Senior Program Officer, Discovery & Drug Development (P/T - 2 Year LTE) 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

Your Role
The Senior Program Officer (SPO) will serve as a technical and strategic lead within the MNCNH team’s Discovery & Drug Development portfolio, advancing the discovery, development, and introduction of high-impact products and interventions targeting hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including preeclampsia) and gestational diabetes. Reporting to Manu Vatish, the SPO will hold grantmaking responsibility for a defined portfolio of investments, shape and execute strategy in their disease area, and contribute scientific and clinical leadership across the maternal health continuum. The SPO will partner closely with grantees, investigators, country partners, and internal teams to move promising candidates through the development pipeline and into pathways for scale in low-resource settings.

*This is a part-time (expected at 20 hours per week) role with compensation and benefits, located in London, UK. Remote work in the UK is also possible for this position.

*Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located.

What You'll Do

• Lead and manage a portfolio of grants and investments focused on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes, from sourcing and diligence through structuring, execution, monitoring, and reporting.

• Develop and refine investment strategy in the disease area, identifying gaps, priorities, and high-potential opportunities across discovery, development, and introduction.

• Provide scientific and clinical leadership on the biology, risk stratification, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of preeclampsia, other hypertensive disorders, and gestational diabetes.

• Partner with grantees and external investigators to design and oversee research, ensuring scientific rigor, ethical standards, and alignment with foundation and country priorities.

• Contribute to budgeting, risk management, and sequencing of investments within the portfolio, ensuring effective stewardship of foundation resources.

• Track and report on portfolio progress, milestones, and outcomes, translating evidence into strategic recommendations for leadership.

• Foster coordination across discovery, clinical, and implementation partners, linking work to related MNCNH programs and the broader maternal morbidity agenda.

• Guide the translation of evidence into policy and implementation pathways, working with internal teams and external stakeholders to scale promising interventions.

• Represent the Foundation externally, including at scientific meetings, technical advisory groups, and with partner governments, consortia, and industry.

Your Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD, DrPH, MD, OB/GYN or equivalent) in a relevant clinical or scientific discipline; specialized expertise in obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, endocrinology, or a related field strongly preferred.

• Deep subject-matter expertise in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including preeclampsia) and/or gestational diabetes, spanning underlying biology, clinical management, and product or intervention development.

• Extensive relevant experience in research, drug or product development, clinical practice, or grantmaking, preferably with exposure to low- and middle-income country settings.

• Demonstrated experience leading research programs, portfolios, or investments, with the ability to set strategy and make sound funding and prioritization decisions.

• Strong knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), research ethics, and the translation of evidence into policy and practice.

• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across institutions, ministries, industry, and global partners.

• Proven track record of managing multi-stakeholder partnerships across academia, governments, and implementing organizations.

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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.