Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Director

• Lead overall drug/device development within WHI, including strategy development, operational execution aligned with strategy, and accountability for outcomes and impact measures.
• Emphasis will be on end-to-end drug and drug–device product development rigor and decision-making.
• Lead and manage the drug/device development team, and the execution of a growing and complex portfolio of investments focused on contraceptive technologies, STI therapeutics, and emerging areas of therapeutic development work in heavy menstrual bleeding.
• Make strategic, data driven decisions, and be comfortable in settings where incomplete information is available.
• Manage direct reports and provide matrix leadership to partners within the foundation.
• Provide oversight for WHI funded activities that are implemented by matrix partners within the foundation including Discovery Drugs, Integrated (Drug) Development (IDEV), Regulatory, regional country offices, and aspects of new product launch planning.
• Ensure alignment with industry-standard product development, CMC, and phase-gate practices.
• Design new strategies, collaborations, and implementation plans to ensure impact and sustainability, with a view towards nearer term and longer-term outcomes.
• Manage and implement a program that aligns with foundation strategy and is operationally integrated within the WHI program strategy team (PST) and other foundation programs.
• Own decision making for all grant approvals within delegation of authority (DOA) and critical review and recommendation of grants that require Director and above DOA.
• Responsible for reviewing concept notes and grant proposals and collaborating with colleagues to provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding for pre-clinical and clinical development for contraception portfolio.
• Consult with grantees and other partners to maximize impact of projects by ensuring grants align with and drive toward meeting strategy goals for contraception portfolio and potential synergies across WHI’s broader portfolio.
• Represent the foundation with key program-related external constituencies, as appropriate, on committees related to area of expertise and responsibilities of the position including being a spokesperson at public facing events and management of key high profile partner relationships
• Responsible for the hiring and managing the talent needed to achieve the team’s and foundation’s goals.
• Actively contribute to the WHI Leadership team, including WHI wide strategy, with a collective focus on WHI’s goals and objectives.
• Contribute and collaborate across the WHI team to achieve PST wide goals.
• Contribute to WHI team culture and initiatives.
• Foster enabling conditions for talent to thrive and be accountable for inclusive team culture.
• Model and coach equitable decision-making, inclusive behaviors, and actions; address escalated issues in a timely fashion.

Deputy Director, Research and Development – Drugs & Drug-Device Combinations