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 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.
Program Overview:
Zimbabwe has made important progress in improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes over the past two decades. However, preventable maternal and child deaths remain unacceptably high, driven by challenges such as limited access to quality health services, health workforce shortages, weak data systems, and inequities in service delivery. The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), is working to accelerate progress towards national goals for reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality.
The Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) program focuses on expanding access to quality maternal and newborn care, including emergency obstetric and neonatal services, while also supporting the scale-up of essential child health interventions such as immunization, nutrition, and management of common childhood illnesses. A central responsibility of this role is to lead the design, planning, and implementation of initiatives that strengthen the MNCHN workforce, ensuring that health workers are equipped with cost-effective, life-saving products, devices, and other innovations. The program also works to enhance the availability and use of reliable data to inform policy and program decisions, build the capacity of health workers, and strengthen supply chains so that essential commodities reach the point of care. In addition, the program drives innovation and pilots new approaches that can be scaled sustainably by the government. By working hand in hand with government and partners, CHAIโs MNCHN program aims to ensure that every mother, newborn, and child in Zimbabwe has the opportunity to survive and thrive.
Position Summary:
CHAI is looking for a Senior Program Manager for Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) who will provide strategic leadership, technical oversight, and managerial direction for CHAI Zimbabweโs portfolio of Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition programs. This role is central to our mission of reducing maternal and child mortality in Zimbabwe. The Manager will be responsible for designing evidence-based interventions, managing a high-performing team, securing and managing grants, and fostering deep, productive relationships with government partners, especially the MoHCC, and other key stakeholders.
This is a senior-level position requiring a combination of technical expertise in MNCHN, proven program management skills, exceptional diplomatic and communication abilities, and a passion for achieving measurable impact.
Travel for this position can be expected at ~20% of the time, mostly within Zimbabwe. The position will report to the Country Director.
Responsibilities
Develop and refine the strategic direction for CHAI Zimbabweโs MNCHN portfolio in close collaboration with the MoHCC and other partners.Lead the design and planning of innovative, evidence-based programs to address critical bottlenecks in the MNCHN continuum of care (e.g., antenatal care, emergency obstetric and newborn care, postnatal care, immunization, nutrition).Provide leadership in the design, planning, and delivery of initiatives that strengthen the MNCHN workforce, ensuring they have access to affordable, high-impact products, devices, and innovations that save lives.Identify new funding opportunities, lead the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals, and engage with potential donors to secure funding for MNCHN initiatives.Provide overall management and coordination of all MNCHN projects, ensuring activities are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.Oversee project implementation, ensuring alignment with government priorities and seamless execution across target districts.Proactively identify and mitigate project risks and solve operational challenges.Serve as CHAIโs primary MNCHN liaison and a trusted advisor to the MoHCC.Provide high-quality technical assistance to government partners in policy development, strategy formulation, and implementation planning.Represent CHAI at national and sub-national technical working groups, committees, and forums related to MNCHN.Lead, manage, and mentor a team of program staff, fostering a supportive and high-performance culture.Promote effective coordination and collaboration within the MNCHN team and with other CHAI program teamsOversee the monitoring and evaluation of all program activities, ensuring robust data collection and analysis to track progress against key performance indicators.Use data rigorously to inform decision-making, adapt program strategies, and demonstrate impact.Lead the preparation and dissemination of high-quality reports for donors, the government, and CHAI leadership.Qualifications
Advanced degree (Masterโs or higher) in Public Health, Business Administration, International Development, or a related field.Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in a demanding, results-oriented environment, with at least 5 years in a senior management role designing and implementing public health programs.Deep technical knowledge of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health issues in low-resource settings. Experience working in Zimbabwe or similar contexts in sub-Saharan Africa is highly desirable.Proven experience successfully managing large, complex health programs and multi-year grants (e.g., from donors like FCDO, BMGF, CIFF, USAID).Demonstrated track record of building and maintaining strong relationships with government officials and multilateral organizations. Experience working directly with the MOHCC is a significant advantage.Exceptional team leadership and people management skills, with experience building and mentoring a diverse team.#jobreference3 #region3