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 mission of Discovery & Translational Sciences (DTS) is to catalyze innovation for the discovery and translation of transformative solutions to global health and development inequity. As such, the primary role of DTS is to enable the foundation to achieve its ambitious global health equity goals as articulated by the disease-specific strategy teams (Program Strategy Teams; PSTs). For this, we exploit a unique advantage of the foundation in general and DTS in particular: the ability to invest in high-risk and/or long-timeline initiatives with potential for truly disruptive change. We channel resources into creating more practical (affordable, scalable, deliverable) versions of existing tools, develop transformative new tools where none exist, and speed the translation of scientific discovery into implementable solutions, seeking better ways to evaluate and refine potential interventions before they enter costly and time-consuming late-stage clinical trials. Key functions in support of this R&D mission include identifying and filling gaps in scientific knowledge, creating or implementing new technology platforms that can accelerate research in support of our goals, investing in potentially transformative ideas, continuous surveying of an ever-changing scientific and technological innovation space, and the fostering of an effective ecosystem of global health innovation, funding and partnership to advance the foundation’s mission. Our areas of focus include vaccines, biologics, drugs, microbiome interventions, and reproductive and sexual health.

Your Role

Translational Sciences expertise, bridging the gap between discovery and clinical development, is integral to DTS’ mission of driving innovation to impact.

The effective development of preventive and therapeutic interventions (including drugs, vaccines, biologics, microbiome and other interventions) requires an ability to ‘translate’ information from cellular and animal models to human disease and back again. This translation includes the use of cellular and animal pharmacology to understand the mechanisms of action of therapeutics; the identification of pathway and pharmacodynamic biomarkers for use in human clinical trials; physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling; and clinical trial simulation to facilitate the design of informative human clinical trials. These activities are often lacking for interventions used in global health, whose development preceded the availability of modern translational tools. To be effective, a modern translational approach to intervention tool development should start early, during the discovery phase. For translational medicine to be effective in global health, such thinking needs to be embedded in the Discovery functions and PSTs that seek to deliver new interventions for Global Health.

The Deputy Director in Translational Sciences will support a broad portfolio, spanning the development of drugs, biologics, vaccines, microbiome-directed and other interventions for Global Health. The role provides a key strategic position on the DTS Leadership Team, to ensure strong technical and strategic representation across translation spectrum, including the sourcing, de-risking and nurturing of novel platforms to generate transformational tools. The role will interface with PSTs, with Integrated Development, Vaccine Development and the Institute for Disease Modeling, and with the Gates Medical Research Institute.

What You’ll Do

• Leadership in defining and executing clinical development strategies for global health product development initiatives in a rigorous, data-driven, analytical manner.

• Application of state-of-the-art approaches to the clinical development of preventive and therapeutic interventions.

• Guiding of team members in the crafting and management of portfolios of foundation investments (grants and contracts) and working with external partners to drive progress.

• Management of relationships with grantees, contractors and key partners to achieve the foundation's desired impact.

• Facilitation of the development of annual investment plans and budgets. Develop, modify and implement strategy under the leadership of the Director. Work with foundation leadership as requested to address cross-cutting issues and improve functions and performance.

• Accountability for the identification and assessment of key portfolio risks, and the development and management of mitigation/contingency plans at the portfolio level.

• Advise, mentor, and support colleagues within the foundation and their grantees in the design, enhancement, and execution of projects, initiatives and engagements. Manage partnerships and grantee relationships to achieve impact, for example, by conducting site visits, convening meetings of key stakeholders, monitoring and evaluating execution of investments.

• Serve as a foundation global spokesperson on translational science priorities and related issues internally to foundation Co-chairs and leadership, and externally to industry and global health stakeholders.

• This role will manage people and be responsible for hiring the talent needed to achieve our goals, ensuring successful employee onboarding, communicating performance expectations, creating goal alignment, integrating project and change management, giving and seeking feedback, providing coaching, measuring progress and holding people accountable, supporting employee development, and recognizing achievement and lessons learned.

Your Experience

• MD and/or PhD scientist with deep experience in academic bench science, translational medicine and early clinical development in Biotech/Pharma. Five to six bullets outlining the qualifications for the job. Can be inclusive of competencies.

• Clinical pharmacologist with proven experience in iterative design of phase 1, phase 2a, and experimental medicine clinical trials

• Experience in immunology and/or immuno-oncology strongly preferred

• Experience in establishing and leading collaborative programs integrating fundamental scientific research and clinical development in the academic, Pharma or Biotech sectors

• Proven ability to lead and influence others. Demonstrated ability to work with efficiency, diplomacy, and flexibility particularly as part of a team in a highly matrixed environment.

• Experience working on teams with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

• Experience in strategic planning and strategy implementation.

• Demonstrated excellence in scientific writing and data analysis, written and oral communication skills, and experience advocating and communicating with a broad and diverse audience.

• Experience in a role requiring collaboration in a complex organization and working with external organizations.

• Dedication to our core values, mission and programs with an approach that is consistent with the foundation’s guiding principles while holding oneself to the highest ethical standards. An ability to lead with a diversity, equity, and inclusion mindset and application.

The typical salary range for this role is $107,980 to $317,240 USD. The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role.

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Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

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.