Senior Officer, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, India & China
- Company
Gates Foundation
- Location
New Delhi, India
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Strategy & Innovation
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Experience
10 - 11 years
- Date Posted
23-Oct-2025
- Application Deadline
10-Nov-2025
About Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.
Overview of the Role
The Senior Officer, DEI is a DEI Subject Matter Expert (SME) and will lead the foundation’s DEI efforts in India and China. This role will act as a thought partner by providing guidance, advice, partnership, and execution support to key stakeholders that include but are not limited to senior leadership, partners, and functional teams for the purpose of continuous improvement in service of increased impact and effectiveness of the foundation’s DEI strategy in country. The SO will design and deliver context specific DEI content that may be used by participants across the foundation. This role requires a deep understanding of the operational realities of both offices and proactive collaboration and vision with senior levels organization-wide to ensure common messaging, sensitivity and shared expectations.
Job Description
• Strategic DEI Leadership: Act as a DEI subject matter expert (SME), providing thought partnership, insights, and guidance to leadership and teams in India and China.
• Planning & Implementation: Lead the development and implementation of the DEI strategy and workstreams for teams in India and China.
• Advisory & Consultation: Partner with senior leadership, working groups, and regional leads to drive progress on strategic priorities while aligning closely with the foundation’s overarching approach.
• DEI Integration into Business Functions: Collaborate across multiple teams and divisions to ensure priorities such as engaging across differences and contexts are connected to operational, talent management, and programmatic efforts.
• Cultural & Regional Alignment: Provide context-specific DEI guidance, ensuring initiatives reflect the global and local landscape.
• Partnership & Engagement: Collaborate with internal teams (i.e. DEI, Office of the Chief People Officer) and external consultants to develop resources and tools.
• Change Management & Capability Building: Collaborate with HR Business Partners to support people, managers and leadership and teams in fostering an inclusive culture through coaching, tools, and structured initiatives.
• DEI Content Design and Delivery: Lead context (including diverse voices from the local communities) informed DEI content development and facilitate learning and engagement efforts.
• DEI portfolio and partner management: Manage external partners, contracts, and portfolios that support the DEI strategy in both India and China.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
• Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and adaptability across diverse cultural, geographic, and operational contexts, with a proven commitment to development issues and the highest standards of integrity.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.
Education
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field
Experience
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in DEI or a closely related discipline at a senior level. • Experience designing, implementing tools, processes, learning agendas, and indicators that are aligned with organizational strategies and priorities, and drive meaningful impact. • Experience developing and facilitating dialogue sessions, learning spaces, and staff engagement initiatives, especially for global organizations and contexts. • An ability to establish leadership credibility and build trusted relationships with leaders and employees at all levels of an organization to influence approach and behavior shifts. • Experience thinking critically, objectively, and strategically about opportunities and developing alternate paths to solutions. Ability to be agile and prioritize under pressure. • Demonstrated ability to manage a considerable workload, achieve results and drive complex work to conclusion, including getting results through others. • Experience operating effectively in a high pressure and collaborative environment. Outstanding interpersonal skills and humility, and a demonstrated ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy, and lead and influence individuals from a diverse group of backgrounds and at different levels. • Ability to communicate effectively and lead change management. • Capable of using and adapting DEI expertise across multiple geographies and cultural contexts.