Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery Job Vacancy 2026 – Addis Ababa
Gates Foundation
Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, ET
Role description
The Gates Foundation is hiring a Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery for its Africa-focused work in AI, digital health, primary health care, and health systems strengthening . The position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , and offers a three-year Limited-Term Employee (LTE) appointment .
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The role focuses on developing and managing AI and digital health investments across Africa, strengthening evidence and learning, supporting government and country-office teams, and helping scale technology solutions that improve primary health care and health systems.
Job Summary
Employer: Gates Foundation Job Title: Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery Job Reference: B021783 Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Employment Type: Full-time Contract Type: Limited-Term Employee (LTE), 3-year term Department/Team: Exemplars in Global Health (EGH), Africa Team Experience: At least 10 years of senior-level relevant experience Education: Advanced degree in public health, medicine, data science, computer science, engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience Travel: Up to 30% within Africa and globally, including the USA Application Deadline: October 25, 2026
About the Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is a nonprofit organization working to address poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Its Global Development Division works with partners to expand access to health products and services and support stronger health systems.
The Exemplars in Global Health (EGH) team studies health outcomes, primary health care systems, and service delivery approaches to identify evidence and practical lessons that can help policymakers, practitioners, and funders strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes.
This position is embedded within the Africa Team and connects the Africa AI & Digital function with EGH's AI & Digital Health Evidence & Learning work.
About the Position
The Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery will advance AI-driven solutions designed to strengthen primary health care and health systems across Africa.
The role will manage a portfolio of AI and digital health investments across multiple countries and levels of health systems. It will also provide technical expertise to the Ethiopia Country Office, Nigeria Country Office, Africa Regional Office, and Exemplars in Global Health team .
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The successful candidate will have strong technical expertise in AI and digital systems for healthcare, substantial knowledge of primary health care and health systems programming in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and experience applying technology to improve evidence generation, decision-making, and health outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and manage a multi-country portfolio of AI and digital health investments supporting primary health care and health systems. Lead due diligence, establish results frameworks, milestones, and KPIs, and monitor investment performance. Assess investment sustainability, affordability, recurrent costs, government adoption, and public value. Strengthen collaboration between EGH, Ethiopia Country Office, and Nigeria Country Office. Provide technical support for the design, procurement, deployment, scaling, and evaluation of AI and digital health solutions. Support governments in identifying high-value AI opportunities and making informed build, buy, and partnership decisions. Advise on responsible AI governance, procurement, technology partnerships, and integration into government systems and budgets. Provide technical and analytical support to teams managing AI and digital health investments. Advise on AI use cases involving patient engagement, self-care, clinical decision support, and health system administration. Support the integration of AI investments with primary care platforms and priority health areas, including immunization, maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning, malaria, HIV, and TB. Help ensure new digital tools integrate with existing systems and workflows rather than operate as separate solutions. Contribute to AI and digital health strategies, frameworks, and internal AI-for-health initiatives. Develop country-level learning that can contribute to EGH's cross-country and global learning agenda. Assess how ethics, data governance, regulation, infrastructure, and policy affect AI deployment. Apply monitoring and evaluation perspectives to assess when and how AI contributes to health outcomes. Synthesize lessons from investments and country-level implementation into practical evidence on the effective use of AI and digital technologies in health systems. Track promising innovations from proof of concept through sustainable scale and identify risks, capability gaps, and opportunities. Prepare technical briefs, investment memoranda, presentations, and other materials for internal and external audiences. Build relationships with governments, technical partners, academic institutions, technology companies, innovators, implementers, and funders. Coordinate the AI and digital health ecosystem in priority countries and promote interoperable and reusable approaches. Monitor developments in AI and digital health, particularly their application to African health systems and primary health care.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
Advanced degree in Public Health, Medicine, Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering , or a related field; or equivalent experience.
Professional Experience
At least 10 years of senior-level experience advancing digital and AI-driven solutions for primary health care and health systems in Africa and/or leading related learning initiatives in applied data science, AI, digital health, or a related technical field. Experience applying innovative technologies to improve evidence generation, decision-making, and health outcomes is essential. Experience in global health programming, particularly primary health care and health systems strengthening, is strongly preferred. At least 3 years of experience living and working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) .
Technical and Programmatic Expertise
Familiarity with AI applications in healthcare and public health, particularly in low-resource settings. Strong knowledge of primary health care delivery and health systems strengthening in LMICs. Understanding of the relationship between primary care platforms and health areas such as immunization, maternal and child health, malaria, HIV, TB, and nutrition. Experience with grant making and portfolio management, including due diligence, investment structuring, and managing grants or projects through results. Experience working with governments, Ministries of Health, NGOs, implementing partners, academic institutions, and global funders.
Core Skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at different levels. Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities. Strategic thinking and ability to align AI solutions with program goals and impact metrics. Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary, cross-functional, and matrixed teams. Cultural sensitivity and adaptability across diverse country contexts. Ability to work effectively in complex and ambiguous environments. Innovative mindset, intellectual curiosity, attention to detail, and strong learning orientation. Ability to build trusted relationships with senior government and partner stakeholders.
Other Requirements
Ability to travel up to 30% within the African continent and globally , including travel to the USA. Successful completion of a background check is required as part of the hiring process.
Employment Details
Position: Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery Reference: B021783 Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Job Type: Full-time Contract: 3-year Limited-Term Employee (LTE) Application Deadline: October 25, 2026
Read Travel Guides
The role focuses on developing and managing AI and digital health investments across Africa, strengthening evidence and learning, supporting government and country-office teams, and helping scale technology solutions that improve primary health care and health systems.
Job Summary
Employer: Gates Foundation Job Title: Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery Job Reference: B021783 Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Employment Type: Full-time Contract Type: Limited-Term Employee (LTE), 3-year term Department/Team: Exemplars in Global Health (EGH), Africa Team Experience: At least 10 years of senior-level relevant experience Education: Advanced degree in public health, medicine, data science, computer science, engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience Travel: Up to 30% within Africa and globally, including the USA Application Deadline: October 25, 2026
About the Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is a nonprofit organization working to address poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Its Global Development Division works with partners to expand access to health products and services and support stronger health systems.
The Exemplars in Global Health (EGH) team studies health outcomes, primary health care systems, and service delivery approaches to identify evidence and practical lessons that can help policymakers, practitioners, and funders strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes.
This position is embedded within the Africa Team and connects the Africa AI & Digital function with EGH's AI & Digital Health Evidence & Learning work.
About the Position
The Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery will advance AI-driven solutions designed to strengthen primary health care and health systems across Africa.
The role will manage a portfolio of AI and digital health investments across multiple countries and levels of health systems. It will also provide technical expertise to the Ethiopia Country Office, Nigeria Country Office, Africa Regional Office, and Exemplars in Global Health team .
Shop African Art
The successful candidate will have strong technical expertise in AI and digital systems for healthcare, substantial knowledge of primary health care and health systems programming in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and experience applying technology to improve evidence generation, decision-making, and health outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and manage a multi-country portfolio of AI and digital health investments supporting primary health care and health systems. Lead due diligence, establish results frameworks, milestones, and KPIs, and monitor investment performance. Assess investment sustainability, affordability, recurrent costs, government adoption, and public value. Strengthen collaboration between EGH, Ethiopia Country Office, and Nigeria Country Office. Provide technical support for the design, procurement, deployment, scaling, and evaluation of AI and digital health solutions. Support governments in identifying high-value AI opportunities and making informed build, buy, and partnership decisions. Advise on responsible AI governance, procurement, technology partnerships, and integration into government systems and budgets. Provide technical and analytical support to teams managing AI and digital health investments. Advise on AI use cases involving patient engagement, self-care, clinical decision support, and health system administration. Support the integration of AI investments with primary care platforms and priority health areas, including immunization, maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning, malaria, HIV, and TB. Help ensure new digital tools integrate with existing systems and workflows rather than operate as separate solutions. Contribute to AI and digital health strategies, frameworks, and internal AI-for-health initiatives. Develop country-level learning that can contribute to EGH's cross-country and global learning agenda. Assess how ethics, data governance, regulation, infrastructure, and policy affect AI deployment. Apply monitoring and evaluation perspectives to assess when and how AI contributes to health outcomes. Synthesize lessons from investments and country-level implementation into practical evidence on the effective use of AI and digital technologies in health systems. Track promising innovations from proof of concept through sustainable scale and identify risks, capability gaps, and opportunities. Prepare technical briefs, investment memoranda, presentations, and other materials for internal and external audiences. Build relationships with governments, technical partners, academic institutions, technology companies, innovators, implementers, and funders. Coordinate the AI and digital health ecosystem in priority countries and promote interoperable and reusable approaches. Monitor developments in AI and digital health, particularly their application to African health systems and primary health care.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
Advanced degree in Public Health, Medicine, Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering , or a related field; or equivalent experience.
Professional Experience
At least 10 years of senior-level experience advancing digital and AI-driven solutions for primary health care and health systems in Africa and/or leading related learning initiatives in applied data science, AI, digital health, or a related technical field. Experience applying innovative technologies to improve evidence generation, decision-making, and health outcomes is essential. Experience in global health programming, particularly primary health care and health systems strengthening, is strongly preferred. At least 3 years of experience living and working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) .
Technical and Programmatic Expertise
Familiarity with AI applications in healthcare and public health, particularly in low-resource settings. Strong knowledge of primary health care delivery and health systems strengthening in LMICs. Understanding of the relationship between primary care platforms and health areas such as immunization, maternal and child health, malaria, HIV, TB, and nutrition. Experience with grant making and portfolio management, including due diligence, investment structuring, and managing grants or projects through results. Experience working with governments, Ministries of Health, NGOs, implementing partners, academic institutions, and global funders.
Core Skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at different levels. Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities. Strategic thinking and ability to align AI solutions with program goals and impact metrics. Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary, cross-functional, and matrixed teams. Cultural sensitivity and adaptability across diverse country contexts. Ability to work effectively in complex and ambiguous environments. Innovative mindset, intellectual curiosity, attention to detail, and strong learning orientation. Ability to build trusted relationships with senior government and partner stakeholders.
Other Requirements
Ability to travel up to 30% within the African continent and globally , including travel to the USA. Successful completion of a background check is required as part of the hiring process.
Employment Details
Position: Senior Program Officer, AI & Digital Health Delivery Reference: B021783 Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Job Type: Full-time Contract: 3-year Limited-Term Employee (LTE) Application Deadline: October 25, 2026