Senior Program Officer, Cold Chain Equipment (LTE)

Company: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: Seattle
Posted on: May 26, 2025

Job Description:

The FoundationWe are the largest nonprofitfighting 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 TeamThe Global Development division (GD) includes a diverse range of program areas focused on finding creative ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in low-income countries. We focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach millions of people. Our strategies include Emergency Response, Immunization, and Polio Eradication. A common theme across these programs is focus on innovative delivery, including an emphasis on strengthening primary health care systems. GD also encompasses our India Country Office and Africa Team. Our teams work in close partnership with these Country Office Teams to align the foundation's health and development equity agenda with the government's broader priorities.

Vaccines are a core priority of the Gates Foundation and can save millions of lives a year when delivered effectively. The mission of our Immunization Program Strategy Team (PST) is to urgently reach children, adolescents, and adults -- no matter where they live -- with the vaccines they need. Our goal is a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases, and we do this by working with countries, development partners, and civil society organizations, to make sure that vaccines and immunization are effectively prioritized and delivered. Robust and resilient immunization programs are critical to achieving the promise of vaccination and are a cornerstone of primary health care, and we work to ensure that there are sufficient, affordable supplies to meet demand. We seek to bring new perspectives to challenging problems as we focus on results that can be delivered at scale. All our work on vaccines and immunization contributes to ia2030, which is a vision and commitment by the global community to extend the full benefits of immunization to all by 2030.Your Role As the Senior Program Officer, Cold Chain Equipment, LTE, you will lead a portfolio of grants and contracts to strengthen routine immunization through increased access to higher quality and innovative cold chain equipment. You identify as a results-driven systems problem solver bringing together an understanding of equipment design and development, market dynamics, and programmatic implementation grounded on human centered design. You will establish partnerships with a broad range of collaborators to remove barriers preventing an expansion of immunization services that depend on a robust cold chain. You'll work collaboratively with internal and external partners including the Gavi Alliance, cold chain manufactures and suppliers and country immunization programs.This role will report to the Deputy Director, Vaccine Access on the Immunization Program Support Team. This is a 30-month Limited Term Employment position, relocation support will be provided.What You'll Do

• Own and manage the immunization team's cold chain strategy and portfolio consisting of increasing the standards of existing stationary equipment and expanding the use of new and existing cold chain innovations such transportable powered vaccine storage devices and the use of freeze preventive vaccine carriers and cold boxes.
• Shape and lead a portfolio of grants and contracts to support the above strategy; ensure ongoing strategic alignment between investments in the portfolio and strong coordination of grantees/contractors in support of immunization programs and the Gavi Alliance.
• Partner with organizations who produce, procure, or guide the use of cold chain equipment to refine their strategies, enhance their approach, and build a responsive program that addresses immunization and primary health care dynamic needs in low resource settings.
• Support partners in designing systems that strengthen country programs for managing cold chain equipment including building robust maintenance and monitoring programs enabled by telemetry data where available.
• Gain a detailed understanding of partner perspectives and complex problems in detail to collaboratively develop possible solution ideas for testing; identify and communicate possible risks and appropriately manage failures and challenges.
• Seek opportunities to work in partnership with subject matter experts across foundation teams including the Polio Team, Regulatory team, Africa Regional Office and Country Offices, Primary Healthcare Team, and the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Team.
• Embed diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into your daily work, interactions with colleagues, and the portfolio of investments you lead.Your Experience
  • The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in medical device or cold chain development including product design, validation, regulation, commercialization and introduction.
  • An advanced degree in medicine, public health, management, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar fields.
  • Proficiency 1: Capable of offering direction on the development, production and program launch and procurement of biomedical devices.
  • Proficiency 2: A strong understanding of immunization systems in LMIC and the design considerations in vaccine distribution requiring a robust cold chain.
  • Proficiency 3: Experienced market shaper demonstrating an understanding of incentives across the value chain from product development to use.
  • Proficiency 4: Experienced coalition builder with a track record of creating effective partnerships and establishing cross-field linkages.
  • Proficiency 5: Strong strategic problem solver using evidence based strategic or operational plans as well as shaping and leading sustainable and scalable ventures
  • Proficiency 6: Effective change agent, who is an advocate and a driver of successful change, including prioritizing what needs to change, strategically deploying resources to provoke change, and moving others through the change process through intentional actions.Other Attributes
    • Demonstrates strong personal initiative and the ability to work independently, while also being a collaborative team member.
    • At least 5 years of directly relevant experience, in low-resource settings, and preferably in relation to immunization and cold chain
    • Expected to undertake up to 25% international and domestic travel including in low resource, fragile or conflict settings in sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia.
    • Excellent interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues clearly and simply, and to listen attentively.Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.The salary range for this role is $169,700 to $254,500 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 $185,000 to $277,400 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 the midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate's job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.#LI-AD1Hiring RequirementsAs part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.Candidate AccommodationsIf you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request .Inclusion StatementWe 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.

Keywords: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, South Hill , Senior Program Officer, Cold Chain Equipment (LTE), Other , Seattle, Washington