Associate, Sexual Reproductive Maternal & Newborn Children Health at Clinton Health Access Initiative – Freetown, Western Area

Country: Sierra Leone
City: Freetown

Type: Full Time

Program (Division): Country Programs - Sierra Leone

Telecommute: ..
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 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

CHAI established its presence in Sierra Leone in 2015 and has since evolved into a strategic partner to the Ministry of Health (MoH), supporting health systems strengthening across Human Resources for Health, Supply Chain, RMNCAH-N, malaria, vaccines, assistive technology, geospatial data, and medical oxygen. CHAI prioritizes sustainable, government-led impact at national scale.

Position Overview

CHAI Sierra Leone is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Associate to support two complementary program workstreams: the introduction and scale-up of hormonal intrauterine devices (H-IUDs) as part of the national family planning (FP) agenda, and the optimization of pediatric HIV treatment through the adoption of the new dispersible triple fixed-dose combination dolutegravir-containing product (pALD) for children living with HIV (CLHIV). The Associate will work closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH), implementing partners, and CHAI global and country teams to translate strategy into measurable on-the-ground results.

This is an excellent opportunity for a driven early-career professional to contribute to high-impact programs in reproductive health and HIV, while building expertise in health systems strengthening in a dynamic country context.

Responsibilities:

• Support the MoH in operationalizing the national H-IUD introduction plan across the three priority districts of Bo, Port Loko, and Western Area Rural, coordinating logistics, facility readiness, and stakeholder engagement.
• Assist in planning and coordinating competency-based provider training for approximately 120 providers across 40 high-volume facilities, including scheduling, preparation of training materials, and participant tracking.
• Support post-training mentorship and MoH-led supportive supervision activities to reinforce provider skills and quality of care.
• Coordinate facility activation efforts, including ensuring availability of required equipment, client education materials, job aids, registers, and commodities—in collaboration with MoH and UNFPA.
• Monitor family planning service delivery and commodity stock status, flagging supply gaps for timely resolution.
• Support targeted demand generation activities, including engagement with community health workers, peer educators, community leaders, and media platforms,
• Contribute to integration of H-IUD services into postpartum FP and post-abortion care services.
• Compile and analyse program monitoring data, prepare regular progress reports, and contribute to donor reporting requirements.
• Conduct a needs assessment with the Ministry of Health and key partners to identify technical assistance required to support and accelerate the national adoption of pALD for children living with HIV.
• Support the development of a national pALD implementation plan, including timelines, rollout strategies, and coordination with key partners.
• Support review and adaptation of national guidelines, treatment protocols, training materials and job aids related to paediatric HIV treatment.
• Assist with product quantification and forecasting processes to reflect the transition to pALD, working with supply chain counterparts and the national HIV program.
• Facilitate coordination with regulatory authorities to support timely product registration and introduction where applicable.
• Represent CHAI in relevant national and global working groups on paediatric HIV treatment optimization, documenting discussions, tracking action items, and sharing progress updates.
• Track program progress and contribute to semi-annual progress reporting against agreed metrics and support ongoing monitoring of transition targets.
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with MoH counterparts, partner organizations (Global Fund, UNFPA, and others), and CHAI global technical teams.
• Contribute to knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and programmatic evidence.
• Support the Country Director and Program Leads in strategic planning, proposal development, and other emerging priorities as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in public health, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social sciences, or a related field; a master's degree is an advantage.
• 2–4 years of professional experience in global or public health program implementation, ideally in low- or middle-income country settings.
• Demonstrated experience or strong interest in at least one of the following areas: sexual and reproductive health, family planning, HIV/AIDS, or supply chain management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, synthesize, and interpret health data to inform programmatic decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to produce clear technical documents and reports for diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently, manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-cultural, multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with data management tools or platforms is an advantage.

Advantages

• Experience working with or within Ministries of Health or government health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Familiarity with IUD service delivery, provider training methodologies, or community-based demand generation in FP programs.
• Knowledge of pediatric HIV treatment landscapes, including dolutegravir-based regimens and pediatric HIV commodity supply chains.
• Experience supporting donor-funded programs (Global Fund, FCDO, Unitaid, or similar).
• Experience with facility-level health information systems and routine health data reporting (e.g., DHIS2).
• Knowledge of Sierra Leone's health system is a significant advantage.

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