Senior Program Officer, Global Development (LTE)

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 focus of the Global Development (GD) division is to help deliver targeted healthcare solutions in the developing world. Our strategies focus on Polio Eradication, Immunization, Primary Healthcare, Global Health Agencies and Funds, Emergency Response, as well as the country work on the African continent and in India.

Vaccines, a core priority of the Gates Foundation and the Global Development division, can save millions of lives a year when delivered effectively. The mission of our Immunization Program Strategy Team (PST) is to urgently reach children, adolescents, and adults -- no matter where they live -- with the vaccines they need. Our goal is a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases, and we do this by working with countries, development partners, and civil society organizations, to make sure that vaccines and immunization are effectively prioritized and delivered. Robust and resilient immunization programs are critical to achieving the promise of vaccination and are a cornerstone of primary health care, and we work to ensure that there are sufficient, affordable supplies to meet demand. We seek to bring new perspectives to challenging problems as we focus on results that can be delivered at scale. All our work on vaccines and immunization contributes to IA2030, which is a vision and commitment by the global community to extend the full benefits of immunization to all by 2030.

Your Role

The Senior Program Officer will support Gavi, Partners, and Special Initiatives sub-team within the Immunization PST. This role will be responsible for managing the foundation’s grant to the Gavi Alliance, supporting the foundation’s engagement with the Gavi Alliance Board and its associated governance structures, coordinating and helping to set foundation priorities for Gavi engagement, and working across the foundation internally and externally with Gavi Alliance partners to shape implementation of Gavi’s 2026-2030 strategy.

This role is expected to work closely with technical and donor stakeholders and most especially with Gavi Alliance Board members and constituencies. Internally, they will be expected to proactively link across the foundation and most particularly with other members of the Immunization team to keep current on programmatic challenges that require stakeholder engagement. The Senior Program Officer will also ensure active Gavi linkages with foundation engagement in other entities such as Global Fund, GPEI, and the Global Financing Facility.

This role will be expected to provide high quality strategic analysis and recommendations, prepare and provide briefings for senior foundation engagement in the Gavi governance bodies, and will provide regular updates at quarterly Co-Chair reviews. Overall, they will ensure that key deliverables and plans are met, and that our collective activities contribute to the strategic goals of the foundation.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a foundation focal point for Gavi engagement and play a lead role in strategizing, prioritizing, and internally coordinating the foundation’s Gavi-related activities, including key elements related to design and implementation of Gavi’s 2026-30 strategy.
• Proactively link with other teams internal to the Foundation, including other Immunization sub-teams and teams in other divisions, to keep current on programmatic challenges and issues that require stakeholder engagement.
• Develop, finalize, and manage the foundation’s 2026-30 grant to Gavi, including definition of grant requirements and performance objectives; may also manage a small set of complementary grants and contracts.
• Lead and coordinate preparation for Gavi governance deliberations in support of the Foundation’s Gavi Board and committee representatives, including drafting briefs, policy analysis, and engagement with external governance stakeholders such as Gavi Secretariat staff, donors, partners, and implementing countries.
• Engage in cross-foundation efforts to strengthen collaboration across major global health initiatives (including Gavi, Global Fund, and GPEI) and consider future evolution and reform of the global health architecture.
• Help lead planning and preparation of meetings with foundation leadership to discuss progress, challenges, and issues related to the foundation’s single largest investment.
• Participate actively and contribute to Immunization annual planning, strategy reviews, team meetings and monitoring.
• Write background documents, briefs, and presentations, including carrying out policy-focused analyses.
• Maintain high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications internally and externally.
• Be accountable for achieving results under the Immunization strategy.
• Be available to travel up to 20% time.

Your Experience

• Prior experience working or engaging with Gavi in some fashion (i.e. as a donor, partner, implementer, Gavi staff, etc.) strongly desired.
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in public policy or public health preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years overall experience working in public affairs and/or global health, preferably including immunization.
• Strong collaborator with experience in complex organizations and/or working environments. Ability to develop strong working relationships at high levels quickly and assess and deftly navigate political contexts.
• Strategic thinker and skilled oral and written communicator with demonstrated initiative to solve unstructured problems with limited oversight, high energy, rigor and persistence.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and support a diverse portfolio of work and prioritize multiple projects and efforts simultaneously. Highly organized and efficient.
• Very strong representational skills required. Able to operate with significantly more senior colleagues internally and externally with ease.
• Experience in developing countries a plus.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $169,700 to $254,500 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $185,000 to $277,400 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

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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

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

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.