Senior Program Officer, Competency and Skills Genome Accelerator (2 Year LTE)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation • Washington, DC

34d

About The Position

As the Senior Program Officer, Competency and Skills Genome Accelerator (CSGA) you will be at the forefront of transforming the education-to-workforce data and AI ecosystem to advance equity and opportunity for all learners. In this critical role, you will build essential public good infrastructure to support AI-native data systems that strengthen feedback loops – helping districts and postsecondary institutions access timely insights and collaborate more effectively across sectors to improve long-term regional outcomes. You will lead the development and launch of the Competency and Skills Genome Accelerator initiative, partnering with field experts in AI in education, knowledge graph development, learning science, and skills taxonomies to co-develop a dynamic AI-native public knowledge graph connecting skills, assessments, credentials, and job data. You will implement and integrate critical public goods into existing and new education tech solutions, including but not limited to assessment of learning, college and career advising and navigational supports. Serving as a thought partner to other program strategy teams within the division, you will advise on how to integrate Data-developed public goods into their work, including knowledge graphs. You will report to the Deputy Director, Data & AI Infrastructure. This position is a limited-term position for 24 months

Requirements

• Advanced degree required with demonstrated experience or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience building competency and/or skills framework and taxonomies, including working with existing skills data developers or providers
• Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. education and workforce data, including but not limited to the availability, coverage, definitions, and use cases for key sources such as federal, state, and private data collections and surveys.
• Experience with AI applications and their implications in the education sector, especially the integration of semantic web technologies and natural language process techniques for knowledge graphs.
• Strong contextual translation skills—ability to apply complex technical knowledge in education, workforce, or social impact settings and translate emerging technology approaches to educational contexts
• Demonstrated experience building and sustaining multi-stakeholder partnerships; recognized by the education and technology communities as having expertise and credibility in the field of education data.
• Proven experience in advisory or consulting roles, ideally focused on technology strategy, responsible AI, or digital transformation.
• Significant experience leading complex initiatives with budget responsibility at the institutional or organizational level.
• Demonstrated ability to make informed decisions that consider the impacts of data and technology on equity, particularly how AI can be developed and deployed to support and uplift Black, Latino, Indigenous students, and students from low-income backgrounds.
• Demonstrated knowledge of data issues, including key research, policies, and debates in the field.
• Knowledge of how different communities and partners engage with education data systems, incorporating community/partner demands and needs into the work.
• Experience in project/program management, including managing multiple projects and timelines with shifting internal expectations and priorities.
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical resource to the division on education and workforce data.
• Negotiate, execute, and handle a complex portfolio of grants or performance-based contracts to improve data infrastructure and integration of AI-native tools into education technology solutions.
• Develop, manage, resource, and implement a portfolio that aligns with foundation strategy and is operationally integrated with other foundation programs.
• Review letters of inquiry and grant proposals; provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding, including drafting and editing proposal summaries and progress reports for existing grants for review by foundation leadership.
• Consult with grantees to achieve the desired impact of grants by conducting site visits when appropriate, providing technical guidance, convening meetings, and applying and evaluating milestone-based performance objectives.
• Contribute to the design of new or refine existing strategies, collaborations, and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
• Represent the U.S. Program and the foundation through clear and consistent communication with grantees and partners related to education and workforce data.
• Support inclusive culture through modeling behaviors and actions; escalate issues in a timely fashion to appropriate stakeholders.

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: 1,001-5,000 employees