Senior Program Officer, AI

Job Posting Organization:
The foundation is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Founded on the principle that every individual, regardless of their identity or circumstances, deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life, the foundation emphasizes the importance of diversity within its workforce to reflect the global populations it serves. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage without premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, retirement contributions, regional holidays, and opportunities for employees to engage in various community initiatives. The foundation is committed to fostering an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for its employees.

Job Overview:
The Senior Program Officer, AI will be responsible for leading and managing a diverse portfolio of investments in artificial intelligence (AI), collaborating closely with program teams across various sectors including health, education, agriculture, and gender equality. This role is pivotal in supporting the Government of India in achieving its strategic objectives related to AI adoption, ensuring that AI solutions are effectively scaled across India and relevant use cases are adopted in other priority regions. The position focuses on advancing AI applications that tackle significant societal challenges while promoting a robust ecosystem for AI innovation and deployment within India. The postholder will be stationed at the foundation's India Country Office in New Delhi and will report directly to the Director of Health R&D, Digital Innovation, and AI.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• AI Strategy & Portfolio Management: Develop and oversee a cross-sectoral portfolio of AI investments that encompass health, education, agriculture, and gender equality. Collaborate with various functional teams within the foundation to conceptualize and develop use cases that serve as proof points for adoption and product acceleration. Identify impactful AI use cases and drive their implementation, scale-up, and adoption in India. Align AI initiatives with digital public infrastructure strategies and key development priorities in India and the broader region. Establish structured processes for transitioning AI projects from proof-of-concept to large-scale deployment. Monitor the effectiveness, scalability, and ethical considerations of AI projects, ensuring adherence to responsible AI principles.
• Partnership Development & Government Engagement: Act as a trusted partner to relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) within the Government of India and select States, providing technical guidance on AI investments and policy development. Collaborate with AI research institutions, policymakers, startups, philanthropists, and industry players to enhance the AI innovation ecosystem. Engage with multilateral organizations, donors, and philanthropic partners to mobilize co-investment in AI initiatives. Support the development of pathways for scaling AI along with governance frameworks that align with inclusive AI principles.
• Enabling ‘AI for Social Good’ in India: Support the evaluation, benchmarking, and deployment pathways of AI models in both public and private sectors relevant to the foundation's priority areas. Work with stakeholders to address constraints such as data access, compute infrastructure, and workforce capabilities. Facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices across AI projects to improve learning and impact measurement. Strengthen and support approaches to successfully scale AI solutions in line with foundation priorities and principles. Advocate for bias mitigation, inclusive AI, and equitable access to AI-enabled services.
• Investment & Grant Management: Design, structure, and manage grants and contracts across a significantly funded portfolio to support AI-driven solutions in priority areas. Establish funding mechanisms that enable the sustainable scaling of AI solutions. Ensure that investments align with strategic goals, are structured for sustainable impact, and are effectively managed. Prepare briefs, reports, and presentations for both internal and external stakeholders regarding AI initiatives.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates should possess an advanced degree in management, computer science, data science, public policy, or a related field. A minimum of 10 years of experience in AI, digital technology, or data science is required, with a focus on applications within the development sector, particularly in health, education, agriculture, and gender. A proven track record of managing AI projects from research to implementation in low and middle-income countries or emerging markets is essential. Familiarity with India's AI policy landscape, digital public infrastructure, and innovation ecosystem is crucial. Candidates should demonstrate a collaborative history of partnering at senior levels with governments, startups, multilateral organizations, philanthropists, and academic institutions, including providing technical advisory support. Strong program and project management skills, along with experience in structuring and overseeing AI investments, are necessary. Candidates should be comfortable navigating ambiguity and solving complex problems in a rapidly evolving AI landscape, demonstrating a high level of personal initiative and proactive behavior, combined with strong relationship management skills and a focus on long-term vision. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required to engage a diverse set of stakeholders. A commitment to ethical AI, responsible innovation, and equitable technology access is essential.

Educational Background:
An advanced degree in management, computer science, data science, public policy, or a related field is preferred for this position. This educational background will provide the necessary foundation for understanding the complexities of AI applications in various sectors and the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders across different domains.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in AI, digital technology, or data science, particularly with applications in the development sector. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to manage AI projects from inception through to implementation, especially in low and middle-income countries or emerging markets. Experience in navigating the AI policy landscape in India and collaborating with various stakeholders, including government entities and private sector partners, is crucial.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory, as it is the primary language of communication within the organization and with external stakeholders. Knowledge of additional languages relevant to the regions of operation, particularly local languages spoken in India, would be advantageous but not required.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in New Delhi, India, and requires the ability to legally work in the country without visa sponsorship. The role may involve regional travel up to 30% to engage with stakeholders and oversee AI projects. The application deadline for this position is 21 April 202

• As part of the hiring process, employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. The foundation is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its hiring practices and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.