Senior Program Officer, Research and Measurement, Digital Public Infrastructure

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Washington, Seattle (District of Columbia, WA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

The Foundation seeks a Senior Program Officer to enhance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) efforts. This role involves research strategy development, partnership cultivation, and data analysis to support economic opportunities globally. The ideal candidate will have an advanced degree and expertise in data analysis, particularly in developing regions. A hybrid work schedule is available, with relocation support for eligible candidates.

Benefits

Comprehensive Medical Coverage

Generous Paid Time Off

Paid Family Leave

Foundation-Paid Retirement Contribution

Qualifications

• Experience in digital public infrastructure, especially in Africa or Asia.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate a high-impact grant portfolio and partner ecosystem.
• Lead initiatives to measure DPI team's progress.
• Provide technical advice and research support to policymakers.

Skills

Data Analysis

Research Methods

Communication

Education

Advanced Degree in Economics

Job description

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

Division Summary: Global Growth and Opportunity
The Foundation partners with people and organizations worldwide, through grant making, to tackle critical problems across various program areas and divisions. Our Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO) Division focuses on creating and scaling market-based innovations to stimulate inclusive and sustainable economic growth. GGO focuses on the areas of Agricultural Development, Global Education, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Inclusive Financial Systems (IFS), Nutrition, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH). We believe that people are poor because markets do not work for them, and we promote innovative products and policies that can break down barriers to economic opportunity, help people lift themselves out of poverty, and deliver sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits everyone.

The Team: Digital Public Infrastructure
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a set of digital systems that enables countries to safely and efficiently provide economic opportunities and deliver social services. DPI spans the entire economy, connecting people, data, and money in much the same way that roads and railways connect people and goods. Countries that build safe and inclusive DPI can create a vibrant and competitive economy, foster trust between governments and citizens, and deliver essential services and create economic opportunity across many sectors-including finance, health, and agriculture. Safe and inclusive DPI can ultimately help advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure that everyone can prosper, especially women and people with the lowest incomes.

The foundation is focusing its initial DPI efforts on supporting countries in building the three core elements of DPI:
*Digital identity systems, which enable the creation, management, and authentication of unique identities for use in digital scenarios.
*Digital payment systems, which enable governments, businesses, and individuals to instantly send and receive money, regardless of who hosts the underlying accounts.
*Data exchange systems, which enable individuals, organizations, and governments to safely share digital information.
The foundation's digital payments work is overseen by our Inclusive Financial Systems team, while the DPI manages our work on digital identity and data exchange.

The DPI team also aims to explore several emerging DPI components, including:
*Consent, which involves a privacy-based mechanism for users to authorize the exchange of their digital information
*Credentials, which enable the sharing of government-issued and privately issued credentials, such as certificates, invoices, driver's licenses, and passports
*Registries, to establish verifiable records of what people own, claim, or are entitled to
*Digital signatures, which are created, verified, and managed to ensure the legal validity of electronic documents and transactions.

By establishing open, standardized, and interoperable systems for performing these functions, DPI can enable more inclusive economic participation, more effective delivery of public services, and more open and competitive digital economies.

Your Role

In order to design, build, and regulate safe and inclusive DPI, policymakers, regulators, and commercial providers must adopt evidence-based interventions. The Senior Program Officer will identify areas where rigorous data and research can support the design, implementation, regulation, and adoption of safe and inclusive DPI and increase the welfare impacts of these technologies. You will develop and execute research and measurement strategies to fill these data and evidence gaps.

This role is based in our offices in Seattle, WA, where employees work a hybrid schedule. Domestic or international relocation is available for work-authorized candidates who need to move to Seattle, WA to start in this role.

Application deadline - Noon, Pacific Time Monday, May 26, 2025.

What You'll Do

• Cultivate a high-impact grant portfolio and partner ecosystem to advance the DPI team research and measurement strategy, with a strong focus on regional partners in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Identify the most critical indicators to measure and track the design, adoption, and usage of DPI across low- and middle-income countries.

• Lead initiatives to measure the DPI team's progress toward its goals for foundation leadership

• Identify opportunities to rigorously test the causal impact of DPI interventions on household welfare, public service delivery, and other outcomes. Inform the optimal design and regulation of these interventions.

• Critically evaluate and synthesize relevant research studies and evidence to inform the DPI team's strategy

• Write and produce analyses which advance the world's understanding of how to design, build, and regulate interoperable identification, data exchange, credentials, and other DPI components through evidence-based government policy, regulatory, and commercial interventions

• Act an internal expert on the DPI team, fielding data and research-related questions: partner with DPI program officers to understand and address market-specific needs for research and data, and identify and track the optimal DPI access, usage, and impact indicators

• Provide technical advice and research support to policymakers and commercial partners

• Represent the foundation among key partners, including universities, think tanks, governments, regulators, grantees, donors, international standard setting bodies, and commercial providers

• Consult with grantees and other partners to improve the impact of projects and ensure optimal learning. This may include site visits and convening meetings of key partners.

• Represent the foundation to external constituencies. This could include formal and informal presentations, attending conferences and sitting on working groups.

• Write and produce briefings, reports, email updates, and other materials to inform foundation leadership.

• Provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for investments and team strategy.

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% of time

Your Experience

• Advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in economics, development studies, public policy, business administration, or related fields

• Deep expertise in data analysis and research methods, and the ability to convert research results into strategic action plans

• Knowledge of the major issues related to digital public infrastructure, as well as experience working with these issues in Africa or Asia

• Ability to organize/prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands

• Capacity and initiative to solve problems with energy and positive attitude

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a cooperative and collegial fashion

• Innovative, out-of-the box thinker who is hands-on and willing to go as deep or broad as necessary to achieve outcomes

• Fluent in English with excellent written and oral communication skills

• Ability to question and challenge colleagues, including managers, in a constructive manner

*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 > $254,500. We recognize high-wage market differences where our offices are located, in Seattle, WA & Washington D.C. The range for this role in these locations is $185,000 > $277,400 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission and new hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary 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-TO1

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.