Senior Program Officer, Modified Mosquito Products and Launch

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

The Team
Our Malaria Program Strategy Team (PST) invests in innovation to reduce the burden of and eradicate malaria worldwide. Annually, malaria causes 250M+ cases and 500k+ deaths, and our strategy is to enable countries and the global community to achieve eradication in a way that saves as many lives as possible on the way. This means we 1) invest early in long-term development and deployment of new tools and capabilities to shorten the endgame, 2) partner with others to introduce innovations at-scale to drive down burden more aggressively in the short-term, and 3) support countermeasures to the evolution of biological resistance, which threatens the effectiveness of our diagnostics, drugs, and insecticides. We focus on high-burden countries and invest in the innovation to improve the performance, coverage, and targeting of interventions for all three, including ‘moonshots’ like genetically modified mosquitoes and vaccines. A fundamental enabler of interventions is accurate, timely, and geo-localized targeting. To improve this, we advocate for and support countries in their use of data, as well as invest in the roll-out of next-generation technologies, like molecular surveillance and digital transformation of country programs.

Application Deadline: November 23, 2025, at 11:59pm PDT

Your Role

As Senior Program Officer for Malaria Genetically-Based Vector Control Product Introduction, Launch, and Manufacture, you will lead the development and operationalization of modified mosquito production and launch infrastructure, as part of our broader malaria eradication strategy. You will be responsible for designing and managing a portfolio of high-impact investments related to:

• The development of gene drive-ready mosquito mass-rearing facilities,
• Regulatory and biosafety pathway advancement,
• Monitoring and evaluation of early deployments,
• Developing cost-effectiveness projections based on trial data,
• Stakeholder engagement across countries, regions, and communities,
• Partnership development across public, private, and multilateral sectors, and
• Market and ecosystem readiness for modified mosquito vector control tools.

This role requires deep expertise in vector control, transgenic mosquitoes and biological control methods), and proven experience in managing complex, cross-sectoral programs in malaria-endemic regions.

This work will require a broad range of internal and external collaborations, and working with the Malaria PST, you will interface with internal foundation functional teams such as the Integrated Development Team managing Regulatory investments, the Policy, Advocacy and Communications team, as well as country programs and foundation country offices.

What You’ll Do

• Drive the development and execution of the strategy for modified mosquito production and deployment infrastructure, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s malaria eradication goals.
• Contribute to the refinement of the gene drive roadmap, in partnership with internal and external experts, to enable timely and safe field release and integration into public health programs.
• Oversee the planning, design, and potential co-investment in insectary infrastructure and other mosquito production and launch systems, with attention to scalability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Facilitate cross-learning from other biologically-based control programs (e.g., Wolbachia, SIT).
• Lead internal matrix teams and represent the malaria PST in relevant foundation-wide working groups and leadership forums.
• Guide investments and collaboration related to national and international regulatory frameworks for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including compliance with the Cartagena Protocol.
• Work with matrix partners partnering with biosafety and ethical review bodies to ensure responsible and transparent deployment of gene drive technologies.
• Act as a thought leader and advocate for innovative vector control at scientific meetings, regulatory forums, and with donor and partner organizations.
• Communicate complex technical and strategic content to diverse audiences, including internal foundation leadership and external stakeholders.

Your Experience

We are looking for team members who are mission driven, technically strong, strategically adept and experienced in innovative production facilities for biological control of insects. Candidates must be excellent team players who are excited to work in a completely novel space that requires creativity and dedication.

• MSc or above, or equivalent experience in Entomology, Molecular Biology, Public Health, Vector Biology, Biological control of Insects or related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive responsibility in global health, vector control, or public health entomology programs.
• At least 5 years managing complex programmatic or scientific initiatives related to insect rearing/manufacturing, vector-borne disease control, or biotech product introduction and/or logistics, multisectoral programs in LMICs.
• Deep expertise in genetic engineering technology an advantage.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively in matrixed environments.

Other Attributes

• Ability to navigate and resolve ambiguity with strategic clarity and creativity.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills with experience in evidence-based decision-making.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally

The salary range for this role is $208,600 to $323,400 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $227,400 to $352,400 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

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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.