Manager, Administrative Services & Engagement – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. By building a global and cultural workplace that supports greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — together with our employees and partners, we can help all people improve their lives from poverty and health to education. As an organization we offer full healthcare premiums coverage, generous paid time off, contribution to your retirement fund, several employee communities, and a commitment to embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into everything we do.

The Team

The India Country Office (ICO) business team cluster works on behalf of the organization to ensure a robust country strategy, effective and efficient planning and management of program portfolios, and dynamic learning and adaptation to achieve goals in a sustainable manner. To this end, the cluster supports strategy development and reviews, implements fit-for-purpose business and portfolio performance management systems and processes. The cluster also provides efficient, timely, and predictable administrative support and promotes strong collaboration within and across foundation teams and external partners. The Manager, Administrative Services & Engagement will play a leadership role focused on the provision of high quality, responsive administrative services and coordinating engagement activities. The position will lead and manage a team of Program Assistants who provide a wide and varied range of administrative and organizational support to leaders and staff and work closely with other teams at the ICO (Operations, External Communications), across the foundation (including offices of the CEO, Division Presidents, etc.) and externally (Government, other partners).

We are looking for an individual who enjoys working with people, thinks on their feet, and can adapt to a constantly evolving environment and priorities. They would have a bias towards collaboration and partnership and lead teams with joy and optimism.

This role reports to the Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management, and Evaluation, ICO and will also work closely with the Deputy Director, External Communications.

What You’ll Do

Managerial Duties:

• Recruit, coach, mentor and supervise an impactful team of Program Assistants who provide wide and varied administrative and organizational support ICO leaders and teams.
• Create a positive work environment where all staff are motivated to do their best. Identify the potential in others and proactively take opportunities to apply and develop that potential.
• Ensure effective and timely provision of administrative services, including management of the ICO master calendar and complex team calendars, prioritization and reconciliation of competing (occasionally ambiguous) needs, communication and coordination with internal and external partners, knowledge management and special projects.
• Continuously improve administrative and operational service provision, processes, and policies to promote internal efficiencies. Engage with administrative leaders across the foundation to share information and expertise, problem solve and innovate to advance team goals.

External & Internal Engagement Duties:

• Support the DD External Communications and other key partners in planning, coordinating and implementing the India Country Office team’s engagement with foundation’s executive leadership (Co-
• Chairs, CEO, President, Executive Leadership Team) and ICO leadership in planning, coordinating and implementing internal, cross-team and partner/grantee engagements. These include convenings/events/workshops, field visits, presentations, internal meetings and retreats.
• Engage with the Executive Office, office of the Presidents in Seattle, for timely preparation of the Advocacy & Outreach Plan and implementation of executive visits.
• Across all external and internal engagements: prioritize, manage, and track critical relationships, engagement plans, convenings and events; support trip/event preparation, including terms of reference, pre-trip travel and logistical oversight, development of terms of reference, agenda, briefs and collaterals and their distribution, correspondence; and coordinate debriefs with the executive offices/relevant partners.
• Partner with the foundation’s events team, ICO Operations team & event manager, and ICO Strategy and
• Communication Officers to ensure sound implementation of engagement plans (including meeting & travel logistics, registration, agenda and handouts, technology support and management of vendors).

Cross-cutting Duties:

• Combine foresight, strategic vision, and tactical sense to support the India Country Office to manage and navigate administrative needs and internal and external engagements.
• Ensure high quality information management to mitigate frictions when coordinating across geographies, teams, and organizations.
• Cultivate solid working relationships with staff and a broad range of senior contributors including foundation leaders, government officials, grantees and consultants.
• Lead and/or provide surge support on external engagement to ICO leadership.

Your Experience

• MBA or other advanced degree in a relevant field such as Business, Health, Engineering, or Sciences required.
• A minimum of 5+ years of progressive (including people management) experience, preferably in strategy planning roles.
• Deep experience in managing impactful teams, executive support and engagement, and external communications.
• Strong organizational skills, polished communicator with excellent writing abilities. Experience with drafting and proof-reading documents ranging from correspondence to briefs/reports and presentations essential.
• Highly organized and efficient. Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs of key partners and handle multiple tasks, complex issues, and competing priorities with strong attention to detail, timeliness and discretion.
• Can manage confidential information and situations with integrity and diplomacy, while cultivating trust.
• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational settings, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
• Able to navigate a wide range of operational issues with experience and understanding of core business fields (strategy, operations, legal, IT, HR, marketing, finance, planning, and budgeting).
• Is highly resourceful, open-minded, adaptive and comfortable with ambiguous and dynamic situations.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

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’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of 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.