Strategy Officer, Foundation Strategy Office

Gates Foundation•Seattle, WA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Foundation Strategy Office (FSO) is the primary function supporting the creation and evolution of our program level strategies as well as exploring new paths to impact that align with our mission. This includes supporting the CEO, CFO, and Chief Strategy Officer in key accountabilities like strategy development, strategy revision, strategy performance measurement, portfolio management, and special initiatives to accelerate the impact of the foundation. We are a close-knit team that places a significant emphasis on maintaining and growing our positive, humble, and intellectually curious culture. We believe that small groups of deeply committed team members can do phenomenal things. We encourage debate and discussion of tough issues and are committed to the success of our clients. We invest proactively in each other’s personal and professional growth.

Requirements

Ability to learn new content quickly, identify connections and second-order implications, and demonstrate proficiency with internal/external teams.
Demonstrated strength in structured problem solving and strategic business planning, with the ability to easily identify and communicate frameworks to facilitate strategy creation and analysis of core issues.
Deep knowledge of strategy development and end-to-end complex project management (including process design, team structure, critical thinking requirements, development of novel communication resources and external/senior stakeholder engagement).
Experience with strategy implementation, measurement, review, and refinement.
Ability to work in a self-guided manner, care for multiple priorities and meet demanding timelines.
Ability to question and challenge colleagues including managers and partners in constructive manner.
Comfort with highly unstructured and ambiguous situations; ability to proactively resolve.
Excellent organizational, facilitation, oral, and written communication skills.
Ability to work effectively and with sensitivity across barriers such as language, culture, and distance.
Excellent software skills with Microsoft Office applications, including a demonstrated ability to convey complex information using supporting tables, graphs, and other visual representations.
Minimum of five years’ experience, with at least three years within strategic planning functions leading projects at a top-tier strategy consulting firm.
Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located.
The foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role, including direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

Nice To Haves

A broad understanding of global health / development issues and some global health / development experience is desired.
MBA or other advanced degree in a relevant field such as Business, Engineering, or Sciences desired.

Responsibilities

Scope and design the overall strategy development process.
Lead strategy development as the primary accountable party for one or more workstreams.
Employ strategic resources to develop and assess options, apply sound reasoning, and challenge assumptions.
Consult closely with internal clients to co-develop and evaluate strategy concepts and facilitate change management.
Engage partners using a client-focused skillset of effective communication and relationship management.
Support the implementation of creative solutions to guide group processes (e.g., managing conflict and encouraging alignment).
Contribute to the identification and implementation of research and analytical work to support resolution-making, including statistical analyses and collaborating with third parties to develop analytical methodologies.
Provide project management, problem-solving support, and initiative leadership on cross-foundational strategy projects.
Regularly contribute to team developing “extra 10s” such as team vision and goal refinement, professional development, training, recruiting, onboarding, team social events and retreats, etc.