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
As part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Institute for Disease Modeling's (IDM) mission is to support global efforts to eradicate infectious diseases and achieve permanent improvements in health by developing, using, and sharing computational modeling tools and promoting quantitative decision-making. The IDM team is composed of research scientists and software developers who create advanced models of disease transmission, develop computational tools to inform global disease eradication policy, conduct analysis of epidemiologically- and policy-relevant data, and identify and address critical knowledge gaps. IDM is a highly dynamic organization with a work environment that is defined by innovation and collaboration. As part of our work, we routinely collaborate with international health agencies, ministries of health in the developing world, as well as universities and research institutes across the globe.
Your Role
We are seeking a full-time Senior Research Manager to lead and manage the Health Care Systems team within IDM as part of the Gender, Vulnerability and Health Equity portfolio. This role will involve leading a team of researchers and collaborating closely with various internal teams at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including Primary Health Care (PHC), Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), Women's Health Innovations (WHI), and other program strategy teams (PSTs), as well as Foundation country offices and external partners. The Senior Research Manager will drive the development of statistical and dynamic modeling efforts that describe, predict, and quantitatively capture the functioning of LMIC health systems and their components. The primary goal is to develop models which generate evidence to support health systems strengthening (HSS) activities and the evaluation of how investments in healthcare system interventions translate to health equity and population health outcomes.
What You'll Do:
Leadership & Strategic Vision:

• Lead the Healthcare Systems (HCS) modeling team within IDM.
• Develop, articulate, and implement a strategic vision for the HCS program that aligns with IDM's strategy and mission.
• Identify and advance potential cross-cutting research initiatives with other IDM teams (e.g., Immunization, Malaria, MNCH).
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to identify priority areas for modeling research and applications.

Team Management

• Manage a team of researchers focused on modeling healthcare systems in LMICs.
• Foster a collaborative and innovative research environment that promotes scientific excellence, creativity and growth.
• Perform yearly performance reviews and develop and implement career development plans for team members.

Collaboration & Partnerships:

• Collaborate closely with PHC and other PSTs to provide modeling support and insights.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with experts in systems modeling or health services research to enhance statistical and dynamical modeling.

Research & Methodology:

• Drive the development of novel statistical or dynamic models that consider the connections between different components of the health system and the policy/programmatic levers acting on them.
• Examine how population factors (e.g., demographics, household economics, socio-cultural norms, behavior) impact the use of the health system.
• Contribute to the development of open-source modeling tools and methodologies for the broader scientific community.

Project Management:

• Oversee development of existing health system modeling efforts and suggest areas for new modeling efforts.
• Ensure timely progress of projects, alignment with goals, and effective communication of results.
• Prioritizing work within the HCS team, including tradeoffs given resource constraints.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Collaborate with other functional teams and management consultants to ensure seamless integration of modeling results into broader analyses.
• Communicate organization- and foundation-wide messages to the PHC team and communicate updates on work progress and concerns/risks to IDM leadership.
• Facilitate collaborative and intentional partnerships with in-country experts.
• Maintain regular communication with IDM's leadership and other relevant stakeholders.
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and other relevant channels.

Your Experience

• Advanced degree required in public health, epidemiology, health services research or a related field with significant coursework in quantitative methods (e.g., Applied Mathematics, Statistics/Biostatistics, Data Science, Operations Research) with demonstrated experience in health systems research.
• Proven track record of leading and managing research teams.
• Established experience working with interdisciplinary teams.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience working with diverse partners, both internal to the organization and within the broader modeling ecosystem, and building collaborative networks.
• Knowledge of global health, health systems in LMIC contexts, social determinants of health, and/or vulnerable populations.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python and R preferred).
• Experience working in LMIC contexts is a significant plus.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
The salary range for this role is $204,600 to $317,100 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences where our offices are located, in Seattle and Washington D.C. The range for this role in these locations is $222,900 to $345,500 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 range between the minimum and the midpoint salary range. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate's job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.
#LI-CM1
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.