Senior Manager, Strategy & Implementation Management

Gates Foundation • Seattle, WA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager enables the Philanthropic Partnerships Team (PPT) to translate strategic vision into practical, coordinated execution across seven global markets: North America, India, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The role is part of the Strategy, Planning & Management function, which drives strategy development, planning, performance monitoring, and operational excellence at the Foundation. The Senior Manager guides business planning, manages the team’s investment portfolio, strengthens organizational systems, and leads business improvement initiatives. The position manages four program assistants and supports a 41-person team with an annual budget of $47 million. The preferred location is Seattle, with Washington, DC as a secondary preference. Remote work is not available; relocation assistance may be provided, but visa support is not available.

The role drives the team’s operational rhythm, including annual planning and governance, goal setting, budgeting, resource allocation, performance tracking, and learning. It oversees portfolio planning and budget forecasting, supports data-informed resource decisions, improves processes and systems, and represents PPT in cross-foundation and divisional forums. The Senior Manager also supervises program assistants and coordinates team engagements, onboarding, and learning opportunities.

The Foundation is a nonprofit focused on fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. It offers employees and their families comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, a foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to participate in employee communities.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in business, public policy, international development, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in strategy, planning, portfolio management, or operations within philanthropy, resource mobilization, or international development.
• Substantial experience working in or with markets outside the United States, including one or more priority markets: India, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or Europe.
• Direct experience supporting fundraising or partnership efforts engaging ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional funders such as corporate and private foundations.
• Experience with activities such as pipeline management, prospect and partnership strategy, co-funding structures, or donor engagement planning.
• Strong financial and operational skills, including budget planning, forecasting, and performance tracking.
• Ability to create structures and frameworks that clarify decisions, trade-offs, and impacts on financial and organizational resources.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into implementation through project management, content mastery, business operations, monitoring and evaluation, and change management.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex ideas and data into clear insights and practical recommendations.
• Exceptional relationship management skills and a track record of building trust and alignment across diverse teams, functions, and partners in a matrixed, global organization.
• Demonstrated people-management skills, including leading teams through change and fostering collaboration, professional growth, and accountability.
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to integrate those values into strategy, operations, and culture.
• Unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; the Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship or other immigration support.

Responsibilities

• Drive the team’s operational rhythm, including annual governance moments, goal setting, budgeting, resource allocation, work updates, performance tracking, and measurement, evaluation, and learning.
• Partner with the Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management, and the Philanthropic Partnerships Leadership Team on strategic planning and research and analysis that inform portfolio decisions.
• Translate strategic goals into annual implementation plans for each sub-team and market.
• Prepare the team for governance moments, learning sessions, briefings with the chair and foundation leadership, and compile strategy documents and progress narratives.
• Project manage submission of required planning and governance materials.
• Oversee portfolio management, including investment pipeline planning, budget forecasting, and performance tracking.
• Monitor progress against budgets and key resourcing decisions, collaborating with Finance, Contracts, and Legal.
• Prepare quantitative analysis and recommendations to support data-driven trade-offs and responsible resource stewardship.
• Accelerate adoption of division-wide decision-making and execution tools, including dashboards, performance management and MLE tools, portfolio artifacts, and knowledge-management practices.
• Apply AI and digital tools to improve efficiency, quality, and collaboration.
• Identify, design, and manage external strategy resources and consultants to meet planned and surge needs and strengthen team strategies.
• Lead business improvement projects that connect existing division and team processes and systems, such as Salesforce and PowerBI.
• Establish objectives, workplans, and accountabilities for special projects and maintain momentum amid ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Represent the team in cross-foundation forums and ensure alignment and information flow between the Foundation, division, and team.
• Connect PPT’s work to division priorities and program, regional, and country office strategies, and represent team needs and contributions in planning and decision-making.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, guidance, and mentorship to four program assistants, overseeing their operational work, administrative and calendaring support, and special projects.
• Design and implement team engagements, including all-staff meetings, foundation week programming, team building, and learning opportunities.
• Coordinate onboarding for new team members.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums for employees and their families.
• Generous paid time off.
• Paid family leave.
• Foundation-paid retirement contribution.
• Regional holidays.
• Opportunities to engage in employee communities.
• Relocation assistance may be provided to a hired candidate who does not live within commuting distance of the offices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior