Senior Officer, Protective Operations

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

Global Security protects the foundation's people, facilities, and information. Within Global Security, the Protective Operations team works to ensure the safety of foundation employees worldwide.

Your Role

The Senior Officer is a member of the Protective Operations team, reporting to the Deputy Director. This role is responsible for journey management, executive protection, emergency medical response and assistance, emergency response operations at the Seattle office, and delivering training to foundation staff. Sound judgement and the ability to make independent decisions are required for this role. Travel to high-risk areas on short notice is expected.

*This is a Seattle based role. Relocation support will be provided.

 

What You’ll Do

• Journey management for employees traveling to high-risk areas, including direct support to senior leadership and special activities as assigned.
• Provide domestic and international executive protection.
• Provide medical and security support for events.

• Deliver timely assessments and mitigation strategies to counter threats to foundation activities globally.
• Monitor global threats and changes in the risk environment in collaboration with the risk intelligence team.
• Advise the risk intelligence team on changes to trusted security partners' subnational risk assessments.
• Review daily threat information to identify potential threats to the foundation.

• Design and deliver training programs, as assigned, to prepare foundation staff for high-risk travel and to maintain the Protective Operations team's critical medical and security skills (e.g., emergency response, defensive tactics, advanced driving, and emergency medical support).

• Collaborate with internal program teams to ensure foreseeable risks are considered and protective measures are implemented for staff and executives.
• Ability to perform physically demanding tasks associated with protective operations and high-risk travel, including lifting and carrying up to 65 lbs, prolonged standing or walking, and extended periods of travel across multiple time zones.
• Ability to work in environments with extreme temperatures, high altitude, limited infrastructure, and reduced access to medical care.
• Demonstrated advanced firearms proficiency (e.g., tactical/defensive shooting) required; prior law enforcement, military, or executive protection firearms training strongly preferred.
• Be available to deploy outside standard hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Augment and assist the Seattle campus security team as a member of the emergency response team, as assigned.

 

Your Experience

• Bachelor's degree with ten or more years of documented success in a government, military, private sector, or NGO security role.
• EMT-B required; EMT-P, ACLS, and BLS instructor certification preferred.
• Documented success providing close protection to VIPs and executive level staff.
• Significant experience working in high-risk environments.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound, timely decisions independently.
• Strong interpersonal/communication skills, including the ability to represent Global Security to Senior level audiences as a subject matter expert.
• Verifiable experience exercising sound judgment and responding appropriately under stressful or emergency conditions
• Extensive experience designing and delivering experiential training to a global workforce.
• Knowledge of protective operations procedures, domestic and international.
• Ability to manage vendor relationships, expectations, and outcomes effectively.
• Ability to travel internationally on short notice, including to high-risk locations.
• Advanced/defensive driving certification preferred.

Any offer of employment for this role is contingent upon successful completion of applicable pre-employment screening requirements, including a background investigation and, after a conditional offer of employment, medical and psychological evaluations administered by Foundation-designated provider(s). These evaluations are intended to assess whether the candidate can safely and reliably perform the essential functions of this safety-sensitive role, with or without reasonable accommodation, consistent with applicable law.

 

*Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located.

 

The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1,  E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

 

#SC-LI2

The salary range for this role is $157,400 to $236,000 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 $173,100 to $259,700 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.

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

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support—we’re happy to help. Please contact HR@gatesfoundation.org with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.

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.