Are you a strategic and grounded scientific leader passionate about tackling global health inequities? Do you have a systems mindset and a drive for innovation in disease eradication? If so, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites you to join our Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) as the Deputy Director for Eradication and Elimination (DD, E&E). This pivotal role is effectively that of a Disease Modeling Director, leading our efforts in crucial global health areas.
About The Foundation
We’re, first and foremost, the world’s largest non-profit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity. Our mission is simple: everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy, productive life, regardless of their background. Consequently, we’re deeply committed to building a workforce that reflects the diverse global populations we serve.
Furthermore, we offer an exceptional benefits package designed to support you and your family. These benefits are tailored to attract and retain top talent, including a future Disease Modeling Director. This includes, for example:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums.
- Generous paid time off and paid family leave.
- Foundation-paid retirement contributions and regional holidays.
- Opportunities to engage in vibrant employee communities.
Ultimately, we strive to create an environment where you can truly thrive, both personally and professionally. Roles like our Disease Modeling Director are central to realizing our bold aspirations in global health.
About The Team: Global Health & IDM’s Disease Modeling Focus
Our Global Health (GH) Division leverages scientific and technological advancements. We save lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Specifically, we focus on critical health challenges that often receive insufficient attention and funding. We invest in both sustainable delivery of existing tools and also the research and development of new interventions like vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. Moreover, our work spans infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and maternal, newborn, and child health.
The Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM), on the other hand, is an embedded research institute within the Gates Foundation. We develop, utilize, and share cutting-edge computational modeling tools. We champion quantitative decision-making to support global efforts to eradicate infectious diseases. Our aim is to improve health outcomes for those most in need. In fact, our multidisciplinary team of research scientists and software engineers collaborates extensively with universities, NGOs, government ministries, as well as other research organizations worldwide. Here, your leadership as a Disease Modeling Director will be pivotal.
The Opportunity: Your Role as a Disease Modeling Director
As the Deputy Director for Eradication and Elimination, effectively leading as a Disease Modeling Director, you’ll head a critical cluster within IDM. This cluster comprises teams dedicated to modeling and analysis for Polio, Measles, Malaria, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), and broader Immunization systems. While your primary focus will be on disease elimination and eradication strategies for lasting health improvements, you’ll also champion innovative, data-driven methodologies for pathogen control. This includes, for instance, developing and applying methods that utilize molecular data. You’ll also tailor intervention mixes and optimize vaccine delivery systems.
In this role, you’ll play a pivotal part in shaping strategies. You’ll guide teams that develop and leverage dynamic epidemiological modeling tools, geospatial analysis, and indeed other advanced methods. Your work will inform the design and operation of disease elimination and eradication programs. This involves, furthermore, integrating crucial factors like social determinants of health, mobility dynamics, and environmental stressors into program design. Additionally, you and your teams will help shape novel data collection efforts that support these programs. Ultimately, therefore, your contributions will be critical. You’ll inform the foundation’s evolving approaches to achieving equitable health outcomes, particularly in LMICs. A successful Disease Modeling Director truly makes a difference here.
Therefore, this position demands exceptional leadership from a Disease Modeling Director in epidemiological modeling and public health systems. It also requires the ability to translate complex analytics into actionable, policy-ready insights. Effective collaboration, both within and beyond the Gates Foundation, is paramount as you partner with internal and external stakeholders. This partnership, in turn, drives meaningful change in addressing health disparities and enhancing eradication successes.
What You’ll Do: Leading Disease Modeling Efforts as Director
As the Disease Modeling Director, you’ll design and implement cutting-edge quantitative modeling and analytical projects. These projects, therefore, will evaluate and guide the foundation’s investments in eradication strategies, vaccine deployment, and systems-level optimization.
- Apply Predictive Models: Utilize stochastic, agent-based, and systems dynamic models to assess and predict intervention impact. This is especially true for vector-borne and climate-sensitive diseases like malaria and dengue. You’ll also incorporate knowledge of mobility patterns, labor migration, and informal economies in transmission dynamics.
- Drive Data-to-Decision Pipelines: Transform strategic questions into actionable research. This process, for example, spans hypothesis generation, simulation, and stakeholder-ready insights. Inform investments in new data made by other Gates Foundation teams. Emphasis will be on approaches that integrate real-world data, community-based surveillance, and contextual analysis. This is a core function for a Disease Modeling Director.
- Translate Complex Findings: Convert intricate research into impactful tools, visualizations, publications, and presentations. These will, in turn, support policy decisions and programmatic action. This includes, moreover, developing outputs like interactive dashboards and rapid response frameworks. These support timely epidemic responses and real-time surveillance.
- Advance Scientific Rigor: Enhance IDM’s modeling toolkits, codebase management, and cloud-based infrastructure. Your role as Disease Modeling Director ensures results are rigorous, scientifically sound, scalable, and policy-relevant.
- Lead & Grow Diverse Teams: Oversee and mentor diverse, multidisciplinary teams. These include epidemiologists, modelers, climate-health specialists, and data scientists. This fosters an environment of collaboration, equity, psychological safety, and continuous learning. As a manager of managers, you’ll further mentor your direct reports in leadership and management skills. This leadership is key for any Disease Modeling Director.
- Cultivate Partnerships: Collaborate with national malaria control programs, regional health ministries, and global research networks. This leads to co-designed research agendas and implementation frameworks. Moreover, partner with polio eradication efforts and Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) programs worldwide.
- Represent IDM: Serve as a key representative for IDM in global forums, which includes supporting cross-sector initiatives.
Your Experience: Qualifications for a Disease Modeling Director
We’re looking for a strategic and grounded scientific leader. You should bring innovation, humility, and a systems mindset to the complex landscape of disease eradication and global health equity.
Required Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in epidemiology, applied physics, statistics, climate-health, computer science, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent applied experience.
- Candidates for Disease Modeling Director roles typically bring 10+ years of experience leading advanced modeling, public health analytics, or interdisciplinary research programs. These programs, importantly, should bridge science, strategy, and implementation.
- A successful Disease Modeling Director will possess deep technical expertise in predictive modeling, simulation of disease transmission, and applying modeling tools to support public health programs in LMICs.
- Demonstrated success in creating collaborative platforms. This includes advising national disease control programs and co-developing targeted intervention strategies. This is particularly true in regions such as South Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Your experience will be crucial as a Disease Modeling Director.
- Experience integrating environmental, mobility, and climate risk data into health system modeling. This, in turn, informs localized, adaptive strategies.
- Demonstrated innovation in developing new sources and types of data. This, consequently, informs epidemiological modeling and analysis.
- Strong background in translating research into scalable tools and frameworks for decision-makers. This includes even rapid-response settings and pandemic preparedness contexts.
- Track record of inclusive leadership and team building, with a commitment to capacity strengthening, ethical research practices, and global equity.
- Excellent communicator and coalition-builder, adept at engaging both technical and non-technical audiences. This ranges from grassroots health programs to global policy forums.
- Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
Salary
The salary range for this role is $261,700 to $405,700 USD. However, for our Seattle and Washington D.C. offices, the range is $285,300 to $442,100 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we balance competitive pay with our overarching mission. New hire salaries typically fall between the range minimum and the midpoint. This depends on your job-related skills, experience, and expertise.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We’re founded on the belief that all lives have equal value. Therefore, we’re committed to fostering a global and cultural workplace that embraces greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. This applies to voices, ideas, and approaches. This commitment, in turn, is embedded in all our employment practices.
Consequently, all applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment. This is guaranteed regardless of 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.
Why Join Us?
At the Gates Foundation, you can put your talents to use. It’s a fast-paced, stimulating organization where you can make an outsized impact. Indeed, our employees consistently report feeling proud to work here. What’s more, they’re willing to go above and beyond in service of our mission to reduce inequities. The impact of a Disease Modeling Director directly contributes to these efforts. Discover more about the employee experience and our commitment to DEI and Employee Resource Groups.
Job Requisition ID: B020983
Apply today and help us fight poverty, disease, and inequity around the world!
