Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Advocacy, Digital Public Infrastructure & Inclusive Financial Systems 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 mission of the Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) division is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation's work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation’s objectives nationally and globally. GPA works in close partnership with our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO), and Gender Equality Divisions to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives. Within GPA, the Program Advocacy & Communications (PAC) team partners directly with program strategy teams – such as Digital Public Infrastructure and Inclusive Financial Systems - to define and advance their policy and finance goals.

The Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Advocacy, Digital Public Infrastructure & Inclusive Financial Systems, will advance the policy and advocacy goals of two teams:

- The Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) team supports country efforts to design, scale, and govern safe and inclusive digital public infrastructure, including digital ID, data-sharing, and verifiable credentials. The team also ensures that AI-enabled services are built on trusted DPI foundations, and that people in underserved communities can access these services in local languages and contexts. To advance these goals, the DPI team invests in open-source digital public goods (DPGs) which countries can adapt and deploy to build DPI; technical assistance to help countries implement DPI underpinned by strong regulation and safeguards; research and measurement to inform policies and practical implementation strategies; and experimentation to demonstrate how DPI can advance use cases in health, education, agriculture, social protection, and other sectors.

- The Inclusive Financial Systems (IFS) team works to accelerate the buildout of inclusive financial systems by 1) helping governments and central banks craft policies and regulations which support the expansion of inclusive financial services while also protecting users; 2) supporting the design, implementation, and regulation of inclusive instant payments systems (IIPS); 3) driving scale and economic sustainability by promoting pro-poor use cases, including government to person payments, wage payments, digital merchant payments, and productive credit; and 4) closing the gender gap in the usage of formal financial products.

The Role

We are looking for a dynamic and well-connected leader to shape the future of digital public infrastructure in Asia and globally. As Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Advocacy for DPI & IFS, you will serve as the foundation’s policy and advocacy lead for DPI and IFS in Asia, working at the intersection of government, technology, and global development to accelerate the adoption of safe and inclusive DPI - one of the most consequential levers for public service delivery, financial access, and inclusive digital economies. Based in Singapore, you will play a pivotal role in engaging government decision-makers - particularly across Southeast and South Asia - to translate cutting-edge digital innovation into real-world systems that improve lives at scale.

What you’ll do

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Asian governments - including central banks, ICT ministries, and ID authorities - on the design, implementation, and governance of DPI and AI-enabled systems.

• Ensure government decision-makers have access to the evidence, technologies, technical assistance, and policy frameworks needed to build and govern DPI effectively.

• Represent the foundation in key regional and international forums (ASEAN, SAARC, World Bank, UN, ITU, G20, G7), influencing the global policy agenda and positioning DPI as the default model for digital development.

• Develop and execute the foundation’s DPI and IFS policy and advocacy strategy across Asia, while elevating DPI as a global priority for inclusive digital development.

• Partner with the foundation’s Africa Regional Office to build vibrant South-South peer-learning platforms that enable countries to exchange practical lessons on deploying and regulating DPI and AI.

• Build strong partnerships with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Government Technology Agency of Singapore, and other government departments to ensure other countries can learn from Singapore’s efforts to build and regulate DPI and AI-enabled services.

• Serve as an internal expert on DPI, IFS, and AI in Asia - connecting internal teams and external partners and shaping conversations across the ecosystem.

• Design, negotiate, and manage a high-impact portfolio of investments, ensuring clear outcomes and measurable progress toward safer, more inclusive digital systems.

• Cultivate a diverse, high-performing network of partners and grantees to accelerate global momentum around DPI.

• Partner with our DPI/IFS Resource Mobilization Lead to unlock donor financing to support country efforts to advance financial inclusion and build DPI more broadly.

• Produce clear, high-quality analysis and recommendations to guide investment decisions and strategy

• Develop compelling briefings, reports, and updates on global DPI policy, financing trends, and emerging issues for senior leadership.

• Support broader GGO policy and advocacy priorities (e.g., Agricultural Development; Nutrition), as needed.

Your Experience

We are looking for a recognized global professional with deep sector and advocacy expertise in DPI and IFS in Asia. Additional knowledge and skills include:

• Advanced degree preferred in public policy, business, international relations, development or a related field, with 10+years of senior-level experience in financial inclusion, DPI, or related fields in in Singapore and the Asian region, ideally spanning both the public and private sectors.

• Strong understanding of how digital ID, payments, and data systems - increasingly powered by AI - are designed, deployed, and governed to deliver impact at scale.

• Demonstrated success designing and executing policy and advocacy strategies that influence policymakers, donors, and ecosystem leaders across government, civil society, and the private sector

• Deep familiarity with the regulatory frameworks, safeguards, and risk mitigation approaches needed to ensure DPI systems are safe, inclusive, and rights-respecting.

• Understanding of the policy and regulatory enablers and safeguards for DPI and IFS.

• Understanding of how AI can amplify DPI and IFS across sectors such as health, agriculture, social protection, education, and women’s economic opportunity - and the policies required to guide its responsible use.

• Practical knowledge of policies and delivery approaches needed to close gender gaps in financial inclusion and ensure women can access and benefit from DPI.

• Ability to connect DPI, AI, and finance to broader development goals, including public service delivery, social protection, and regional economic integration.

• Strong understanding of how digital policies are shaped at the national level, and the influence of regional and global bodies in setting norms and standards.

• Familiarity with the role of donor financing and blended finance in scaling DPI and financial inclusion efforts.

• Established, trusted relationships with key institutions such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, GovTech, and other agencies shaping DPI and AI-enabled public services.

• Excellent strategic thinker and strategy development experience.

• Demonstrated ability to organize/prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands.

• Demonstrated ability to question and challenge colleagues in a constructive manner.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and create consensus.

Other Attributes

• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.

• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally.

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

Application deadline: 14 June 2026

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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.