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. 62% 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?

62% 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 143 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 57 reviews)); "Fantastic and smart colleagues" ((in 50 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 15 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 11 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 36 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 25 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 22 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 21 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

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Gates Foundation

Gates Foundation reviews

3.7

62% would recommend to a friend

(561 total reviews)

Mark Suzman

81% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Culture & values

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Career opportunities

2.9

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

561 reviews

5.0

May 17, 2022

Great mission, improving culture

Senior program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to work with amazing people on some complex and important global and domestic challenges. Increasingly intentional focus on inclusive culture and equitable partnerships.

Cons

Hectic and political work environment, and priorities are still set from the top so a lot of time spent managing up.

4.0

Sep 9, 2021

Great benefits and mission, no career tracks

Head of portfolio management

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are unbelievable Pay is solid, though perhaps a bit less than industry (due to lack of bonuses) People-focused mission Travel opportunities are great - not too much, great locations Brilliant employees Supportive of a work-life balance

Cons

No career ladders They only hire experts, and you have to demonstrate experience before you'll get an opportunity to do something (i.e., no stretch opportunities) Most employees are workaholics, and it's hard not to get sucked into that mentality

3.0

Mar 27, 2018

Too many layers and constant process change

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent pay and benefits. Flexibility in developing and managing grants.

Cons

Too many layers of "managers" and "consultants" with minimal development experience between program officers and the co chairs. More talk about "rigor" and "intellectual dialogue" than actually existed.

Gates Foundation Response

We continue to reflect and rethink on the many types of diverse skills, experiences backgrounds and life stories we need to realize our audacious goals. Your advice on hiring backgrounds is appreciated. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 106 - 108 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

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

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

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

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

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Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great mission, improving culture

Great benefits and mission, no career tracks

Too many layers and constant process change

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