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Senior Program Officer, Data & Insights

Gates Foundation
Full-time
On-site
Washington, DC United States of America

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 Philanthropic Partnerships team (PPT) works to mobilize resources and build the next generation of champions for global health and development (GH&D), ensuring that philanthropy helps the world’s most vulnerable children survive and thrive.

Our strategy is designed to close the gap between intent and action, ensuring philanthropy supports lasting change. We engage with ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI), corporate and private foundations, philanthropic collaboratives, advisors, family offices, and social impact investors—while also strengthening the broader philanthropic ecosystem. Key programs include: The Giving Pledge, Gates Philanthropy Partners, Proponent Labs, and initiatives that enhance the infrastructure for GH&D giving.

Over the next five years, our work will focus on mobilizing resources for priorities of GH&D and the foundation, including: expanding our approaches and partnerships to unlock more capital; growing our work across global regions; and cultivating the next generation of GH&D champions—while continuing to strengthen philanthropic ecosystems and reinforce the foundation’s leadership in global giving.

As part of the Philanthropic Systems and Core Services team, the Data & Insights portfolio helps strengthen the information infrastructure that supports smarter giving toward global health and development. We focus on three areas: improving data flows to ensure more timely and usable philanthropic data; curating giving opportunities to help donors align their resources with needs; and exploring how AI and emerging technologies can and will improve giving. This work supports both external partners and our internal team with the intelligence needed to mobilize capital more effectively.

As part of the application process, please include a short cover letter (just a few paragraphs) sharing how your professional and/or lived experience connects with the Philanthropic Partnerships Team’s work and the foundation’s values. We’re not looking for perfection or buzzwords – we’re looking for purpose, authenticity and alignment. We know that you are more than a list of jobs. Tell us why this work matters to you, and how your perspective can contribute to our mission.

Your Role

As a Senior Program Officer (SPO) for Data & Insights, you will lead a portfolio focused on the data that undergirds giving to global health and development. You will shape and execute a strategy that advances three focus areas:

1) strengthening data about philanthropic flows to global health and development,

2) curating high impact giving opportunities for donors, and

3) exploring how AI and other emerging tools can transform philanthropic decision-making.

You will oversee strategy, budgeting, grantmaking, partnerships, and learning efforts related to these bodies of work. In this role, you’ll make insights digestible and actionable for decision making within PPT, the Foundation, and the with key partners.

You will serve as the team’s go-to expert on global philanthropic data and research. You’ll collaborate with colleagues across the foundation, seeking out strong mutually beneficial data partnerships. You will thrive in a highly matrixed environment—linking D&I insights with PPT’s levers (Products & Innovation, Partnership Development, Giving Pledge, Philanthropic Systems) to unlock catalytic giving.

This role reports to the Deputy Director of Philanthropic Systems and Core Services and will work closely with the Associate Officer of Data & Insights.

*This 11 month role is based in Seattle, WA, Washington, DC or in some cases we’re open to domestic US remote work (but not remote work from outside the US). Visa Sponsorship and Relocation are NOT provided for this role. Applications accepted until 5 PM PT on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.


What You'll Do

Strategy and Program Development

  • Lead the ongoing development of D&I’s core bodies of work, scoping, shaping, and building support for specific grant strategies.

  • Ensure that the D&I strategies compliment PPT’s newly adopted resource-mobilization strategy integrating internal and external partner voices.

  • Develop execution plans that are the optimal mix of grants, contracts, and partnerships that advance PPT’s North-Star goals, signal priorities to the field, and surface catalytic co-funding opportunities.

Grantmaking and Partnerships

  • Develop and steward a grant portfolio that cultivates a rich, actionable philanthropy-data ecosystem that meets today’s needs while anticipating tomorrow’s.

  • Cultivate partnerships with and among data providers to enable deeper integration, shared standards, and a common strategic direction.

  • Align investments with PPT’s GH&D North-Star goals, prioritizing data gaps in Africa/MENA and South-South flows.

  • Build and evolve the portfolio by sourcing new investments, rebalance or sunset existing ones, and maintaining a healthy pipeline of high-impact opportunities.

  • Serve as an excellent grantmaker, working with the utmost respect and kindness with our grantees and partners.

Thought Leadership and Influence

  • Serve as a philanthropy data thought leader internally and externally, sharing insights and innovations that advance global public goods.

  • Represent the foundation externally at conferences and events.

  • Contribute to shaping the foundation’s position on issues related to philanthropy, charitable giving, and sector resilience.

Insights into Action

  • Support the team’s measurement, learning and evaluation work ensuring strong tracking and actionable insights for team decision making.

  • Track impact and learning from grantee efforts, adapt strategy accordingly, and share lessons learned.

  • Proactively identify opportunities to infuse sector lessons into PPT’s work in support of our North Star Goals


Your Experience

We are looking for a global philanthropy and NGO data expert who has demonstrated experience working at the nexus of data, strategy, and partnerships!

  • Bachelor's degree in related field (e.g., economics, finance, public policy, business, gender studies, data science)

  • Significant experience (7+years) of experience in nonprofit strategy consulting, leading grant strategies in nonprofit data, or leadership of nonprofit / philanthropic data initiatives.

  • Strategic thinker with experience shaping investment portfolios that align with broader organizational goals in philanthropy or international development.

  • Familiarity with philanthropic and nonprofit data, and how it can be used to inform giving, build tools, or influence practice.

  • Strong collaborator who can work across a matrixed organization to co-develop strategies and align internal and external partners.

  • Skilled communicator who can synthesize complex information, build consensus, and make ideas actionable for diverse audiences.

  • Demonstrated experience in grantmaking or partnership design, ideally including work at the intersection of data, insight, and philanthropic practice.

  • Experience working in philanthropy, particularly direct experience working with UHNW donors

  • Experience working in measurement and evaluation in philanthropy

  • Experience in translating research into practice for various audiences

  • Knowledge of the landscape and partners in Africa, India, the Middle East and/or China.

  • Ability to travel approximately 20% of time as required.

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

The salary range for this role is $186,400 to $288,800 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 $203,100.00 to $314,900 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.