a key integrator of cross-functional perspectives, translating strategic priorities and policy requirements into practical operating models, governance mechanisms, workflows, tools, and guidance. The Specialist will also lead the transformation and operationalization of Technical Review Panel (TRP) and Grant Approvals Committee (GAC) processes, including governance frameworks, differentiated review modalities, workflows, tools, guidance, and performance management mechanisms. The role will also ensure timely, consistent, evidence-based, and high-quality investment decision-making through effective coordination of review processes, robust analytics, policy implementation, and continuous process improvement.
Under the supervision of the Lead, Investment Oversight, the Specialist, will serve as a critical bridge between strategy, policy, governance, operations, and technology, by coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives that strengthen allocation, portfolio optimization, investment oversight, and decision support.
The position will provide strategic insights, advice, oversight, and operational leadership to strengthen portfolio optimization, resource prioritization, decision support, and organizational performance while embedding a culture of continuous process improvement and operational excellence across the investment lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Design and optimization of investment policies, decision frameworks, and processes
- Provide oversight for the updating of OPNs, procedures and due diligence screening guidelines in relation to investment review and approval (TRP/GAC), including key areas such as Portfolio Optimization, Program split, Allocation Utilization Period (AUP), and CCM eligibility differentiation.
- Coordinate the development, review, and updating of key materials including but not limited to the Modular Framework, Performance Framework and other investment guidance materials.
- Lead the operational preparation and customization of allocation letters and share with internal stakeholders to send to applicants.
Management of investment processes
- Oversee the timely completion of program split changes and report any changes to the program split.
- Lead and quality assure the preparation of the list of applicants and typology and oversee the tracking and publication of Eligibility and Transition Projections as well as preparing Application classification type.
- Lead activities related to Prioritized Above Allocation Request (PAAR) and oversee development and publication of the Global Fund’s Register of Unfunded Quality Demand. Provide analysis and technical support to enable portfolio optimization and investment decisions, as well as facilitate donor investment enquiries related to the Register.
- Support the Lead, Investment Oversight during the Portfolio Optimization process, ensuring effective implementation of the Strategy Committee Prioritization Framework through robust data analysis and rigorous review, including:
- Leading the planning, preparation and execution of end-to-end Portfolio Optimization investment processes annually. This includes harmonizing prioritized investments across business owners, ensuring robust documentation of data driven investment cases, internal review and validation of prioritized investments in line with portfolio optimization principles and criteria, investment meetings and other prioritization processes.
- Coordinating cross-functional inputs to prepare comprehensive materials for GAC investment decision making and award processes. This includes conducting data analysis, developing presentation slides and decision dashboards, as well as preparing briefings that support investment decision-making.
TRP and GAC management and transformation
- Together with the Lead, Investment Oversight, provide strategic leadership for TRP/GAC transformation and implementation, designing and operationalizing governance frameworks, differentiated review mechanisms, workflows, tools, and guidance that support efficient and effective decision-making.
- Coordinate end-to-end delivery of TRP and GAC review cycles under the direction of the Lead, including workplans, calendars, agendas, member deployment, meeting and remote-review logistics, stakeholder inputs, outcome communications and follow-up actions.
- Operationalize approved differentiated TRP review modalities for funding requests and catalytic investments, maintain supporting workflows and tools, and recommend practical improvements based on implementation experience.
- Draft and maintain TRP operating procedures, manuals, practical guidance and governance documentation in line with approved policy direction and the TRP terms of reference.
- Administer TRP membership and governance processes, including recruitment, onboarding, leadership and working-group coordination, member records, conflict-of-interest controls and performance data.
- Prepare and quality-assure GAC briefings, analyses, presentations and decision records, ensuring that materials clearly set out evidence, risks, policy considerations, precedents and options for decision.
- Synthesize recurring issues, lessons and portfolio-wide implications arising from TRP and GAC reviews, and provide evidence-based options to the Lead, Investment Oversight for process, policy and investment decision-making.
- Coordinate agreed information flows between TRP and GAC, maintain authoritative records of decisions and dependencies, and monitor completion of actions by responsible teams.
- Draft TRP and GAC reports, funding recommendation documentation and responses to governance queries for review and clearance by the Lead and relevant governance leadership.
- Perform people management responsibilities and provide day-to-day technical guidance and quality assurance to Operations Officers on assigned TRP/GAC deliverables.
Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Advanced university degree in public health, international development, public policy, business or public administration, economics, finance, operations management, investment management, or a related field; or a relevant first university degree and at least 4 years of relevant post-first-degree work experience.
Desirable:
- Professional certification or demonstrable experience in project or program management, business process improvement, operations, transformation, change management, and advanced data analytics.
Experience
Essential:
- Substantial relevant experience in investment, grant or portfolio management; strategic planning; policy and process design; operations; or organizational transformation in a complex international or public-sector environment.
- Demonstrated experience designing, implementing and continuously improving governance frameworks, operational policies, procedures, review processes, controls and performance measures.
- Experience supporting senior-level investment review, prioritization or approval processes and producing high-quality analyses, decision materials and recommendations under tight deadlines.
- Strong experience coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, translating strategic and policy requirements into practical operating models, workflows, tools and guidance, and driving adoption through change.
- Demonstrated analytical capability, including synthesis of complex quantitative and qualitative information into clear insights, dashboards, reports and actionable recommendations.
- Experience managing multiple interdependent workstreams and overseeing the quality and timely delivery of others’ work.
Desirable:
- At least 4 years of experience in global health, development finance, multilateral organizations or large grant-making institutions.
- Knowledge of the Global Fund investment lifecycle, allocation methodology, TRP/GAC processes, differentiated funding requests, PAAR and the Register of Unfunded Quality Demand.
- Experience with business process transformation, digital workflow solutions, and data visualization.
- Over 2 years of people management experience.
Competencies
Languages:
An excellent knowledge of English and preferably a good working knowledge of French. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.
Functional Competencies:
- Analytical (Expert)
- Due Diligence (Expert)
- Operational Policy (Expert)
- Project Management (Expert)
- Business (Mastery)
- Multicultural understanding (Mastery)
- Negotiations (Mastery)
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Job Posting End Date
29 November 2026
