Role Overview
The Principal Officer, Global Lead for BD&L for Global Access will support the Foundation’s Agriculture Development Program Strategy goals to execute strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities that advance agricultural productivity, sustainability, farmer livelihoods, and food and nutrition sovereignty for smallholder farmers in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The role operates across three core areas: leading complex partnerships with private-sector actors to enable access to and adoption of priority technologies; shaping market systems by aligning incentives across value chain actors to support scalable solutions; and building a pipeline of externally developed innovations with strong potential for adaptation and scale.
Responsibilities
Opportunity Sourcing & Market Scanning (Origination)
- Proactively identify, source, and evaluate externally developed innovations and business models outside traditional agricultural R&D pathways.
- Develop and maintain a forward-looking pipeline of transformative opportunities originating outside the Foundation.
- Facilitate high-quality opportunity assessments and diligence reviews.
- Evaluate commercial and scaling prospects, including integrated supply-and-demand pathways for adoption.
- Act as a thought partner to Agriculture Development teams by introducing externally sourced, market-ready innovations.
Deal Structuring, Negotiation & Partnership Design
- Structure and co-lead complex agreement transactions advancing agriculture development innovations (seeds, crop protection, livestock systems, etc.).
- Negotiate sophisticated agreements with multinational and regional partners, including agribusinesses and research organizations.
- Structure and negotiate demand-side mechanisms, including offtake agreements and processor-backed models.
- Design results-based and market-shaping incentive structures (e.g., adoption-linked payments, risk-sharing mechanisms).
- Structure partnerships that incentivize private-sector actors to adapt and localize innovations for LMIC markets.
Transaction Execution, Delivery & Internal Leadership
- Lead partnerships focused on enabling distribution and adoption of agricultural technologies through private-sector channels in Africa.
- Serve as a transaction lead and point of coordination across portfolios, conducting partner diligence and building internal alignment.
- Establish collaborative relationships with internal partners (Legal, Finance, Product Launch/Scale teams).
- Ensure all deal structures are aligned with internal policies and legal/regulatory constraints.
- Manage multiple concurrent transactions across geographies and partners.
Requirements
- Experience: 12+ years of business development, licensing, or commercial partnership experience, with demonstrated success in complex deal-making environments.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA/MSc/MA) preferred.
- Sector Expertise: Agriculture or livestock sector experience is a strong advantage.
- Market Knowledge: Experience supporting commercialization and distribution of agricultural technologies in LMIC markets, particularly Africa.
- Negotiation Skills: Demonstrated track record of leading and negotiating successful transactions with multinational corporations.
- Leadership: Proven ability to lead cross-functional diligence and agreement teams.
- Travel: Willingness to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally.
Skills and Qualifications
- Strong negotiation skills and stakeholder interest management.
- Solid understanding of legal and intellectual property (IP) considerations related to licensing.
- Experience designing results-based financing or risk-sharing structures.
- Strong understanding of agricultural value chains and demand generation dynamics in Africa.
- Excellent communication, analytical, and business modeling capabilities.
- Inclusive, collaborative team player with a passion for the Foundation’s mission.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online via the Gates Foundation career portal at gatesfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com.
