Senior Program Officer, AI-Enabled Engagement Systems

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Senior Program Officer responsible for AI-native workflow platform development in higher education. Focused on driving equity in outcomes for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students.

Posted 5/21/2026full-timeSeattle • Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $190,100 - $294,700 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the strategy and investment portfolio for development of AI-native workflow platforms in higher education, delivering high-impact use cases that drive measurable improvements in outcomes (e.g., advising, financial aid, alerts, degree planning)
Partner with product developers to evolve engagement platforms into AI-powered orchestration layers, enabling end-to-end workflow execution across core institutional systems (e.g., SIS, CRM, financial aid, LMS)
Fund tools and approaches to codify institutional policy and workflows into machine-readable logic, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements (e.g., FERPA, Title IV)
Fund adoption of AI public goods to improve solutions quality and drive modernization of compliance and policy infrastructure (e.g., auditability, AI-in-the-loop governance)
Advance best practices for AI-mediated interaction, including conversational and agent-based interfaces for students and staff, ensuring equity and trust are foundational
Monitor the emerging ecosystem of vertical AI infrastructure – including workflow orchestration engines, policy-as-code frameworks, and AI-native CRM/SIS integrations – and identify strategic investment opportunities
Manage a portfolio of grants and contracts, ensuring alignment with DHSS strategy, appropriate documentation, budgeting, and reporting
Nurture high-impact relationships with key partners, grantees, and collaborators including technology providers, higher education institutions, and open-source communities
Provide written analysis, presentations, and summaries on key topics for foundation leadership and external partner audiences, including systemic risks and mitigation approaches
Collaborate with DHSS team members to align investment strategies and ensure collective success across the portfolio

Requirements

What you’ll need

A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Education, Computer Science, Public Policy, Business Administration) or equivalent demonstrated experience is required.
Fluency with emerging AI solutions in edtech, including agentic and LLM-based workflow systems and their development lifecycle
Experience designing or funding conversational and agent-based interfaces for student- or staff-facing use cases
Hands-on experience designing or evaluating agentic AI systems – including multi-agent orchestration, tool use, and human-in-the-loop workflows
Familiarity with open-source products, communities, and licensing trade-offs
Experience with AI safety, auditability, and explainability requirements in regulated environments (e.g., financial aid, student records, compliance workflows)
Fluency with institutional policy logic and compliance frameworks (e.g., Title IV, SAP, degree audit rules) and experience translating these into modular, auditable digital systems
Deep understanding of the constraints and challenges lower-resourced higher education institutions face in adopting and optimizing the use of AI-enabled technology
Practical understanding of the boundary between what AI can automate and what requires human judgment or institutional policy logic – and how to design systems accordingly
Skilled at planning, prioritizing, and managing competing demands across complex investment portfolios; sees the critical path and makes clear trade-offs
Ability to partner effectively with product developers and vendors to influence product roadmaps and drive strategic alignment without direct authority
Demonstrated commitment to equity in product and investment design – ensures AI-enabled solutions advance outcomes for underserved student populations
Experience and passion for collaborating with team members with diverse backgrounds, approaches, and beliefs to pursue a complex, interdependent strategy
Ability to collaborate effectively within a complex organization and with a diverse set of external collaborators; facilitates cross-sector partnerships where they may not have previously existed
Thoughtfully communicates complex information and data in written and oral formats; synthesizes large volumes of information into clear recommendations and decisions; advocates and communicates effectively with a broad and diverse audience
Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located. The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.

Benefits

Comp & perks

comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums
generous paid time off
paid family leave
foundation-paid retirement contribution
regional holidays
opportunities to engage in several employee communities

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

AI-native workflow platformsagent-based interfacesmulti-agent orchestrationhuman-in-the-loop workflowsAI safetyauditabilityexplainabilityinstitutional policy logiccompliance frameworksmodular digital systems

Soft Skills

planningprioritizingmanaging competing demandscollaborationcommunicationadvocacycommitment to equityinfluencing without authoritysynthesizing informationfacilitating partnerships