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
The India Country Office (ICO) is part of the Africa & India Offices Division (AIO). We work closely with India’s central and state governments, and partner with community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, academic and research institutions, the private sector, and development partners to advance our shared objectives. Our strong networks and ability to convene intellectual and technical resources globally and across sectors enable us to respond effectively to emerging and complex challenges.Your Role
The Deputy Director – Strategy, Planning & Management and Measurement, Learning & Evaluation (DD-SPM & MLE) is the ICO’s analytical and operational backbone – the senior leader accountable for evidence-based strategy, portfolio performance, risk management, and measurement across the India program. The role serves as the primary source of data-driven strategic insight for the Country Director and the Executive Team, providing rigorous portfolio analysis, risk intelligence, and programmatic evidence to inform investment decisions and guide ICO priorities. The role partners closely with the Deputy Director, Leadership Advising (DD-LA) who is a strategic advisor to the Director, India Country Office with responsibility advising senior leadership on enterprise strategy, managing executive leadership visits to support in-country objectives and strengthen the foundation’s reputation.
The DD-SPM & MLE leads four functions: Strategy, Portfolio Planning & Management, Measurement Learning & Evaluation (MLE), and Program Assistants. The role will lead initiatives to build partnerships focused on data, strategic insights, and evaluation, and contribute to enhancing capabilities with government and domestic institutions in India, with a view to advancing the foundation’s transition and sustainability goals. This person will sit on the ICO Executive Team and ICO Management Team and will report to the Country Director, ICO.
*This role is located in the foundation's India Country Office in New Delhi, India. Relocation assistance is available. Applications are accepted until Friday, July 17, 2026.
What You'll Do
Strategy Development, Refinement and Management: Lead strategy and portfolio reviews, in coordination with the ICO Executive Team and the AIO Office of the President (OOP) and cross-foundation forums. Serve as strategic and thought partner to the Director and program staff to provide ongoing strategy development, progress monitoring, and evaluation of processes and outcomes. Rhythm of Business (ROB) & Annual Planning: Lead the ICO’s overall Rhythm of the Business (ROB), including annual planning, budgeting, and performance tracking processes across the India team. Engage with PSTs on PST strategy and ROB as the primary ICO counterpart. Provide strategic input into workforce planning processes led by DD-LA, contributing portfolio and programmatic perspective on team structure and talent needs.
Program Strategy Team (PST) Engagement on Strategy and ROB: Serve as the primary ICO counterpart for Program Strategy Teams (PSTs) on PST strategy alignment, ROB, and portfolio-level engagement, ensuring ICO priorities are well-represented and integrated in foundation-wide processes.
Portfolio and Financial Management and Advising on Investments: Oversee implementation and continuous improvement of business processes including pipeline and portfolio management. Develop and implement a portfolio management approach that fosters stewardship and efficient and effective resource utilization in partnership with business support teams (Finance, GCS, Legal). Partner with Finance on developing annual investment plans, forecasting and other financial planning and analysis efforts. Lead initiatives in the ICO to generate data-driven insights to inform portfolio planning and management and strategies. Serve as a core team member and critical advisor in making data-driven investment decisions (providing complementary strategic and analytic acumen to the scientific/technical expertise of the Program Officers). Develop and execute strategic support to program team(s) on development and management of major grants, including those requiring complex research or analytics. Identify success metrics for strategy, portfolio, and individual grants and develop processes/tools to ensure alignment of activities with strategy success.
Measurement, Learning and Evaluation: Identify strategic priorities for measurement, learning and evaluation to track progress and measure impact of the foundation’s portfolio in India. Promote the uptake and use of data and evidence to inform strategy and portfolio management. Promote cross-team and foundation learning to inform strategy and program implementation based on the foundation’s experience in India. Build partnerships with government, donors, and other key stakeholders in India to enable a supportive ecosystem for the use of data and insights to inform development priorities related to the foundation’s work. Serve as a foundation spokesperson, as needed, on engagement priorities for strategy and MLE in global development and related issues, internally to foundation Co-chairs and leadership, and externally to partners and global development stakeholders.
Risk Management: Anchor the India Country Office risk register and serve as the central integration point for all categories of ICO risk, including strategic, reputational, and operational risks, ensuring these are assessed, documented in the risk register, and escalated appropriately in partnership with DD-LA and relevant business support functions (Finance, Legal). Accountable for the identification, assessment, and management of portfolio planning and management risks.
Leadership engagement: Contribute substantive content for ICO Executive Team meetings – including portfolio updates, strategy progress reports, and data-driven briefing materials.
Strategy Advisor to Leadership: Act as a sounding board and evidence-based thought partner to the Director and program leadership on strategy, portfolio performance, risk, and programmatic impact. Advise from data – portfolio evidence, risk intelligence, and MLE insights – as distinct from the enterprise strategy, political navigation, and external positioning advisory role held by the DD-LA. Produce evaluative assessments, analytical reports, and thought pieces that inform Directors’ strategic perspective. Serve as a resource and sounding board to Division and foundation leadership on regional/country office strategy and portfolio management.
Internal Team Communications: Provide substantive content for internal team communications related to strategy, portfolio performance, and programmatic updates, in support of DD-LA who holds primary accountability for internal team communications and messaging on behalf of the Director’s Office.
Team Development and Culture: Drive continuous improvement and change management initiatives including contribution to the design of processes, policies, and organization to improve efficiency and impact of team activities. Monitor succession planning, team performance, and development. Facilitate retreats and cross-organization collaboration. Promote implementation of the foundation’s DEI strategy, culture, values, and team effectiveness, including regular team health checks.
People Management: Manage people and be responsible for hiring, successful employee onboarding, communicating performance expectations, creating goal alignment, integrating project and change management, giving and seeking feedback, providing coaching, measuring progress and holding people accountable, supporting employee development, and recognizing achievement and lessons learned.
Maximizing Country Office Impact: Contribute to continuous improvement efforts as part of Division and foundation (e.g., Global DDSPM community of practice). Contribute to the foundation’s Maximizing Country Office Impact initiative by providing a regional/country office perspective, including identifying key priorities, producing case studies/examples/proof points, contributing to the design, pilot and implementation of processes and policies to improve collaboration and efficiency, and supporting change management initiatives.
Your Experience
MBA and/or other advanced degree in Business, Public Policy, Statistics, Evaluation Science, Development Planning, or equivalent required with at least 12+ years of experience.
Experience in leadership roles in global health/development organizations, multilateral institutions, private sector, universities/research institutions or consulting preferred.
Broad knowledge of global health and development issues relevant to foundation priorities, at both global and national levels would be helpful.
Proven ability to lead a team and influence stakeholders. Experience in working on teams with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
Deep experience in data-driven strategic planning, development and implementation, design of performance management system of goals, targets and monitoring process.
Demonstrated ability in portfolio design and management to create optimal investment mix to drive to a set of outcomes.
Strategic understanding of the design and practice of evaluation of portfolios and programs to track impact of complex development initiatives.
Adept at project management; including critical path thinking, detail orientation, setting priorities, and planning.
Proven strength in structured problem solving and strategic business planning, with the ability to easily identify and communicate framework to analyze issues and synthesize disparate information, and data and results to inform sound strategic and tactical decisions.
Strong analytic, technical, and financial planning knowledge. Experience developing, evaluating, managing, and monitoring business plans, budgets and financial reports.
Passion for the Foundation’s values with a commitment to deliver results against the Foundation’s mission.
Strong written and oral communication skills, and experience in advocating and communicating with a broad and diverse audience.
Intellectual quickness, curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience.
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Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Candidate Accommodations
We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support—we’re happy to help. Please contact HR@gatesfoundation.org with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.