Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management - Gender Equality

Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

5d•$238,400 - $369,400

About The Position

The Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning, and Management (DDSPM) leads strategic, financial, and operational functions across the Gender Equality Division’s Data & Technology Adoption (DATA) and Adolescent Learning & Women Leaders (ALAWL) teams. The role serves as a key advisor to both teams’ Directors and Leadership Teams, connecting strategy to day-to-day operations and guiding portfolio-, initiative-, and investment-level decision-making. It oversees strategy development, annual planning and budgeting, pipeline and portfolio management, business analysis, and coordination of business strategies across the Foundation. The DDSPM leads annual strategy planning and reporting cycles, including preparation of materials for Executive Leadership Team meetings, and collaborates with peers across the division and Foundation on strategy and improvement efforts. The position is newly scoped across two complementary teams that function as both investment makers and providers of services and technical expertise. It offers the opportunity to build collaborative approaches and advance shared priorities. The DDSPM leads Strategy, Planning, and Management staff, including full-time and contingent workers, and works with Directors, program staff, business partners, regional country offices, and other teams to align strategy, resources, operations, and organizational priorities. The role may include up to 20% domestic and international travel. The salary range is $238,400–$369,400 USD, or $262,200–$406,400 USD in Seattle and Washington, D.C. New-hire salaries are typically between the range minimum and midpoint, with placement based on job-related skills, experience, and expertise. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in business strategy, development, or general management.
Expertise in strategy development, implementation, and performance management systems.
Strong systems-thinking and problem-solving skills, including strategic planning and communicating complex frameworks.
Demonstrated success in highly matrixed organizations, building alignment across diverse partners and delivering results through influence rather than formal authority.
Leadership and coaching experience managing teams to deliver ambitious goals.
Strong project management experience leading high-profile, cross-functional workstreams.
Ability to create clarity, enable informed decision-making, and manage resource trade-offs.
Strong relationship-building and connecting skills, with the ability to navigate multiple perspectives, identify shared goals, and mobilize people across teams.
Ability to move between critical thinking and hands-on execution.
Proactive and entrepreneurial approach, including anticipating challenges and driving work forward with limited direction.
Cultural competence and experience working across diverse, multicultural settings.
Clear and compelling communication skills, including translating strategic priorities into action.
Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.
Successful completion of a background check as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience at a top-tier consulting firm or in a senior role in a large, international organization.
Knowledge or experience in the teams’ areas of focus, including global health data systems, AI and digital connectivity, research methods, economic evaluation, and/or norms and culture user insights.
In-country experience and/or grant-making experience.
Familiarity with South Asia, East Africa, West Africa, and/or international development.

Responsibilities

Work with team members to define and articulate strategy and investment priorities.
Serve as a core Leadership Team member, help build an effective leadership culture, lead responses to cross-cutting strategic questions, and advise on data-driven investment decisions.
Develop team and BOW goals; track performance, identify risks, and assess strategic trade-offs.
Identify emerging opportunities, risks, and strategic questions and develop recommendations for leadership.
Lead content development for chair-, CEO-, and President-level strategy meetings, learning sessions, and other materials, including storyline development and oversight of materials.
Lead annual strategy reviews and planning, articulating strategic priorities and trade-offs and developing execution plans as needed.
Lead complex initiatives requiring coordination across teams, functions, regions, and leadership levels, often without formal authority.
Partner with program managers and business teams on annual planning, priorities, lessons learned, trade-offs, and forward-looking budget allocation.
Drive integrated business planning across strategy, organizational priorities, talent, operations, and resource management.
Partner with FP&A, Grants & Contract Services, and Legal to manage investment pipelines and track investments against both teams’ annual budgets.
Manage the investment idea-generation process, ensure investments align with strategy, and provide leadership with decision-making information in partnership with program officers.
Advise on major grants and other major cross-cutting programmatic work.
Navigate operational issues involving areas such as legal, finance, and human resources.
Build internal and external partnerships, manage conflicts, and build consensus.
Advise the Directors on strategic direction, priorities, leadership engagement, team management and culture, and cross-Foundation partnerships.
Independently identify issues, propose solutions, and drive action on behalf of the Leadership Team.
Facilitate Leadership Team meetings and in-person gatherings; support relationships with peer DDSPMs, the Foundation Strategy Office, and collaborating teams.
Lead Strategy, Planning, and Management staff, including full-time and contingent workers.
Partner with HR and leadership teams to recruit, develop, and train staff as needed; support workforce planning and team effectiveness.
Advance the Leadership Team’s annual culture priorities and DEI objectives.
Support a “one foundation approach,” including collaboration with regional country offices and related program strategy teams.
Engage in the Foundation’s DDSPM community and contribute to processes, policies, and strategic projects that improve efficiency and impact.
Represent the team in division- and Foundation-wide continuous improvement efforts, including design, implementation, and change management.
Identify and implement improvements to business processes, decision-making, and operational effectiveness using AI, automation, digital tools, and new ways of working.