Senior Program Assistant, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Vaccine Development

Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Program Assistant (SPA) supports the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and Vaccine Development (VDev) teams, working closely with the Director who leads both teams and the team-dedicated Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning & Management. The SPA serves as a trusted partner who stewards leadership time and provides comprehensive administrative support and proactive communications. The role may also support up to five additional principals with responsibilities such as complex scheduling, international travel, and convening planning and logistics. The SPA is expected to understand team priorities, goals, initiatives, deadlines, and organizational dynamics so they can make informed scheduling and support decisions. Beyond core administrative work, the role contributes to team culture, operations, and rhythm-of-business processes in collaboration with Strategy, Planning & Management and Office of the President partners. The position is based in Seattle, Washington, and requires working from the office approximately 50% of the time. Relocation assistance is not available. The role includes strategic calendar management; communication and coordination for the Director; team culture, onboarding, and operational coordination; meeting, event, and travel support; and collaboration across teams and executive offices. The SPA is expected to use sound judgment, handle sensitive matters confidentially, and leverage AI, automation, and digital tools to improve support processes. The hourly rate is $36.68 to $51.39 USD. New-hire salaries are typically between the range minimum and midpoint, with placement based on job-related skills, experience, and expertise. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check. Applicants must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; the Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent demonstrated experience.
Experience in an administrative role supporting senior management or executives in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
Ability to prioritize effectively, use time precisely, and communicate decisions and processes clearly through to execution.
Excellence in calendar management, international travel support, and event-planning coordination.
Experience managing complex assignments and projects requiring initiative, independent problem-solving, and resourcefulness.
Ability to balance the support needs of multiple individuals with varied work, communication, and learning styles.
Ability to identify and anticipate leadership and team needs and opportunities and to champion and resolve them.
Ability to build relationships and earn the respect and trust of internal and external contacts, including grantees and high-level officials.
Experience adapting approaches, goals, and methods to achieve results in dynamic situations and helping others manage ongoing change.
Strong organizational, time-management, and project-management skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and maintain excellent attention to detail.
Intellectual curiosity and an active interest in understanding team strategies, annual plans, and priorities.
Unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; the Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with the Microsoft Office suite, especially Outlook, and tools such as Copilot, ChatGPT, and other AI tools is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative support by anticipating and managing competing priorities, complex email volume, workflow, and rhythm-of-business needs.
Use sound judgment to act independently within agreed boundaries, seek guidance or escalate when needed, and bring recommendations when identifying problems.
Represent leadership priorities in cross-team and cross-functional interactions, coordinating with internal partners and external customers.
Use AI, automation, and digital tools to streamline support, improve efficiency, and continuously improve processes.
Strategically manage complex calendars for the Director and other assigned team leaders, coordinating with internal and external parties across time zones.
Evaluate scheduling requests against priorities, preparation needs, and competing commitments, and anticipate and resolve calendar conflicts.
Partner with the Director and Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning & Management to shape a balanced calendar and protect time for strategic priorities, focused work, leadership engagement, and daily business needs.
Review upcoming commitments and recommend ways to help the Director prepare and weigh competing priorities.
Keep information flowing to and from the Director, highlighting key updates, decisions, and follow-ups.
Provide the Director with a short daily recap of items requiring input, including clear options and their implications; identify and flag important issues early.
Partner with lead staff to plan materials and briefings for important meetings.
Lead projects that strengthen team culture and ways of working across NTD and VDev, and promote consistent standards across shared operations.
Coordinate team-member onboarding and offboarding with hiring managers.
Represent NTD and VDev on the space planning committee and GHET Support Team group.
Monitor foundation, division-wide, and cross-team updates and initiatives, and highlight relevant information to leadership and team partners.
Work on team and division special projects as needed or in alignment with professional development goals.
Support team-wide and leadership meetings, including retreats, partner convenings, and executive presentations.
Manage event logistics, travel, communications, and materials in coordination with internal and external sponsors.
Prepare agendas and materials and track action items and follow-ups for recurring leadership meetings and operating cadences.
Complete travel-related tasks, including detailed itineraries, visa applications, travel arrangements, and expense reports for the Director’s travel and Deputy Directors’ international travel.
Coordinate complete logistical and trip-briefing materials with internal and external sponsors.
Build trusted relationships across teams and executive offices by understanding business priorities, following through reliably, and facilitating communication.
Proactively manage and prioritize high volumes of requests and correspondence with timely communication and sound judgment.
Represent the Director with confidence, discretion, and professionalism when interacting with senior leaders and partners, including under pressure.
Handle highly sensitive matters with strict confidentiality and expedite issues appropriately.
Partner with support and business teams to improve and maintain knowledge-management processes using platforms such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, OneNote, and AI tools.
Maintain distribution lists, SharePoint sites, and Microsoft Teams channels as assigned.
Contribute to improving support-community practices, processes, and tools across the division.