Senior Officer, Philanthropic Partnerships – India 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

The Philanthropic Partnerships Team (PPT) cultivates and stewards long-term partnerships and champions, in line with the Foundation’s work in global health and global growth and opportunity. Our strategy is designed to catalyse and structure high-impact partnerships that accelerate progress on the foundation’s core goals. We collaborate with philanthropists, corporate and private foundations, CSR leaders, and peer institutions to co-create, align, and deploy capital, capabilities, and expertise toward shared outcomes. Our work focuses on translating philanthropic intent into sustained, strategic engagement, strengthening the broader ecosystem for effective giving in India and globally.

Over the next five years, our work in India will focus on deepening partnerships and collaboratives. This includes expanding partnership models that align capital and capabilities; supporting locally grounded and globally connected partnerships; and cultivating a new generation of informed champions who contribute not only resources, but also their voice, leadership, and networks - while continuing to strengthen philanthropic ecosystems and grow strategic philanthropy in India.

Your Role

The Senior Officer, Philanthropic Partnerships – India will support the development, execution, and management of select strategic philanthropic partnerships across India. The role combines hands-on partnership execution, external partner engagement support, and internal coordination, working closely with senior partnership leads and program teams. This will also involve managing a portfolio of grants, aligned to these partnerships.

A core aspect of the role is supporting philanthropists, CSR leaders, and domestic foundations in navigating opportunities to engage meaningfully in global health and development, helping translate interests into well-structured, high-impact partnerships over time. This role will contribute to building long-term relationships that advance shared goals and deepen partners’ engagement.

Beyond shaping high-impact partnerships, this position plays a key role in creating informed champions - partners who not only give, but lend their voice, convene, and inspire others to join in accelerating impact at scale.

The role will report to Deputy Director, Policy, Communications, and Partnerships within the Gates Foundation India office and will work very closely with a peer Senior Officer - Philanthropic Partnerships to advance team’s and foundation’s goals in India. This role is based in the New Delhi office.

What You'll Do

Partnership Development & Partner Engagement

• Lead the cultivation, structuring, and stewardship of partnerships with India-based philanthropists, corporate and private foundations, CSR leaders, and peer institutions.

• Participate in partner meetings, learning engagements, site visits, and convenings, supporting follow-through and relationship continuity.

• Prepare high-quality briefs, background notes, partnership concepts, and engagement materials to support partner interactions.

Collaborative Platforms & Partnership Execution

• Support the design and operationalization of collaborative platforms, pooled initiatives, and partnership vehicles aligned with Gates Foundation priorities.

• Help translate partner interests into concrete engagement pathways, partnership structures, and shared objectives.

Portfolio & Investment Support

• Manage a select portfolio of partnership-related grants, including proposal drafting, progress reviews, budget tracking, and assessment of results.

• Maintain accurate pipeline and portfolio tracking and related systems to support planning and reporting.

Cross-Sector & Ecosystem Engagement

• Contribute to efforts that strengthen India’s philanthropic ecosystem, including landscape analyses of philanthropies, intermediaries, and networks working on global health and global growth and opportunity.

• Support convenings, knowledge products, and partnerships that promote learning, coordination, and effective philanthropic practice.

Internal Alignment & Coordination

• Work closely with India Country Office teams, regional strategy leads, and global program teams to align partnership opportunities with program priorities.

• Coordinate across PPT functions (Outreach, Events, Communications, Data & Insights) to ensure partner engagement is timely, coherent, and well executed.

Analysis, Learning & Communication

• Monitor trends in Indian philanthropy, CSR, and social impact to inform engagement approaches and partnership strategy.

• Prepare clear written and verbal updates for internal stakeholders on progress, risks, and emerging opportunities.

• Support priority initiatives and special projects led by senior PPT leadership.

Your Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in public policy, business, development, finance, or a related field.

• Approximately 10+ years of relevant experience in philanthropy, partnerships, strategy, development, consulting, or adjacent fields.

• Experience working with Indian philanthropists, CSR leaders, foundations, intermediaries, or social impact organizations.

• Understanding of global health and/or development issues strongly preferred.

• Experience engaging multiple stakeholders across sectors in India.

Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Strong relationship-management and partnership-execution skills.

• Ability to and successful track record of translating complex challenges into effective, multi-partner/funder partnerships.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with multiple stakeholders.

• Strong contextual understanding of India’s philanthropic and CSR landscape.

• Willingness to travel up to ~30%, primarily within India.

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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.