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Gates Foundation

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Great place to work, but not a place where everyone will thrive - Program Officer Gates Foundation Employee Review

4.0
Jun 6, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

1. Opportunity to play a part in addressing some of the biggest, most important challenges of our time 2. You'll get professional opportunities here you won't get anywhere else (e.g. who you get to work with, events you get to participate in, speakers that come to the foundation) 3. Unparalleled benefits 4. Beautiful workspace 5. Very flexible working schedule

Cons

You're experience will vary widely team-by-team, but basically: 1. The foundation has yet to create a culture and work environment where people of different backgrounds can thrive. Right now, it favors workaholic types with American communication styles (e.g. speaking in bullets, very direct) 2. Pretty much constant change--the decision-making process for which is not always transparent or fair. 3. While the CEO and executive leadership team are trying to address this, managers are generally pretty weak. Don't expect a lot of time or support in terms of mentorship or support to grow your career. 4. Because there are few open positions, it can be hard to "move up"--especially from PO to SPO and SPO to DD.

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Gates Foundation Response
8y
In reading your thoughtful comments, my sense is that there's near universal agreement amongst all of us at BMGF on these "pros".... as well as wide agreement these "cons" can be improved upon, with continued genuine commitment, to make an even better foundation. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

Explore other reviews about Gates Foundation

5.0
Apr 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Everyone is aligned to the mission. Fantastic benefits.

Cons

These could be pros for some but travel and ambiguity are things to deal with

3.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mission-based work Diverse, passionate employee base Healthcare benefit Parental leave and support Unlimited PTO

Cons

Poor work-life balance Perfectionist culture Unreasonable expectations with working hours High levels of burnout Retaliation for setting boundaries with working hours Culture resistant to prioritization of work

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