State Lead/ Senior Program Officer - Sickle Cell Disease

Country
India
Type
Full Time
Program (Division)
Country Programs - India
Additional Location Description
Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Overview

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to our mission of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work at the invitation of governments to support them and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems. 

CHAI was founded in 2002 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goal of dramatically reducing the price of life-saving drugs and increasing access to these medicines in the countries with the highest burden of the disease. Over the following two decades, CHAI has expanded its focus. Today, along with HIV, we work in conjunction with our partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work has also expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, and we work to accelerate the rollout of lifesaving vaccines, reduce maternal and child mortality, combat chronic malnutrition, and increase access to assistive technology. We are investing in horizontal approaches to strengthen health systems through programs in human resources for health, digital health, and health financing. With each new and innovative program, our strategy is grounded in maximizing sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, that programs are designed to scale nationally, and learnings are shared globally.  

At CHAI, our people are our greatest asset, and none of this work would be possible without their talent, time, dedication and passion for our mission and values. We are a highly diverse team of enthusiastic individuals across 40 countries with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with majority of our staff based in program countries. 

The William J Clinton Foundation (WJCF) is an Indian not-for-profit entity, registered under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act 2013 and has an affiliation agreement with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). WJCFs mission is to save lives and improve health outcomes in the country by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. WJCF has been working closely with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and Departments of Health at the state level since 2007 providing technical as well as operational support to various programs such as COVID-19 disease, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, vector-borne diseases (lymphatic filariasis and kala azar), syphilis, cervical cancer, diabetes, maternal and childhood anemia, immunization, under 5 diarrhea and pneumonia, sexual and reproductive health, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), hypoxemia and oxygen, safe drinking water, sickle cell disease, and climate and health.

Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

About the Project:

Odisha is India’s highest-burden states for sickle cell disease (SCD), with significant prevalence among the state’s Scheduled Tribe population. The disease also co-occurs with thalassaemia, with co-inheritance of haemoglobin disorders widely documented among tribal communities in the region.

The Government of India launched a national sickle cell anaemia elimination mission in July 2023 with the goal of eliminating SCD as a public health problem in India by 2047. In alignment with this mission, the Government of Odisha has been progressively strengthening its haemoglobinopathy programme under NHM, including community screening initiatives and efforts to expand access to diagnostic and treatment services across high-burden districts.

To meet the program goals, there is an urgent need to improve access to screening and treatment services for Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia, especially among tribal populations. WJCF’s SCD program aims to strengthen health systems to ensure widespread access to quality products and services. The program aims to expand access to SCD diagnostic and management services through technical assistance to the state of Odisha complemented by implementation support in high burden districts.

Position Summary:

The Senior Programme Officer/ State Lead will support the design and implementation of the Sickle Cell Disease program in the state of Odisha. Working closely with government counterparts, health facility teams, and community stakeholders, the officer will ensure effective rollout of program activities aimed at expanding access to screening, diagnosis, and management services for SCD and Thalassaemia, with a focus on tribal and high-burden populations.

The Senior Programme Officer/ State Lead will coordinate field-level activities, supervise and mentor district coordinators, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and ensure timely reporting and documentation. Additionally, the officer will contribute to designing innovative service delivery models, supporting capacity-building initiatives, and driving data-driven decision-making through robust monitoring frameworks.

WJCF seeks a proactive and resourceful professional with strong program management skills, field experience in public health, and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have a postgraduate degree in public health or related fields, and 5 years of relevant experience.

The position requires 30% travel to program implementation sites within Odisha and for meetings with stakeholders. Fluency in Odia and English and willingness to travel extensively within Odisha are essential.

We are seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding problem-solving and communication skills. The candidate must be able to function independently and have a strong commitment to excellence. WJCF places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, humility, responsibility, accountability, tenacity, independence, energy, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities
  • Support the Program Manager in planning, executing, and monitoring Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia interventions across districts and blocks in Odisha.
  • Coordinate with state, district and block health officials to support implementation of SCD and Thalassaemia initiatives focused on expanding screening coverage, strengthening diagnostic pathways, and improving access to treatment and follow-up care for affected individuals and carriers.
  • Assist in capacity-building initiatives, including training of ASHAs, ANMs, Medical Officers, and facility staff on SCD and Thalassaemia protocols and service delivery models.
  • Monitor field-level activities, conduct supportive supervision visits, and provide real-time feedback to improve program quality and coverage.
  • Lead documentation and reporting, including data collation, preparation of program reports, success stories, and meeting briefs.
  • Facilitate stakeholder engagement at district and block levels, ensuring alignment with government priorities and WJCF objectives.
  • Assist in piloting innovative service delivery models and pilot interventions to strengthen haemoglobinopathy systems.
  • Ensure robust monitoring and evaluation by supporting data-driven decision-making through dashboards and field reporting tools.
  • Respond promptly to operational challenges and critical situations with structured action plans and coordination across stakeholders.
  • Undertake other responsibilities as needed.
Qualifications
  • Postgraduate degree in Public Health, Health Management, Population Studies, or equivalent.
  • Minimum 5 years of experience in public health or community-based programs.
  • Familiarity with Hemoglobinopathies or Maternal and Child Health programs, health systems strengthening, and government health structures.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to interpret health data for decision-making.
  • Proficient in MS Office tools and field-level data reporting.
  • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills with ability to work in challenging field environments.
  • Fluency in Odia and English (speaking, reading, writing in both languages) is mandatory.
  • Willingness to travel extensively within Odisha.

Advantages:

  • Experience working with government on health systems strengthening at state and/or district level.
  • Experience with digital health interventions and data-driven program monitoring.
  • Strategically minded, able to think creatively around long-term program objectives and implementation pathways.
  • Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
  • Ability to multi-task with high degree of ownership and commitment to excellence.
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Last Date to Apply: 22nd June 2026


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