Program Officer, 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 currently consists of four grantmakers (Heather Youngs, Chris Somerville, Katharine Collins, Ray Kennedy), who are led by Jacob Trefethen and supported by Rafael Dib. Our team awards $100 million+ annually. In 2026, we plan to spend tens of millions of dollars on Strep A vaccine development, and we’re looking for someone to help lead our efforts to expand funding in this area.

About the role

We are seeking a Program Officer to join our Science and Global Health R&D team. This person will report directly to Katharine Collins and work closely with her to execute, expand, and refine her existing grantmaking strategies in global health R&D, which currently include Strep A, malaria, and global health vaccine development.

The role will primarily involve leading grant investigations to identify and evaluate high-impact opportunities for advancing Strep A vaccine development, with the primary goal of reducing the burden of rheumatic heart disease. It offers the opportunity to engage deeply with cutting-edge biomedical research and global health product development efforts, involving independent analytical research and building relationships with grantees and experts in the field.

Over time, the Program Officer could take on increasing responsibility within the portfolio as they build experience and judgment.

The position is best suited to a scientifically trained researcher who combines strong technical understanding with strategic thinking about how to achieve the greatest global health impact.

Based on our experience, the strongest Program Officers can often bring adjacent experience and fresh perspectives rather than deep pri