Senior Officer, Life Sciences, Strategic Investment Fund (SIF)

Gates Foundation; Seattle (WA); Presencial; USD 180.000 - 280.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

The Gates Foundation in Seattle seeks a Senior Officer, Life Sciences to identify, develop, and manage investments and partnerships advancing global health priorities. You will integrate scientific insight with investment judgment to back high-impact biotechnology and healthcare opportunities.

Collaborating with scientists, program officers, and investors, you will translate ideas into actionable strategies, build companies, and guide portfolio value creation while upholding Foundation

Descripción del empleo

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

Established in 2009, the Foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) advances the Foundation’s philanthropic mission through the use of investment tools including equity, debt, guarantees, and other innovative financing structures. SIF partners closely with the Foundation’s Program Strategy Teams to identify opportunities where investment capital, private-sector capabilities, and market-based approaches can accelerate progress toward the Foundation’s strategic objectives. SIF operates at the intersection of philanthropy, science, technology, and private capital. The team works with entrepreneurs, biotechnology and healthcare companies, investors, research institutions, and other partners to develop and finance solutions capable of delivering meaningful and sustainable impact for populations that have historically been underserved by commercial markets.

This role will be based out of Seattle, Washington

Your Role

The Strategic Investment Fund is seeking a Senior Officer, Life Sciences to help identify, develop, execute, and manage investments and strategic partnerships that advance the Foundation’s global health priorities. This individual will serve as a senior life-sciences investor and strategic partner to teams across the Foundation, bringing together deep scientific understanding, investment judgment, company-building experience, and knowledge of the biotechnology and healthcare ecosystem. The Senior Officer will work closely with Foundation scientists, program officers, investment colleagues, legal partners, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, biotechnology companies, and investors to identify areas where investment capital and private-sector innovation can accelerate the development and delivery of technologies with the potential for significant global health impact. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between scientific and investment discussions—from evaluating emerging biology and technology platforms to developing investment theses, assessing companies, structuring transactions, working with management teams and boards, and helping translate promising innovations into sustainable products and companies. Importantly, this role will be highly collaborative and opportunity-oriented. The Senior Officer will work proactively with teams across the Foundation to understand their strategies and scientific priorities, identify opportunities where SIF can add value, and help translate those opportunities into actionable investment or company-creation strategies.

What You'll Do

• Partner with Foundation teams to develop investment strategies. Work closely with Program Strategy Teams and technical experts to understand their scientific and impact objectives; identify areas where private-sector investment, company creation, or strategic partnerships could accelerate progress; and translate those opportunities into actionable investment theses.
• Originate and develop high-impact partnerships. Build relationships with biotechnology and healthcare companies, venture investors, academic medical centers, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and other ecosystem participants to identify technologies and investment opportunities aligned with Foundation priorities.
• Evaluate emerging science and technology. Apply deep scientific and industry knowledge to assess early-stage therapeutic, vaccine, diagnostic, platform, and other health-related technologies, working shoulder-to-shoulder with Foundation scientists and external experts to evaluate scientific differentiation, development risk, translational potential, and potential global health impact.
• Lead investment evaluation and execution. Lead or play a senior role in sourcing, diligence, financial analysis, valuation, investment structuring, negotiation, and execution of transactions. Work across a range of investment instruments, including preferred equity, convertible securities, debt, and other structures appropriate to achieving the Foundation’s charitable objectives.
• Help create and build companies. Evaluate Foundation-supported science, technologies, and other opportunities to identify where the creation of a new company, spinout, or other organizational structure could accelerate development and impact. Where appropriate, proactively help translate these opportunities into viable new ventures—working alongside Foundation teams, scientific founders, entrepreneurs, venture investors, accelerators, and other partners to develop company strategies, assess business and financing models, assemble founding teams and capabilities, attract capital, and facilitate company formation and launch. Bring an entrepreneurial, hands‑on mindset and a willingness to roll up your sleeves to help promising Foundation‑supported innovations progress from scientific concept through company formation, financing, and early development.
• Drive value creation across the portfolio. Partner with CEOs, management teams, boards, co-investors, and Foundation colleagues to advance portfolio company objectives, address strategic and operational challenges, facilitate partnerships, and maintain alignment between company development plans and the Foundation’s impact objectives.
• Support portfolio governance. Represent the Foundation as appropriate in interactions with portfolio company leadership and potentially serve as a board member or board observer. Proactively identify strategic, scientific, financial, governance, and execution risks and opportunities and ensure that SIF leadership and the Investment Committee remain appropriately informed.
• Serve as a life-sciences thought partner. Act as a trusted internal resource on biotechnology, healthcare innovation, venture formation, and relevant scientific and market trends. Bring external perspectives and emerging opportunities into Foundation strategy discussions while helping external partners understand the Foundation’s objectives and capabilities.
• Build and activate networks. Develop and maintain a strong network of scientific founders, biotechnology executives, investors, academic leaders, technologists, and company builders who can be mobilized around global health challenges and Foundation priorities.
• Bring global health considerations into investment decisions. Evaluate opportunities not only through a scientific and commercial lens but also with an understanding