JOB DESCRIPTION

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

As part of the Gates Foundation (GF), the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) mission is to support global efforts to eradicate infectious diseases and achieve permanent improvements in health by developing, using, and sharing computational modeling tools and promoting quantitative decision-making. The IDM team is composed of research scientists and software developers who create advanced models of disease transmission, develop computational tools to inform global disease eradication policy, conduct analysis of epidemiologically- and policy-relevant data, and identify and address critical knowledge gaps.

The Discovery Product and Surveillance (DPS) team at IDM advances disease control by producing analytical insights that increase programmatic effectiveness. We achieve this through modeling, data integration, and developing innovative tools to support targeted and equitable public health decisions. Our rigorous modeling helps identify key drivers of disease risk and intervention outcomes. DPS aims to improve understanding of how products and interventions will perform in the real world and to generate evidence across pathogens, within individuals and among populations.

Application Deadline: Application review for this position will begin in January 2026. We encourage interested candidates to submit their materials in advance to the application deadline of Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

Your Role

We seek a Principal Research Scientist to join the DPS team to lead efforts in dynamic modeling of tuberculosis (TB) to support the design, evaluation, and strategic deployment of TB prevention and treatment products. This candidate will be central to advancing our scientific understanding of TB epidemiology and refining and applying TB transmission models that capture the nuances of disease risk, natural history, and intervention impact to inform product development and public health impact strategies. The candidate will adapt knowledge, ideas, and research methodology from different disciplines to develop innovative approaches to longstanding challenges in the field of global health and clearly communicate sophisticated research methods to diverse audiences.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and develop disease modeling projects to support global tuberculosis elimination and meet foundation program needs.
• Effectively communicate insights from modeling results to senior leaders, non-technical staff, partners, and other stakeholders, ensuring that findings support programmatic decision-making.
• Establish trusted relationships with internal and external entities, such as academic institutions and industry partners.
• Serve as strategic advisor to the Deputy Director of Discovery, Products & Surveillance on modeling across topics; Advise on utilization of IDM resources across initiatives.
• Challenge fundamental approaches in TB modeling; evaluate long-standing assumptions and structures in existing TB models; make recommendations to improve TB modeling that will inform next-generation intervention discovery and development and enhance programmatic impact.
• Collaborate with topic experts, field partners, and in-country policy makers to build the right solutions to the most important problems.
• Advise and support other disease modeling projects across IDM and the Foundation as needed; and remain knowledgeable about developments in the modeling field.

Your Experience

• PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, computational biology, mathematical modeling, or a related field.
• Over 15 years of experience in infectious disease modeling, demonstrated by a strong record of publications and research; expertise in TB modeling is required.
• Recognized as an expert in the field of infectious disease modeling.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex scientific and modeling results in clear, actionable terms, translating findings into insights that support programmatic decision-making and advance organizational goals for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong programming skills, preferably including Python and R.
• Ability to design, architect, and implement a dynamic model for infectious disease transmission.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively both independently and as part of a team, including within matrixed team environments, with a primary emphasis on supporting programmatic needs and advancing the Foundation’s mission.
• Attention to detail and high standard for quality of work product.
• Experience working on collaborative projects with significant software components.
• Exceptional ability to initiate, organize, and manage research projects.
• Must be highly inquisitive, self-motivated and results oriented.

This position is based in Seattle, WA. Please apply with resume and optional cover letter.

The salary range for this role is $261,700 to $405,700 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 $285,300 to $442,100 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.

#LI-AD1

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.