Senior Program Associates, Science and Global Health R&D

About Open Philanthropy

Open Philanthropy is a philanthropic funder and advisor; our mission is to help others as much as we can with the resources available to us. We stress openness to many possibilities and have chosen our focus areas based on importance, neglectedness, and tractability. In addition to Science and Global Health R&D, our current giving areas include Navigating Transformative Artificial Intelligence, Global Health and Development, Global Public Health Policy, Farm Animal Welfare, and Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness. In 2024, we recommended $650 million to high-impact causes, and we’ve recommended over $4.5 billion in grants since our formation.

About the team

The Science and Global Health R&D team supports transformational scientific discovery and the development of new vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other tools to improve global health outcomes. We are particularly interested in R&D efforts targeting diseases with a large global health burden, as well as initiatives to make these products more affordable and accessible worldwide.

Our team awards $100 million+ annually. We plan to expand our team in 2026, and are looking for people excited to be part of that growth.

About the role

We are seeking multiple (up to three) Senior Program Associates to support our grantmaking aimed at improving global health through scientific research and R&D. This role will report to either Katharine Collins, Heather Youngs, or Ray Kennedy, depending on fit and expertise.

Senior Program Associates (SPAs) work closely with grantmakers, interact with grantees, and are responsible for a wide variety of research and analysis activities that support our grantmaking strategy, as well as administrative and operational duties to support grantmaking. We also expect that SPAs can help define and independently manage some projects. We expect all team members to adhere to our operating values of ownership, openness, calibration, and inclusiveness.

SPA responsibilities may include:

• Research: Scoping and conducting research projects, literature reviews, and expert interviews to support grantmaking, grantmaking strategy, and decision-making.

• Grant investigation support: Contributing directly to grant investigations, with tasks such as evaluating the potential impact of grants, including impact calculations; and researching and drafting detailed grant recommendations for funding decisions.

• Portfolio management: Maintaining relationships with grantees, participating in check-in calls, assessing the progress of funded projects, contributing to planning and strategy documents.

• Organizational and administrative support: Managing grant databases, tracking opportunities, coordinating and managing consultants, and arranging meetings.

• Communications and external engagement: Attending confere