Senior Program Officer, Medical Devices

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
paid time off
United States, Washington, Seattle
500 5th Avenue North (Show on map)
Apr 16, 2025
The Foundation We 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 Team Our Global Health Program (GHP) harnesses advances in science and technology to save lives in countries. We focus on the health problems that have an impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding. Where proven tools exist, we support sustainable ways to improve their delivery. Where they do not, we invest in research and development of interventions, such as vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. Our work focuses on strategies to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, enteric and diarrheal diseases, and pneumonia. These programs strategy teams are supported by functional teams that focus on Discovery and Translational Sciences, Vaccine Development, and Integrated Development. The objective of the Enterics, Diagnostics, Genomics, & Epidemiology (EDGE) Team is to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through advancing products, tools, and platforms designed for in-country implementation, and improving quality of and access to data and information for public health decision making.The team is a trifecta of strategic initiatives that include the Enteric Diarrheal Diseases (EDD), Genomic Epidemiology & Modeling (GEM), and Diagnostics programs. Guided by the burden of disease and the threat of outbreaks, we develop vaccines, diagnostics, and tools for detection and surveillance of pathogens for delivery to our target populations.This position within Diagnostics is in support of our broader strategy focused on end-to-end diagnostic product and platform development with a clear throughline to patient impact in LMICs. Your Role As a Senior Program Officer, Diagnostic Devices , you will play a leadership role in shaping and managing a portfolio of investments focused on advancing medical device technologies that support disease surveillance and diagnosis across the portfolio of diseases conditions of interest to foundation teams, including TB and anemia. This will include existing medical devices such as (AI-enabled) chest x-ray and ultrasound, as well novel technologies and screening tools with potential to support public health response to high-burden diseases in LMICs. You will collaborate with internal and external partners to drive innovative solutions, ensuring that medical devices are designed, tested, and deployed effectively in LMIC settings. You will bring expertise in medical device development, including clinical use case prioritization and validation, regulatory pathways, and market access strategies, and work closely with product development partners, global health organizations, and policymakers to ensure successful implementation of medical technologies. This role will be based in our Seattle, WA campus. Relocation will be offered. What You'll Do Lead Medical Device Development Strategy: Identify, develop, and implement a portfolio of investments supporting innovative medical device technologies for disease conditions of interest to the foundation. Collaborate with internal foundation teams and external experts to integrate medical devices into broader global health programs. Consult, provide thought partnership, and support to grantees and other partners to increase the impact of projects, including the development of clear target product profiles, value propositions and use cases for devices products, the creation of well-integrated device development plans. Portfolio and Partnership Management: Design, structure, and lead grants and contracts across a funded portfolio related to medical device R&D, incl. AI-enabled devices, ensuring projects meet technical, regulatory, and commercial achievements. Establish and manage partnerships with technology developers, manufacturers, research institutions, and regulatory bodies. Provide technical and strategic mentorship to grantees, ensuring alignment with the foundation's goals. Apply your devices diagnostic product development expertise to handle product development grants and apply methodologies for risk-based decision-making in your portfolio. Regulatory and Market Access Strategy: Support regulatory engagement for medical devices, ensuring compliance with requirements in LMICs and other relevant markets. Develop strategies for accelerating device adoption, including supply chain and distribution considerations. Data-Driven Decision Making and Advocacy: Collaborate with epidemiologists and data scientists to advise device development and deployment strategies. Identify areas for advancing device development and achieve overall program goals. Engage internal and external expertise to drive these objectives. Responsible for high-quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners Develop outreach plans for listening to partners and beneficiaries, sharing the foundation's strategies. Represent the foundation to program-related constituencies, including making presentations, attending conferences, serving on committees, and attending other meetings. This role requires up to 30% travel to partner sites and LMIC settings. The position is based in Seattle, WA. Your Experience Advanced degree (PhD, MD, or MSc) in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, , or a related field. At least 10+ years of experience in medical device development, including product design, clinical validation, regulatory strategy, commercialization, and product introductions. Experience working with diagnostic devices, patient monitoring tools, or therapeutic medical technologies Solid understanding of regulatory approval processes for medical devices, including experience with the FDA, EMA, CDSCO, or WHO prequalification programs. Experience navigating AI regulations is a plus Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and partnerships across research institutions, industry, and global health organizations. Proven ability to drive projects from concept through commercialization, preferably in low-resource settings. Lead/deliver projects/programs, including risk mitigation and budget management in a fast-paced environment, with clear achievements and outcomes. Demonstrated program management skills, including grant and contract management. Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with experience in stakeholder engagement and advocacy. Experiencein AI-driven diagnostics/devices, point-of-care testing, and digital health solutions. Understanding of health systems and market dynamics in LMICs. Background in infectious disease surveillance and epidemiology Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship. The salary range for this role is $208,600 to $323,400 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 $227,400 to $352,400 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 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.