Senior Program Officer, Evidence for Systems Improvement (11-month LTE*)

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 Advocacy & System Improvement team operates as an engine for sustainable impact at scale within US Program. The role of this team is not to develop or deliver solutions, but to enable systems to adopt and sustain effective practices, and to change how systems operate so those practices become standard, scalable, and durable. In this context, the solutions our colleagues develop and deliver are more likely to reach more learners, driving collective progress toward our shared goals.

Within this team, the Assessment Initiative works to advance the field’s capacity to generate credible, actionable evidence of student learning particularly for learners traditionally furthest from opportunity. The Initiative invests across two interconnected areas of work: upstream innovation in assessment capabilities, AI interpretation methodology, and the measurement science that makes AI-mediated assessment trustworthy; and the evidence infrastructure, tools, and field practices that enable schools and systems to act on that evidence in time to accelerate the pace of improvement for students.

Read more about our updated strategy here: https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/usprogramoverview.pdf

Application Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026

Your Role You are responsible for advancing the foundation’s strategy to make evidence-driven improvement a durable practice in schools and systems investing in the broader measures of system quality, the feedback loops that surface what’s working, and the field conditions that enable institutions to act on evidence in ways that accelerate the pace of improvement, especially for systems serving students furthest from opportunity.

You develop and manage a portfolio of investments spanning quality frameworks for school improvement planning, AI-enabled tools that route the right signals to the right actors, and the decision routines that help schools get smarter about their improvement efforts over time. You have deep expertise in education systems, accountability, and the practice and policy landscape of school improvement, with the field credibility to work alongside state leaders, networks, and intermediaries in building the evidence infrastructure that drives sustained, faster institutional change.

*This is an 11-month limited-term opportunity with Foundation benefits. Please note that relocation assistance is not available for this position.

What You'll Do

Your Experience

**Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located. The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

The salary range for this role is $190,100 to $294,700 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle, WA and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $209,100 to $324,100 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.

#LI-PA1

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 HR@gatesfoundation.org with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.

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.