Is Gates Foundation a good company to work for?

Gates Foundation has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 699 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 63% of employees would recommend working at Gates Foundation to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Gates Foundation have been left by employees working as Program Assistant , Senior Program Assistant and Associate Program Officer .

Does Gates Foundation pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Gates Foundation employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Gates Foundation. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Gates Foundation?

63% of Gates Foundation employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Gates Foundation 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.4 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Gates Foundation?

Program Officer (56) , Program Assistant (40) , Senior Program Officer (36) , Deputy Director (20) , Senior Program Assistant (16) , Associate Program Officer (12) , Program Coordinator (11) , Project Manager (9) , Director (7) , Program Manager (7) , Senior Officer (6) , Associate Strategy Officer (5) , Consultant (5) , Intern (5) , Senior Program Coordinator (5)

What are the pros of working at Gates Foundation according to real employee reviews?

"Benefits are great and very comprehensive" ((in 135 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 59 reviews)); "Fantastic and smart colleagues" ((in 50 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 22 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 13 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Gates Foundation according to real employee reviews?

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 39 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 25 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 20 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 19 reviews)); "Terrible work/life balance." ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Gates Foundation layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Gates Foundation layoffs and their outlook for job security at Gates Foundation in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Gates Foundation locations?

Seattle , Washington , New York , Chicago , Ridgewood , North Chicago , Vienna , Phoenix , Omaha , Arlington , San Antonio , Virginia , Los Angeles , Mountain View , Palo Alto , United , Laurel , Jacksonville , Boston , Cambridge , Springfield , South Seattle

Gates Foundation reviews

3.7

63% would recommend to a friend

(561 total reviews)

Mark Suzman

81% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (561 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Gates Foundation has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 561 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Gates Foundation employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Nonprofit & NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

561 reviews

5.0

Feb 5, 2017

They treat you right!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Incredibly talented group of people. Endless opportunities to learn and be exposed to new topics and approaches. Felt valued by the team I worked with.

Cons

Can be very political at times and experience depends on the team and people you work with. A lot of egos to manage as everyone comes from a place where they are used to running the show.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you felt valued from your team and I hope you are engaged with our alumni network.

3.0

Jul 4, 2016

Program Officer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent pay and great welfare; Smart and experienced colleagues; Great vision and mission; strong focuses on academic and scientific fact bases

Cons

Slow-paced and bureaucracy, Seattle campus oriented which makes regional offices have little authority and budget to make investment call, Lack of clear career path.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. If you'd like to provide more specific feedback to me, I'd be happy to schedule a call with you. Thanks. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

3.0

Dec 17, 2012

Golden Handcuffs-- Hard to leave but not great to stay

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

When you land on a good team with good people, you are surrounded with the smartest, brightest, funniest people. Benefits are out of this world.

Cons

From the perspective of someone on the lower end of the food chain, I am floored how bad the attitude towards admins and PCs are here. Many people in those positions have masters degrees and remarkable backgrounds in the biggest names in the world. And once you arrive at BMGF the attitude is shut up, print this, schedule that. I once pushed back, and was told point blank that 700 people applied for my job, so if I would like to be somewhere else that wouldn't be a problem for them. It always seems like the minute I decide I am done they send me to Africa, loop me in on a big project, or I meet someone amazing. Golden handcuffs, I swear. I wouldn't say that I regret my time here...but unless you want to be an admin for a while and settle in to the role, I would not advise someone taking a lower level job here in the hopes of an amazing opportunity, which is what I did.

Viewing 553 - 555 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Associate Communications Officer, Social Media

Senior Communications Officer, Creative Partnerships (Limited Term Role*)

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Senior Research Scientist, Population Health Modeling (Nutrition and Disease) (*2-year LTE)

Coordinator, Business Project Management (Convenings) (LTE until 31 December 2027)