Senior Officer, Strategy & Implementation Management

Gates Foundation • Seattle, WA

2d

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 Our Global Health (GH) Program harnesses advances in science and technology to save lives in poor countries. We focus on the health problems that have a major impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding. Where proven tools exist, we support sustainable ways to improve their delivery. Where they don’t, we invest in research and development of new interventions, such as vaccines, drugs, biologics, and diagnostics. Our work in infectious diseases focuses on strategies to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, enteric and diarrheal diseases, and pneumonia. These strategies are supported by functional and cross-cutting teams that focus on Discovery & Translational Sciences, Vaccine Development, Surveillance, Integrated Development, and Diagnostics. With a focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the Pneumonia & Pandemic Preparedness (PPP) Team works to accelerate reductions in childhood deaths from pneumonia, meningitis, and neonatal sepsis; improve public health surveillance for action; minimize mortality and transmission during epidemics and pandemics; and prevent deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risk pathogens. Our work combines prevention, innovation, and surveillance to guide global health interventions based on mortality estimates and disease burden. We accelerate the development and commercialization of novel and lower-cost vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for target populations, focusing on key pathogens including pneumococcus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), group B streptococcus (GBS), meningococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and E. coli. Because a growing proportion of deaths in young children occur before they can be immunized, we are advancing maternal immunization strategies that allow vaccines to be delivered safely during pregnancy, protecting infants in their first months of life through antibodies transferred from their mothers. We also prioritize antimicrobial resistance as an increasing global health threat that disproportionately contributes to neonatal sepsis deaths. To better guide these interventions, the PPP team strengthens surveillance systems to more accurately define global disease burden. This includes generating high-quality primary mortality data, supporting countries to implement innovative surveillance approaches such as sample registration systems and multi-pathogen serosurveillance, integrating data across surveillance platforms, and advancing global coordination through initiatives such as WHO’s Collaborative Surveillance effort. This position is a limited-term position for 12 months. Relocation will not be provided. Your Role As a key member of the Pneumonia & Pandemic Preparedness (PPP) team, the Senior Officer, Strategy & Implementation Management supports strategic planning and operational management of team. The role will also provide portfolio management support for specific initiative areas and manage a limited grant portfolio (e.g., maternal vaccine introduction, safety surveillance, disease surveillance). You will partner closely with the PPP leadership team, the Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management (DDSPM), and other team members to support the development and execution of the team’s strategic vision and priorities. In this role, you will contribute to strategy development and implementation while ensuring strong alignment and communication across the team, foundation colleagues, and external partners, working closely with the Program Manager responsible for coordinating the team’s rhythm of the business. This role reports to the Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management (DDSPM), is a member of PPP’s Strategy & Implementation Management team, and has a secondary reporting line to the Deputy Director overseeing the relevant strategic portfolio areas.

Requirements

• Master’s degree with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience; degree in public health, business or a related field preferred
• Experience in two or more of the following areas preferred: project management, epidemiology, disease surveillance, vaccine introduction, safety surveillance, maternal health, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex strategy development, execution planning, and business process improvement initiatives.
• Strong portfolio and project management skills, including experience designing and implementing strategic frameworks, aligning goals and tactics, and tracking progress against programmatic and operational objectives.
• Experience conducting financial analysis and supporting budget development, investment management, and operational planning.
• Proven ability to build and manage strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and work collaboratively across teams and organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop analytical approaches that clarify decision making, portfolio trade-offs, and resource allocation.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences.
• Experience working independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams; experience working with partners from or in low- and middle-income countries strongly preferred.
• Strong facilitation and problem-solving skills, with the ability to structure complex issues and guide discussions toward decision-making and alignment.
• Demonstrated passion for Foundation’s mission and values
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to approximately 15%.
• 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

• Familiarity with global health, international development, public health research, and/or management consulting environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategy development and execution: Support leadership in defining strategy and translating priorities into execution plans with clear outcomes and milestones; manage strategy review and annual planning processes; develop strategic analyses and deliverables; lead or support cross-cutting projects and efforts related to strategy implementation, partner engagement, and change management.
• Portfolio management: Monitor progress against strategic goals and milestones to inform portfolio reviews; provide analytic and research support to guide investment decisions; support measurement, learning, and evaluation activities; contribute to implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender integration priorities; facilitate cross-team collaboration and shared learning; support leadership and team meetings, including agendas, materials, facilitation, documentation of decisions and follow-ups; coordinate meetings for program leadership, partner convenings, and retreats.
• Stakeholder engagement: Cultivate and manage relationships with grantees, partners, and collaborators; monitor the field for emerging opportunities and recommend potential investments; coordinate engagement with internal and external stakeholders to advance shared priorities and strengthen collaboration.
• Communications and reporting: Develop strategy and portfolio communications materials; support preparation of briefings and presentations for leadership meetings, annual planning, and external engagements; maintain clear communication with stakeholders; contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the team.
• Investment Management : Develop and manage a portfolio of grants or contracts; review concept notes and grant proposals and provide written analyses and funding recommendations; draft and edit proposal summaries, investment memos, and progress reports; work with grantees to refine project approaches, monitor milestones, and ensure investments achieve intended outcomes; engage with partners and conduct site visits as needed.

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
• 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