Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Associate, Sub-Saharan Africa, Strategic Investment Fund
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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
In 2009, the foundation established its Strategic Investment Fund with the mandate to use equity, debt, and guarantee investment tools to further the philanthropic goals of the organization. Making investments out of a $2.5 billion fund, the fund has become a leader in the “impact investing” industry, successfully completing more than 110 investments across a number of the foundation’s strategic priority areas, which include programs in global health, global development, gender equality, and US education.
Investments are made in support of the charitable impact theses of the strategy teams which employ technical experts from around the world. Representative past investments from the fund include:
- $11 million Series A preferred equity investment in bKash, Ltd., the largest mobile payments platform in Bangladesh serving more than 80 million unique customers across 500M monthly transactions.
- $55 million Series B preferred equity investment in BioNTech SE, a commercial biotechnology company developing immunotherapies for cancer and mRNA vaccines for infectious disease (IPO September 2019).
- +$300 million combined volume guarantees to Mylan Laboratories and Aurobindo Pharma to support the introduction and supply of new HIV drugs at affordable prices in low-income countries.
- €10 million Series C preferred equity investment in Aphea.Bio, an agricultural biotechnology company developing crop biostimulant and biocontrol/protection products.
- $5 million Series B preferred equity investment in Pula, a leading insurtech company providing risk protection to over 4 million farmers annually across Africa; and
- $300 million loan to Gavi and the Serum Institute of India to support scale-up of COVID-19 vaccines for low and middle-income countries.
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Investments from the fund are structured as “program-related investments,” which is a defined term in the US Internal Revenue Code that governs charitable investments made by private foundations.
Your Role
The Strategic Investment Fund is seeking an Associate, Sub-Saharan Africa, Strategic Investment Fund, to grow the investment portfolio by driving thesis formation, deal origination, investment execution, and investment management activities with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and an opportunity to work in other geographies.
This is a full-time role, based at the foundation’s office in London. Relocation will not be provided. The postholder reports to the Director, Program Related Investments.
What You’ll Do
It is expected that the Associate will focus on the following responsibilities:
- Work closely with foundation program strategy teams to understand their impact objectives and partner with technical colleagues to form investment theses and source potential investments in Sub-Saharan Africa through active outreach and relationship-building within the entrepreneurial and investment communities.
- Join deal teams that include program technical experts, legal, and investment colleagues to execute new investments, including: performing initial evaluation, participating in shaping conversations with the company, determining investment structuring, leading the due diligence process and financial modeling, and negotiating definitive legal documentation.
- Present investments to the foundation's Investment Committee.
- Participate in all aspects of portfolio management, potentially including as an observer of the board of directors, through facilitating interactions between portfolio companies and foundation program teams, proactively identifying and mitigating key strategic, financial, and legal opportunities/issues, and ensuring that the Investment Committee and leadership are informed on the impact/financial performance across the portfolio.
- Ensure high-quality interactions and provide clear and consistent communications with internal and external stakeholders.
Your Experience
We anticipate that the successful candidate will be an Analyst, Associate, or Principal from a venture capital, growth equity, leveraged buy-out fund, investment bank, or strategy consulting firm.
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The candidate should have meaningful experience in identifying and/or assessing investment opportunities, conducting commercial and financial due diligence, supporting transaction execution, and building trusted relationships with founders, management teams, and C-level executives.
The candidate should have a strong interest in principal investing, intellectual curiosity, sound commercial judgment, and a genuine commitment to the foundation’s mission of advancing innovative and scalable approaches to social impact.
Other Attributes
- Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic, and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.
- Ability to travel up to 25% internationally.
- *Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
Application deadline: 30 September 2026
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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
We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support—we’re happy to help. Please contact HR@gatesfoundation.org with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.
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.
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