Senior Communications Officer, Creative Partnerships (Limited Term Role*) at Gates Foundation

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

Application Deadline: Friday, July 10, 2026

Your Role

As Senior Communications Officer, Creative Partnerships, you will lead the sourcing, negotiation, and execution of creative and cultural partnerships that advance the foundation's advocacy, storytelling, and audience engagement goals globally.

Success in this role will be measured by the successful development and execution of partnership agreements, including grants, contracts, and other partnership structures that result in tangible commitments from external partners. The ideal candidate brings an established network across media, entertainment, and creative industries and can quickly activate that network to source, structure, and deliver partnerships.

This position requires strong business development instincts, financial acumen, and experience navigating partnership agreements, budgets, and legal considerations. The role will work closely with internal stakeholders across Communications, Global Policy & Advocacy, Goalkeepers, Regional Offices, Legal, Finance, and Program teams to identify opportunities, structure partnerships, and ensure successful implementation.

*This is a limited-term position through December 2027.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of creative, media, entertainment, and cultural partnerships, sourcing, cultivating, negotiating, and securing opportunities that advance foundation priorities and audience engagement objectives.

• Deliver executed partnership agreements, including grants, contracts, and other partnership structures that result in measurable partner commitments and audience impact.

• Partner with internal stakeholders across Communications, Advocacy, Programs, and Regional Offices to identify, fund, develop, and execute strategic partnerships that advance foundation priorities.

• Assess partnership opportunities for strategic value, audience reach, financial feasibility, reputational considerations, and alignment with foundation goals.

• Leverage an established network of media, entertainment, and cultural leaders to source and accelerate partnership opportunities.

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for key creative and media partners, developing and overseeing partnerships that generate original content, storytelling initiatives, productions, and audience engagement opportunities that advance foundation priorities.

• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Communications teams to structure partnership agreements, budgets, funding mechanisms, and financial models that ensure successful execution and accountability.

• Advise foundation leaders and stakeholders on emerging opportunities across media, entertainment, culture, and storytelling that can be translated into actionable partnerships.

• Monitor partnership performance, budgets, deliverables, and outcomes to ensure accountability and impact.

Your Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree preferred.

• Significant experience in partnership development, media, entertainment, communications, business development, or related fields.

• Demonstrated track record of securing and executing complex partnerships with media organizations, entertainment companies, creators, publishers, streaming platforms, or cultural institutions.

• Experience negotiating and managing grants, contracts, sponsorships, licensing agreements, content partnerships, or similar partnership structures.

• Strong understanding of partnership financing, budget development, incentive structures, and financial planning associated with creative and media partnerships.

• Established network of senior leaders across media, entertainment, publishing, streaming, production, creator, and cultural sectors, with demonstrated ability to activate those relationships to support organizational goals.

• Experience navigating legal, financial, procurement, and reputational considerations associated with high-profile partnerships.

• Proven ability to move partnership opportunities from concept to signed agreement and successful execution.

• Entrepreneurial and results-oriented mindset with a demonstrated ability to originate opportunities, secure commitments, and deliver successful partnership outcomes.

**Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located. The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

#LI-PA1

The salary range for this role is $212,800 to $329,800 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 $234,000 to $362,800 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.

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.