Senior Program Officer, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

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

Our global NTD team has two overarching impact goals that define success. Our first goal is to eradicate, eliminate, or control eight of the Neglected Tropical Diseases recognized by the WHO [lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis (oncho), schistosomiasis (schisto), soil-transmitted helminths (STH), trachoma, Guinea worm (GW), visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in South Asia, and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT)]. Our second goal is to improve non-NTD health outcomes using the NTD delivery platform, through programs such as Resiliency through Azithromycin for Children (REACH).
The India Country Office of the Gates Foundation has been working over the past two and half decades with India’s Central and State governments, community groups, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and development organizations, to achieve our shared goals. The Foundation’s strong networks and ability to convene intellectual resources from many sectors and regions of the globe allow us to address complex challenges as they emerge or evolve. With a particular focus on Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, we work with partners to develop impactful and sustainable solutions to improve the quality and coverage of key services for the poor and vulnerable.
A priority of the Neglected Tropical Diseases team is eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in India. For LF, this is done by supporting the strengthening of existing mass drug administration (MDA) programs, and advocating for policy changes at the national, state and district level for better implementation of the program. For VL, the focus is on reaching and sustaining elimination, including timely treatment, indoor residual spraying (IRS), active case finding and follow-up.
This role will report to the Deputy Director, Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Delivery in the India Country Office, with dotted line reporting to the Deputy Director, Neglected Tropical Disease - Operations Research & Product Development (Based in Foundation’s Seattle Office) and have two direct reports.

Application deadline: February 11, 2025.

Your Role

The Senior Program Officer (SPO) will play a pivotal role in supporting the foundation’s epidemiological and entomological initiatives, focusing on the evaluation and operational research of innovative health interventions. This position involves leveraging advanced expertise in study design, field evaluations, and multi-study analysis to inform and optimize program strategies. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of data analytics, cross-program metric definition, and multi-country evaluation, contributing to the effective translation of research findings into actionable insights. To ensure timely and sustained elimination for these diseases, this role will support the government of India in all programmatic aspects, including implementation and operational research.  

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage a portfolio of grants and contracts focused on operational research, and introduction of innovative health interventions, in collaboration with matrixed colleagues who are expert in diagnostics, entomology, and drug development. Review letters of inquiry and grant proposals and provide clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.

  
  

• Develop and execute study designs, conduct field evaluations, and analyze results from operational research studies.

  
  

• Synthesize findings from multi-country studies to assess innovation efficacy and inform global health strategies.

  
  

• Collaborate with internal teams to define metrics for research studies and operational programs.

  
  

• Provide data-driven insights to guide decision-making across multiple projects and programs.

  
  

• Represent the foundation in global forums, advocating for the adoption and scaling of successful interventions.

  
  

• Engage with governments, partners, and collaborators to ensure alignment with strategic goals and facilitate the adoption of new tools and approaches.

  
  

• Partner closely with the India Country Office leadership and Neglected Tropical Disease team, including the Product Development and Operations Research Domain to communicate and implement the overall Neglected Tropical Disease team strategy.

  
  

• Consult with grantees and other partners to maximize impact of projects and ensure grants are meeting strategy goals. This may include site visits, providing operational guidance and convening meetings of key stakeholders.

  
  

• Develop, manage, resource, and implement a program that aligns with foundation strategy and is operationally integrated with other foundation programs. Contribute to the design and development of any related strategies, collaborations or implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

  
  

• Manage information related to grant portfolio and domain-level data, such as documenting key activities and decisions; inputting into key business processes and performance measurement tools; preparing materials for communication with foundation leadership

  
  

• Represent the foundation to key program-related external constituencies, as appropriate, on committees related to area of expertise and responsibilities of the position.

  
  

• Lead a team of professional experts with diverse backgrounds, approaches, and beliefs to pursue a coherent long-term direction, and collaborate with the team on how to achieve it. 

  
  

• Hold people accountable for their commitments, providing clarity and assisting when barriers arise; maintains the team’s focus on results, integrity, and impact. 

  
  

• Manage people and be responsible for hiring, successful employee onboarding, communicating performance expectations, creating goal alignment, integrating project and change management, giving, and seeking feedback, providing coaching, measuring progress, and holding people accountable, supporting employee development, and recognizing achievement and lessons learned.

  
  

Your Experience

• Medical degree with minimum 10+ years of experience, preferably with post-graduation in public health. Experience of working on NTDs is preferred.

  
  

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in epidemiology, entomology, or a related field will be an advantage.

  
  

• Significant experience in study design, field evaluation, and multi-country analysis, preferably within a public health or global health context. 

  
  

• Preferred expertise in vector research and surveillance, with demonstrated skills in data analysis and interpretation.

  
  

• Familiarity with disease programs, diagnostic tools, and global healthcare systems in developing countries.

  
  

• Ability to synthesize data from diverse programs to support strategy development and innovation scaling.

  
  

• Proven ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships, including a heavily matrixed environment, across multiple teams and divisions.

  
  

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

  
  

• Knowledge methods of impact evaluation and modeling.

  
  

• Experience in global health delivery, including working with governments, bilateral and multilateral donors, and implementing agencies.

  
  

• Experience working with health systems within India, particularly with NCVBDC and ICMR institutes.

  
  

• Knowledge in transitioning pilot and demonstration projects to full-scale country-wide implementation, by either leveraging or existing community healthcare infrastructure or identifying areas of the health systems to be strengthened in order to scale implementation.

  
  

Other Attributes

• Expected to travel 25-30% of time, domestically and internationally.

  
  

• Open to take on new challenges and responsibilities towards outcomes.

  
  

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

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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

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

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.