Senior Officer, Viral Vaccine Development (12-month LTE*)

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 Global Health (GH) Division harnesses advances in science and technology to save lives in low- and middle-income countries. We focus on the health problems that have a major impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding. Where tools exist, we support sustainable ways to improve their delivery. Where they don’t, we invest in research and development of new interventions, such as vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. Our work in infectious diseases focuses on strategies to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, enteric and diarrheal diseases, pneumonia, and maternal, newborn and child health. These strategies are supported by functional & cross cutting teams that focus on Discovery and Translational Sciences, Vaccine Development, Innovation Introduction, and Integrated Development.

The Vaccine Development (VDev) team’s vision is to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of consistently high quality, appropriately priced vaccines that are efficiently delivered to meet the needs of global health populations – whether through our direct product development efforts, functional support to program strategy teams, investments in technology development or technical advocacy in the vaccine development ecosystem.

Application Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026

Your Role

As a key member of the Vaccine Development team, Senior Program Officer, Viral Vaccine Development, is accountable for a portfolio of investments and partnerships on priority product development efforts. These will consist of several “next generation”, innovative vaccines and approaches to vaccine development expected to deliver high impact on lives saved and DALYs in the near term, including leveraging correlates of protection to accelerate clinical development, novel clinical trial designs, and AI in clinical development.

You will provide clinical leadership, program management, strategy development and leadership communications on Vaccine Development priorities, Product Development Partners, and other foundation partners. You will also partner closely with the Deputy Director (DD), Chemicals, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) and Deputy Director, Integrated Clinical Development to contribute to the continued development of the team’s strategic vision including participating in the setting of the overall strategy and goals for the group.

*This is a 12-month limited-term position. Relocation will not be provided.

What You’ll Do

• Advise the foundation and manage investments in cross-cutting development technologies for viral vaccines that can support multiple programs based on deep knowledge of the field and current developments.

• Provide detailed technical input to our internal teams and external partners for viral vaccine development strategies and project plans.

• Review data as it becomes available to assist investment teams and partners in adjusting development plans as needed.

• Assess probability of technical and regulatory success and make recommendations for development progression or timely termination.

• Act as foundation “Project Lead” for priority vaccine development programs

• Negotiate, implement, and manage a portfolio of grants or performance-based contracts. This includes alignment of internal and external stakeholders, review of letters of inquiry and grant proposals as well as providing clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.

• Consult, provide thought partnership, and support to grantees and other partners to maximize the impact of projects and the creation of well-integrated vaccine development plans, clinical study designs, statistical analysis plans, and clinical assays for vaccine clinical studies

• Serve as an advisor on clinical vaccine study design, including the review of protocols, ana