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 India Country Office (ICO) plays a pivotal role in advancing the foundation’s mission through strategic engagement with government, partners, and stakeholders across sectors. As one of the foundation’s largest and most active country programs, the ICO supports a wide portfolio of initiatives spanning health, gender equality, agriculture, and digital transformation. The office works closely with national and state-level institutions to pilot and scale innovations, influence systems, and deliver meaningful impact for the people of India and beyond.

The Digital, Health Innovations and Artificial Intelligence (DHAI) cluster is a core enabler for key goals of the ICO across our portfolio.

On the health innovation front, the cluster is focused on new products such as vaccines, drugs, microbiomes, small molecular drugs, devices including AI-enabled, diagnostics, devices, modeling, and other data science approaches that are crucial to many programs. The foundation has also been partnering with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), BIRAC, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and private sector players to strengthen health product R&D in India. Our aim is to help India serve as a credible source of supply for life-saving innovations for diseases that affect the poorest.

Our digital work includes technical assistance support to key central government departments and certain state agencies in the development, roll-out and scale up of digital architecture in health, gender and poverty reduction, and helping to study impact.

The newest addition to our work is in AI, where we aim to catalyze Indian innovation, in close collaboration with Government (Central and select States) efforts, on foundation’s priority sectors, such as health, education, gender and agriculture. Our work focuses on ethical and responsible AI adoption, ensuring that advancements in AI drive positive impact, reduce inequities, and support the strategic goals of governments in India, as well as select countries in the South and Southeast Asia region.

Your Role

The Deputy Director, Health R&D, DHAI will lead strategic planning, investment management, and partnership engagement to accelerate India’s health innovation agenda, leading a team of experts in the areas of vaccines, biologics, diagnostics, medical devices, microbiomes, small molecule drugs. The role will shape and oversee a portfolio of initiatives to enable India’s contributions to global health R&D and product development for diseases affecting the poorest communities.

The postholder will be based at the foundation’s ICO in New Delhi, and report to the Director, Health R&D, Digital Innovation and AI.

What You’ll Do

1. Core Responsibilities

• Lead the India Health R&D strategy execution aligned with ICO and global health impact priorities, focusing on infectious diseases and maternal-child and health of women and girls

• Shape and manage a high-impact portfolio of R&D investments across vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, devices, microbiomes, small molecule drugs and relevant AI.

• Assess and advise on technical feasibility and risks of innovation product pipeline candidates and prioritize R&D portfolio of investments accordingly.

• Lead and manage a team of investment officers with expertise across these areas and manage cross-functional project teams within the DHAI cluster.

• Advise team members on sequencing investments to accelerate the development of a diverse portfolio products given local and global market contexts and needs.

• Collaborate within the ICO and across global program strategy and functional teams, to advance product development and innovation to impact at scale journey across the Health R&D portfolio.

• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with Indian government agencies, academia, and the private sector.

• Serve as a senior advisor to foundation leadership on India-specific product development and innovation strategies to support impact efforts for India and for the world.

• Represent the foundation in national forums, consortia, and policy dialogues related to health innovation and R&D.

• Ensure governance and regulatory compliance across all R&D initiatives, including adherence to local, international guidelines, ethical standards and protocols.

• Maintain strong engagement with regulatory bodies to support product development pathways and policy alignment.

• Prepare briefs, as needed, for senior leadership meetings and visits.

2. Performance Management and Risk Mitigation

• Track key performance indicators, identify emerging risks or misalignments, and enable timely course correction.

• Establish effective systems for performance monitoring, reporting, and learning.

3. Operational Excellence

• Lead processes related to budgeting, investment planning, and portfolio strategy across the DHAI cluster, working closely with Strategy and Portfolio Planning & Management functions.

• Support implementation of shared tools and systems that enhance efficiency and cross-team alignment.

4. People Management

• Lead a high performing team and foster a positive team culture that enables the group to have agency and thrive.

• Mentor and grow talent within the team to take on challenges that we anticipate for the future.

5. Leadership Support

• Act as a strategic thought partner to the Director to shape strategic priorities across the cluster, identify emerging opportunities for impact,

• Provide analytical insights, synthesizing complex information, and helping prepare internal and external briefings.

• Support stakeholder engagement and communications across internal teams and external partners.

• Track emerging trends and key players across India’s health innovation ecosystem to inform strategic engagement and investment decisions.

• Enable a positive team culture that enables the group to thrive.

Your Experience

• Advanced degree like PhD, MD, or Masters in Life Sciences, Biomedical Engineering or related field is preferred.

• At least 12 years of experience in leadership roles, preferably R&D, within public or private sector, preferably in India (and ideally internationally as well).

• Strong biomedical product development end-to-end R&D experience if possible (preclinical > clinical trials > licensure > manufacturing scale-up) in one or more of the following areas: vaccines, biologics, diagnostics, medical devices, microbiomes, small molecule drugs.

• Familiarity with India’s R&D and regulatory ecosystem in the private sector and public sector, including DBT, ICMR, CDSCO, CSIR.

• Proven track record in building and managing cross-sectoral senior level partnerships in India.

• Proven leader with strong program management skills, adept at driving results in complex global matrixed environments by navigating ambiguity, managing shifting priorities, and bringing clarity within and across multiple teams and divisions.

• Experience in global health product development, regulatory processes, and technology transfer preferred (e.g. familiarity with WHO PQ).

• Demonstrated commitment to innovation, inclusion, and impact at scale.

• Strong listening, verbal, and written communications skills; ability to calibrate input and synthesize information to connect with diverse audiences.

• Strong understanding of strategic planning, performance management, and cross-functional coordination.

• Previous experience of leading and facilitating annual program/portfolio reviews, generating insights, developing strategic frameworks, and translating analysis into persuasive narratives, visualizations, and presentations for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience in global development, global health, or government systems in India, is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Exceptional organizational and analytical skills, including systems thinking, coordination, results orientation and operational rigor.

• Proven ability to work with senior leadership and influence across teams without formal authority but with trust.

• A high-level of personal initiative and ability to be proactive and create a vibrant and positive culture in a rapidly evolving environment, combined with the ability to stay focused on long-term vision.

• Expert in communication, facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and forge strong partnerships with a diverse set of stakeholders internally and externally.

Other Attributes

• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behaviour with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.

• Ability to travel up to 30% largely to engage with stakeholders and oversee projects.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Application deadline: 22 October 2025

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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.