Country

Cameroon

City

Yaounde

Type

Full Time

Program (Division)

Country Programs - Cameroon

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: 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. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this role

Cameroon Program Overview

CHAI started working in Cameroon in 2007 with a focus on improving access to HIV diagnosis, care, and treatment. We are helping to increase access to pediatric and second line antiretrovirals as well as strengthening HIV laboratory systems to better diagnose the disease. Since then, our partnership with the government of Cameroon has evolved to include cross-cutting health system strengthening efforts, including supporting the roll out of universal health coverage. We are also working to strengthen the health product supply chain, introduce and roll out innovative point-of-care technologies and cold chain equipment to ensure the potency and delivery of lifesaving vaccinations. CHAI has also supported the government in its efforts to save the lives of women and infants through mentoring of healthcare workers, increasing access to long-acting contraceptives, and introducing new and improved vaccines for diseases such as cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV), rotavirus, diarrhea, and poliomyelitis.

CHAI is equally supporting the government to improve access to medical oxygen and the national public health laboratory to decentralize COVID-19 testing. In addition, we are collaborating with the ministry of health to improve access to cancer treatment by lowering prices and enabling procurement of key chemotherapy drugs. Furthermore, we are working with the government through its National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), to build sustainable access to timely and high-quality information across relevant levels of the health system and help programs to routinely use data and generated analytics to inform programmatic and strategic planning and operations.

CHAI recently initiated engagement with the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health (MoH) to strengthen the clinical research ecosystem in Cameroon, the Central African Sub-region and Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. Through this engagement, CHAI in collaboration with the Design Analyze and Communicate (DAC) arm of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to promote an enabling environment for the conduct of clinical research in Cameroon and the African continent, with informativeness as a core guiding principle and foundational value for planning and running clinical research projects. The project seeks to help investigators to optimize their studies for informativeness and impact by building their capacity to integrate the 16 DAC best practices for clinical research in their research protocols, as well as the use of other novel tools such as the open-source clinical trial simulation software, target policy profile, statistical analysis and communication plan templates amongst others. Towards this vision, the DAC-Africa (DAC-A) Pilot will establish a local presence in Cameroon, with the aim of constructing an Africa-based network of clinical research experts to customize and apply DAC processes and tools for the African context.

Overview of Role

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated individual to work as Associate, DAC-A pilot, to support the implementation of DAC-A activities in Cameroon. The Associate will support efforts to deliver DAC-A pilot program objectives, under the guidance of the Program Manager and other team members. The Associate will manage different components of the program including engaging with various stakeholders at continental and national levels. The Associate will provide both strategic and technical support to relevant stakeholders to meet project-specific objectives and milestones within stipulated timeframes.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the successful candidate will work with team members across CHAI, as well as with DAC-A leadership and steering committee. The Candidate will therefore need to have deep personal commitment to producing high quality work, and possess strong communication, organizational, and management skills. The candidate will equally be required to work independently and proactively to drive implementation of program activities.

The Associate will report to the Program Manager, DAC-A pilot. This position will be based in Yaoundé – Cameroon. 

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with various clinical research stakeholders including, sponsors (e.g EDCTP, Wellcome trust, BMGF etc.), research institutions and network of excellence (e.g., University of Buea, Institut Pasteur Dakar, KEMRI etc.).
• Lead the development of terms of references (TORs) for DAC-A steering committee, leadership team or advisory board, review committees and Trial Planning Grants.
• Adapt DAC best practices for clinical research to the African context.
• Develop guidelines, workplans, budgets and other materials for key activities.
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to assess progress against project goals on a regular basis in coordination with the Program Manager and provide prioritized recommendations to address key identified gaps.
• Stay up to date with the latest knowledge, skills, policy/strategic guidance and industry trends in the clinical research space.
• Contribute to strategic areas for expansion and support Program Manager in fundraising efforts.
• Develop and review strategic plans, national guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials and other project related documents with support from program manager.
• Perform scientific literature review on relevant topics as needed.
• Synthesize results and communicate them through high-quality, influential presentation materials suitable for varying audiences, reports and publications.
• Perform other duties that may be assigned by the Program Manager and Senior Program Leadership.

• Master’s degree in public health, development, policy or related field.
• 4+ years of working experience in positions with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership.
• Experience working with government officials and multilateral organizations
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills, entrepreneurial spirit, ability to operate without extensive structural or operational support.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, ability to build strong and effective working relationships with government and NGO representatives.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English for business purposes, including the ability to prepare and present compelling presentations.
• Proficiency in French.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and/or other data-analysis tools.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and high-pressure environment, to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and to effectively prioritize.
• Strong openness to feedback and willingness to improve.

Advantages

• PhD in in Epidemiology, Public Health, Operational Research, Clinical trials or any related field.
• Experience living or working in resource-limited settings.
• Experience in the introduction and scale up of new products in the public/private sector.
• Experience developing strategic plans, policies, guidelines, terms of references and SOPs.
• Technical knowledge and experience in the area of clinical research as attested by a history of peer-reviewed publications.
• Management consulting or private sector experience with a focus on, report/grant writing and project management.

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