Senior Research Scientist, Health and Data Systems Modeling

Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

36d

About The Position

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. As part of the Gates Foundation, the Institute for Disease Modeling’s (IDM) mission is to support global efforts to eradicate infectious diseases and achieve permanent improvements in health by developing, using, and sharing computational modeling tools and promoting quantitative decision-making. The IDM team is composed of research scientists and software developers who create advanced models of disease transmission, develop computational tools to inform global disease eradication policy, conduct analysis of epidemiologically- and policy-relevant data, and identify and address critical knowledge gaps. IDM is a highly dynamic organization with a work environment that is defined by innovation and collaboration. As part of our work, we routinely collaborate with international health agencies, ministries of health in the developing world, as well as universities and research institutes across the globe. In this role, we seek a full-time Senior Research Scientist to join the Health and Data Systems (HDS) team within IDM’s Gender, Vulnerability and Health Equity (GVHE) research team. We are seeking a candidate that will apply advanced quantitative modeling to inform strategies that improve the delivery and impact of health interventions. This will span both vertical programs (focusing on the design optimization and delivery models that guide strategy teams in developing disease-specific interventions that balance coverage, cost, and impact) and cross-cutting health systems questions by embedding vertical models within broader realities to ensure that recommended intervention mixes are feasible and sustainable. You will apply multi-objective optimization approaches that integrate cost, delivery, equity and system constraints to provide insights more than ‘best value for money’. You will play a key role in engaging with internal and country partners, ensuring our models provide actionable insights for delivery, optimization, and investment strategies.

Requirements

A Ph.D. in relevant discipline (e.g., health economics, decision science, applied mathematics, epidemiology, public health, systems engineering or related field) with significant coursework in quantitative methods (e.g., Statistics/Biostatistics, Data Science).
Minimum of five years of research experience in a related field.
Advanced quantitative modeling expertise, with demonstrated experience designing and applying mathematical, simulation, or optimization models to guide health intervention delivery - e.g., vaccination, mass drug administration, or integrated service delivery.
Proficiency with programming languages (R strongly preferred) and computational tools, and familiarity with optimization or simulation frameworks.
Strong foundation in systems and operations research, with the ability to model real-world delivery constraints such as logistics, workforce, coverage, and cost.
Applied understanding of public health delivery systems and intervention implementation, particularly in low- and middle-income country contexts.
Experience leading complex analytical projects, managing data and model development pipelines, and ensuring rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in modeling work.
Ability to synthesize and communicate complex modeling insights into actionable recommendations for diverse audiences.
Collaborative and interdisciplinary mindset, with experience engaging across teams of epidemiologists, economists and program implementers to co-design and interpret modeling analyses.
Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with geospatial modeling, economic evaluation or integration of epidemiological and delivery models.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and application of quantitative models to assess delivery strategies and optimize the mix of interventions such as vaccines, mass drug administration, and integrated health services.
Generate actionable insights that inform strategic priorities, investment decisions, and policy guidance through scenario analysis, optimization, and systems modeling.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams and partners, including program strategy teams and country partners, to co-develop modeling questions, ensure relevance to real-world delivery challenges especially in low- and middle-income country contexts, and interpret findings for decision-making.
Advance methodological innovation by improving modeling frameworks, incorporating new and non-traditional data sources, and ensuring scientific rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in all analyses.
Integrate gender, equity, and vulnerability considerations into modeling approaches to ensure equitable delivery and impact across populations.
Communicate modeling insights effectively through clear, actionable recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Lead and contribute to cross-portfolio collaborations.
Explore and apply AI, machine learning, and digital analytics tools to improve model efficiency, scalability, and predictive power for delivery optimization.
International travel may be necessary.