Your Role

The Senior Strategy Officer, Strategy, Planning, and Management is a strategic partner to the Deputy Director, Strategy Planning and Management (DDSPM), and the Communications Leadership Team in their collective efforts to build trust in the Gates Foundation and inspire more people to care about our three goals: ending preventable maternal and child death, eradicating infectious diseases, and getting millions of people out of poverty. You lead high-impact projects and initiatives in collaboration with Directors and Deputy Directors to define and execute on our division's strategy. You are responsible for shaping and executing strategy efforts, providing strategic thought partnership, materials development, project management, and analytical support. You will be a model of collaboration and do what is needed to provide operational support including input into annual planning processes, ongoing pipeline and portfolio management, reporting of progress towards program goals and bodies of work, and the coordination of work across a global division with communications offices in Europe, Africa, India, and China.

What You'll Do

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Partner with the DDSPM and Communications Leadership Team to scope, lead, and execute strategy development for both discrete projects and broader strategic areas of work. You will play an end-to end role - as lead strategist but also facilitating any required processes and developing materials.

• Support execution of strategies by leading a process translate strategy into clear, actionable plans where everyone knows what they accountable for.

• Lead ongoing iterative improvement of the strategy - refine approach as learning from early execution; and respond to changes in the internal and external environment.

• Identify, lead, and support qualitative and quantitative analyses, elevate insights, and outline tradeoffs to drive strategic decision making.

• Serve as strategic advisor to Communications leaders and teams, challenge our thinking to elevate the rigor in decision making.

• Develop compelling and clear presentation materials, memos, and frameworks

• Partner with DDSPM and SPM team on operational model execution and process improvements

• Partner with directors and deputy directors on special projects or initiatives of cross-cutting importance for the Comms teams (e.g., AI)

• Flex across the division to take on new projects as needs arise

• Provide ad-hoc slide development support for CCO priorities

Program Management and Planning

• Provide the Comms leadership team and staff with appropriate business and operational support to deliver on divisional and team goals

• Support leadership and teams in translating strategy into coherent, prioritized portfolios and investment plans.

• Consult/strategize with program leadership to maximize impact of investment and financial processes and ensure optimal learning, decision making, and collaboration.

• Promote efficiency and productivity on the team by providing leadership and support in process and systems development. Design and drive adoption of improved tools, new tools, ways of working, and reporting.

• Develop trusted relationships and become a model of collaboration with teammates, other Comms teams, and with regional office staff in Washington, DC, Europe, China, India, and Africa.

• Contribute to cross-foundation initiatives and joint work with Global Policy and Advocacy

• Develop new ways of tackling challenges via use of AI tools

Culture and Collaboration

• Act as a strong ambassador of the Communications Division and SPM team culture - living our values of collaboration, rigor, innovation, optimism, and inclusion in how work gets done.

• Foster effective collaboration and team health by strengthening ways of working, surfacing challenges constructively, and supporting an environment of trust, accountability, and continuous learning.

Your Experience

• 7+ years of experience in formal strategy development roles

• A Master's degree or equivalent experience, preferably in management consulting, strategy development, or marketing strategy.

• Mastery-level knowledge of strategy development and ability to coalesce groups around common goals and priorities to drive work forward

• Significant experience leading projects at a premier strategy consulting firm is preferred, but not required.

• Significant experience leading marketing campaign strategy development is preferred, but not required.

• Exceptional design and material development skills in power point and other tools (e.g. LLMs).

• Experience leading program design, results frameworks, measurement, learning & evaluation, scorecards and performance management is a plus, but not required.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and support a wide array of projects to successful conclusion while operating in a dynamic and sometimes ambiguous environment

• Strong presentation skills (both oral and written), with proven ability to adapt tone and style for broad and diverse audiences

• Proven track record working with diplomacy, flexibility, efficiency, cultural sensitivity and savvy across multiple global, matrixed contexts

• A record of getting things done, of driving clarity amid ambiguity, and finding a mutually agreeable path forward out of complicated priorities.

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Ability to be creative and successful, both collaboratively and as an independent problem solver.

• Ability to identify, assess, and develop creative solutions to complex strategic and operational challenges.

• Knowledge of communications and advocacy in donor and developing countries contexts for global health and development issues preferred

#LI-SC2

The salary range for this role is $209,100 to $324,100 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 $190,100 to $394,700 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 [email protected] with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.