Country

United States

City

or CHAI Program Country

Type

Full Time

Program (Division)

Innovation - Maximum Impact Incubator

Additional Location Description

Role is flexible to be based in CHAI program countries, pending leadership approval and work authorization

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 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 skill sets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with the majority of our staff based in program countries. Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI values diversity and inclusion, and recognizes that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse experience, backgrounds, and culture.

Lead Exposure Program Overview

Lead (Pb) exposure is a silent yet devastating global health crisis, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Roughly 1 in 2 children in LMICs have elevated blood lead levels, contributing to neurological damage, reduced cognitive development, and a range of serious health impacts.

CHAI's Lead Exposure program builds on our proven capabilities and experience partnering with governments to address large-scale and cross-sectoral health challenges. The program operates across several strategic pillars, including market shaping and governance.

CHAI’s approach to Governance focuses on establishing or revitalizing multi-sectoral coordination structures, typically Technical Working Groups (TWGs), Technical Support Units (TSUs), or similar platforms, that enable evidence-based strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, and sustained implementation. Through our work in other health areas (e.g., oxygen, assistive technology, infectious disease), such structures have been shown to be highly effective in driving strategy development and coordinating program delivery, leveraging efforts not just of governments but also of NGO partners and private sector players.

These structures are designed to be government-owned and action-oriented. CHAI often serves formally or informally as the secretariat, helping drive follow-through while respecting, maintaining and ensuring government ownership and leadership. We typically work discreetly behind the scenes to build capacity and momentum. Across all settings, our goal is to ensure coordination platforms are not symbolic or siloed, but actively drive strategy development and implementation. Our support is dynamic by design, working in partnership with government to chart a strategic direction with the flexibility to adapt and respond based on changing needs or emerging issues.

As a key pillar of our Lead Exposure program, the Governance team is responsible for supporting high-impact direct engagements with governments in LMICs at the national and subnational level. The Governance function also supports the systems, relationships, and operations that enable the Lead Exposure program to function effectively and sustainably. This includes cross-country program management and monitoring, engagement with global partners, fundraising and donor stewardship, and the internal operations that underpin our programmatic impact.

Geographic priorities include Nigeria and India, with potential for expansion to additional geographies over time.

Position Overview

This is an exciting and challenging role to help address one of the most pressing global health challenges while scaling CHAI's Lead Exposure program.

As Associate Director, Lead Exposure Strategy & Operations, you will serve as the strategic and operational backbone of the Lead Exposure program’s Governance work, with a particular focus on supporting impactful engagements with national and subnational government partners. You will ensure that country teams are well-supported and well-coordinated, that program performance is rigorously tracked, and that relationships with governments, donors, and partners are proactively managed.

You will work closely with the Senior Director and Vice President of Innovation, alongside colleagues in CHAI's Global Markets, Global Diagnostics, and country teams. You will coordinate across country-level implementation and global programmatic functions to ensure coherent strategy and efficient delivery.

We are seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding problem-solving abilities and communication skills who share CHAI's values. The Associate Director must be able to function independently, recruit and manage talented staff, and demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence. CHAI places great value on qualities such as humility, resourcefulness, and tenacity.

The base location is flexible and could include CHAI program countries, pending Country Leadership approval. Due to time zones and existing team location, we have a strong preference for candidates within 7 hours of US Eastern Time. This role will require up to 20% travel.

Program Management & Monitoring

• Develop and maintain cross-country management tools — including KPI dashboards, work plan trackers, and regular program review processes — to monitor progress against grant milestones and strategic objectives.
• Partner with country teams to identify and resolve emergent programmatic issues, providing problem-solving support and escalating where needed.
• Coordinate cross-country learning and lesson-sharing to ensure insights from one country context are systematically applied across the program portfolio.
• Maintain a strategic view of the overall program portfolio, tracking interdependencies across country and thematic workstreams.

Technical & Programmatic Support to Country Teams

• Partner with country teams to develop in-country implementation roadmaps and work plans, drawing on experience from across the program, the global lead community, and broader multisectoral governance work.
• Provide targeted strategic and programmatic support to in-country implementation — including engaging global or regional stakeholders, providing technical input into country-level work products, and adapting global frameworks for country-specific needs.
• Interface with internal expert teams (e.g., CHAI's Global Markets, Global Diagnostics) to bring in relevant expertise for program execution.

Partnerships & External Engagement

• Maintain collaborative relationships with key global partners and peer organizations working in the lead exposure space, and support country teams in building and maintaining these relationships at the country-level.
• Represent CHAI externally with donors, technical partners, and at international fora as relevant.
• Build and sustain relationships with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, and other stakeholders to advance the global lead exposure agenda.

Fundraising & Donor Stewardship

• Develop new funding concepts and lead the preparation of high-quality grant proposals, in close collaboration with the Senior Director and country teams.
• Maintain strong relationships with current and prospective funders, ensuring proactive communication, timely reporting, and accountability to donor commitments.
• Oversee donor reporting processes, ensuring outputs are accurate, compelling, and delivered on schedule.

Program Administration & Operations

• Hire, manage, mentor, and support staff within a matrixed team environment.
• Manage program hiring, onboarding, and staffing processes to build and sustain a high-performing team.
• Oversee financial management across grants and projects, including budget tracking, forecasting, and compliance.
• Liaise with CHAI headquarters functions — including Finance, HR, Operations, and Communications — on behalf of the Lead Exposure program.

Other responsibilities as needed.

• Bachelor's degree plus at least 10 years' work experience, or advanced degree plus at least 8 years' work experience, or equivalent work experience.
• Strong track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects and programs in dynamic environments.
• Experience working directly with government stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in global health, public health, environmental health, or a related field.
• Experience in program management, monitoring & evaluation, or operational roles in a global health or development context.
• Experience building and managing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional analytical (qualitative and quantitative) and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Ability to navigate complex organizational and government processes and to influence decision-making collaboratively.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Commitment to humility, resourcefulness, tenacity, and CHAI's values.
• Experience living or working in low- and middle-income countries.

Advantages

• Advanced degree in business, public health, public policy, international affairs, or related fields.
• Experience facilitating, supporting, or participating in multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms (e.g., technical working group, cross-sectoral or interministerial task force, technical support unit).
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, and donor relationship management.
• Expertise in lead exposure, environmental health, or related fields.
• Experience in the private sector (e.g., strategy consulting, investment banking, pharma, or similar fast-paced, results-oriented environments).
• Experience working remotely with decentralized teams across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Professional fluency in additional languages such as French, Hindi, Yoruba, or Swahili.

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