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 Gender Equality (GE) Division’s mission is to ensure women and girls in Africa and South Asia can enjoy good health, make their own choices, earn their own money, and be leaders in their societies. When women and girls have an equal chance to thrive and lead, everyone benefits.

Within the GE Division, the Data and Technology Adoption (DATA) team operates as both an investment maker and a service provider to other Division teams to strengthen decision-making for GE by improving the collection, analysis, and use of gender data. The DATA team builds platforms and assets, funds gender data investments, and supports partners in integrating gender-focused indicators into key research. The DATA team provides expertise in gender modeling, analytics, and advisory services to translate data into insights that drive strategic decisions. The team also provides digital connectivity expertise to help teams ensure promising emerging technologies are adapted globally and equitably. Lastly, the DATA team drives the Lives and Livelihoods Learning Initiative focused on how social-economic interventions and social science-informed design can improve women and children’s health outcomes.

Your Role

As a Senior Program Officer, you will frame key research questions, lead analytical projects, and identify new investment opportunities related to the Lives and Livelihoods Learning Initiative and focused on the economic and health-related experiences of vulnerable women and girls in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Your work will generate rigorous, quantitative evidence to address both theoretical and practical programmatic and policy questions to advance the lives, health, and wellbeing of women and girls in LMICs.

You will communicate insights effectively to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, and collaborate closely with multiple teams across the Division and the foundation. Additionally, you will play a key role leading collaborative efforts with internal and external partners to advance gender-focused research and solutions.

*This position is a limited-term position for 12 months. Relocation will not be provided.

What You’ll Do

• Manage and oversee collaborations and investments, including grants and contracts, with internal and external partners, monitor and report on investment progress.
• Review existing evidence, identify gaps, and develop new philanthropic investments related to the impacts of socio-economic interventions on the health of vulnerable women and girls.
• Develop opportunities for targeted economic interventions for driving maternal, newborn and child nutrition and health outcomes with evaluations to drive future policy adoption/scale.
• Build partnerships and relationships attract and influence funding for evidence-based programs for adolescent girls, youth, and women.
• Provide thought leadership on the intersection of the economic and health experiences of vulnerable women and girls.
• Actively contribute to cross-team learning agendas, such as the Lives and Livelihoods Learning Initiative.
• Synthesize evidence and support research to incubate gender-related programmatic themes that cut across foundation strategies.
• Respond to ad hoc development economics-related analytical and/or grantmaking related requests from GE leadership and provide related support to colleagues across the Division and broader foundation in interpreting research, sourcing partners, and reviewing grant proposals.
• Review study designs, statistical analysis, and budgets for causal and observational studies to ensure rigor, relevance, and cost appropriateness.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of strategy and contribute regularly to updates on strategy progress.
• Interpret and present data, study design, and research results to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise, including senior leadership. Clearly communicate key insights, takeaways, and potential caveats to support data-driven decision-making.
• Represent the DATA team with external partners and in external convenings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Your Experience

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. strongly preferred from a social science field with course work and research related to global development (e.g., Development Economics, Public Policy, Applied Statistics, Public Health, etc.)
• Demonstrated professional experience in development research related roles with 5-10 years in a role conducting, managing, and/or funding development economics related research.
• Demonstrated expertise in applied development research, including planning and carrying out data collection, literature review, causal research design, econometric analysis, and interpreting quantitative results.
• Familiarity with major datasets and key research institutions relevant to gender, women, and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• Demonstrated familiarity sourcing and conducting diligence with research partners in LMICs, as well as crafting and negotiating grants and/or major partnership agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, to show intellectual and project management leadership, to use data and evidence to craft and defend recommendations, and to work efficiently as part of a team.
• Track-record of excellence presenting, communicating, and writing about gender-related research, including the ability to translate complex findings to resonate with different audiences Experience using data and evidence to mobilize resources and/or influence program design is a plus.
• Evidence of passion for advancing the lives, health, and well-being of vulnerable women and girls.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

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

The salary range for this role is $173,200 to $259,600 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 $190,300 to $285,500 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hire salaries are typically between the range minimum and midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

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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.