Senior Officer, Advocacy Strategy & Analytics, Health Research & Development (18 Month LTE)

Gates Foundation • Seattle, WA

6d

About The Position

The Foundation We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally. The Team The Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division shapes public policy debates that affect the Foundation’s work and builds strategic relationships to advance program priorities. The Health Advocacy & Communications Hub is GPA’s issue advocacy function and partners with program teams across the Foundation to: translate program priorities into advocacy content and partner ecosystems; shape technical consensus and sector policy dynamics; translate evidence into global priorities and guidance; provide issue expertise; develop issue narratives and platforms; and support mission-level campaigns. The Hub also anchors the cross-GPA Health R&D initiative, which aims to accelerate systems, policy, and financing changes needed to speed development and introduction of health innovations that benefit our priority populations. Your Role The Senior Officer, Advocacy Strategy & Analytics — Global Health R&D will be an anchor member of the cross-GPA team leading integrated Health R&D financing and policy. You will combine strategy expertise, analytical rigor, and programmatic delivery to strengthen GPA’s R&D advocacy approach and broaden the evidence base for investment in global health R&D. The role partners closely with issue and market leads across GPA and with Foundation global/regional offices to translate high-level objectives and pipeline goals into near-term targets for co-financing and policy engagement, measurable strategies, and practical tools. The position will also steward investments and research that quantify the health, economic, and strategic benefits of global health innovation for low- and lower-middle-income countries. This position is a limited-term position for 18 months. Relocation to Seattle, WA will be provided for the hired candidate if they are not currently located in Seattle, WA. Applications accepted until 5 PM PT on Thursday, April 9th, 2026.

Requirements

• Demonstrated strategic and analytical thinking with an ability to combine substantive strategy work with hands-on research and evidence translation.
• Experience with R&D pipelines, financing mechanisms, and portfolio-level analytics—ideally in pharma, global health, or adjacent innovation ecosystems.
• Experience designing, commissioning, or managing outcomes and impact research related to health R&D.
• Deep familiarity with global health R&D and innovation systems relevant to low- and lower-middle-income country needs.
• Demonstrated understanding of how health R&D policies can advance equitable health outcomes and how R&D intersects with national/regional interests.
• Proven ability to collaborate across fast-moving, matrixed teams across time zones and to influence others constructively.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; ability to synthesize complex evidence for diverse audiences.
• Working knowledge of AI-enabled and data-enabled approaches and tools for portfolio analysis and decision support.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located. The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

Nice To Haves

• Experience in pharmaceutical R&D, medical technology, or innovation ecosystems relevant to commercialization and scale.
• Hands-on experience implementing or commissioning AI/data tools in analytical or portfolio contexts.
• Advanced degree in public health, health policy, economics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Establish and manage a streamlined, cross-cutting hub for GPA’s health R&D policy, data, and evidence insights and support the fact base for near-term global health R&D goals.
• Develop practical tools, knowledge-management assets, and collaborative processes that translate strategy and analytics into implementation and advocacy results.
• In coordination with foundation pipeline and data leads, develop and maintain a centralized view of the Foundation’s health R&D pipeline suitable to translation into advocacy and co-financing strategies (timelines, costs, financing gaps, prioritization criteria, key partners).
• Leverage tools and evidence to help institutionalize joint planning and execution processes across teams supporting global health R&D advocacy.
• Support the operationalization of uniform M&E in partnership with GPA’s central M&E function.
• Leverage internal and external evidence to advise on prioritization of health R&D objectives and to inform advocacy and market-based strategies.
• Identify and manage research investments to fill critical evidence gaps (e.g., quantitative analyses showing health and economic returns to LMIC-focused R&D and mutual benefits for funders and high-income countries).
• Design and oversee analytical approaches and dashboards to support portfolio-level decision-making.
• Identify and operationalize opportunities to use AI-enabled and other data tools to strengthen portfolio analysis and execution.
• Co-lead or support the design, negotiation, and management of grants and contracts (including investment reviews and grantee engagement) that advance evidence and advocacy objectives.
• Provide concise, actionable briefings and written materials for senior leadership.

Benefits

• exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees