HIV Systems Program Manager

Overview:


About the Clinton Health Access Initiative:


The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems in the developing world and expanding access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. CHAI’s solution-oriented approach focuses on improving market dynamics for medicines and diagnostics; lowering prices for treatment; accelerating access to life-saving technologies; and helping governments build the capacity to provide high-quality treatment.



Since its establishment in 2002 by President William J. Clinton, CHAI has worked on the demand and supply sides of the market to help more than 2 million HIV+ people access treatment—representing nearly half of all people and 2 out of 3 children on HIV/AIDS treatment in developing countries. Building on this model, CHAI has expanded its scope to include efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery systems and to combat malaria and childhood illnesses.



In 2007, CHAI signed an MOU with the government of Uganda to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and strengthen health systems. Since then, CHAI has worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health to increase access to lifesaving pediatric HIV treatment by >400%; coordinate with private sector suppliers to lower costs and expand access to malaria drugs; pilot a point-of-care diagnostic technology, leading to scale up to >250 health facilities nationwide; introduce a new severe malaria drug which will save thousands of lives annually; and many other initiatives. Currently, CHAI Uganda works with the Ministry of Health around HIV, malaria, childhood illnesses, laboratory systems and drug logistics.

Position Description:
The HIV Systems Program Manager will lead a team of ~4 to manage CHAI’s Pediatric HIV and Laboratory Systems portfolio.

Pediatric HIV:

Each year in Uganda, roughly 20,000 infants are infected with HIV through transmission from their mother. This is the second leading cause of HIV transmission in the country. Yet through the provision of appropriate drugs during the pregnancy and breastfeeding period, this number can be drastically reduced. The Uganda Ministry of Health has made great progress in expanding access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services, but quality of care and patient retention remain serious challenges. For those infants who do become infected with HIV, roughly 50% of them die by the age of two without intervention. However, the provision of care and treatment can allow them to live long and healthy lives. While Uganda has made great progress is scaling up access to HIV treatment for children, there is still a major disparity between adult and pediatric treatment rates, with less than 30% of eligible children receiving life-saving treatment.

The Program Manager will lead CHAI’s efforts to provide technical support to the Uganda Ministry of Health to develop and strengthen health systems critical to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) and early infant diagnosis (EID). In close conjunction with the Ministry and NGO partners, the Program Manager will seek to enhance existing systems and develop new ones to provide a high quality, cost-effective continuum of care for HIV+ women and their children.  The set of interventions will include the use of innovative mHealth solutions.

Laboratory Systems:

In 2012, the Government of Uganda began a national rollout of point-of-care (POC) CD4 testing machines to over 250 health facilities. CD4 is the crucial diagnostic test to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART). Access to CD4 testing, currently quite low in Uganda, is critical to guiding appropriate scale up of HIV treatment. These POC diagnostic machines, which are smaller and significantly easier to use than traditional CD4 machines, will allow lower level facilities to monitor CD4 without having to send blood samples to larger facilities, thus drastically increasing access.

The aim of point-of-care products is to bring diagnostics closer to the patient, reducing the key barriers to access.  A number of new technologies that have recently become available or are in the pipeline have the potential to increase access to treatment, improve patient retention, and make healthcare systems more efficient.

The Program Manager will oversee CHAI’s work with the Ministry of Health of Uganda to support the evaluation, adoption, and uptake of new diagnostic technologies.  The Program Manager will work on strengthening systems around the point-of-care machines currently in use in Uganda. This will involve assisting the Ministry of Health with evaluation of the existing program, forecasting the need for supplies, and supporting the development of mentorship programs.
As new technologies become available, the Program Manager will focus on creating a conducive regulatory and policy environment for their use in Uganda and strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Health to adopt and appropriately scale up new technologies. The Program Manager will also oversee analysis of the diagnostics market in Uganda in order to assist CHAI’s Laboratory Systems Team in negotiations with global device manufacturers.

The Program Manager will spend ~15% of his/her time travelling domestically, primarily to regions with limited facilities.


Responsibilities:


•Oversee all aspects of CHAI’s Pediatric HIV and Diagnostics portfolio, including planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting
•Set program direction and goals, defining targets and measuring program performance across the program
•Supervise a team comprised of ~4 staff, which includes former management consultants, doctors, and public health professionals
•Identify and pursue new areas of work and partnerships that will have dramatic and leveraged impact on health outcomes for patients
•Navigate political complexities to build and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders in government, international partners, donors and NGOs, and ensure coordination of resources and efforts
•Work with Ministry of Health to develop capacity and create sustainable systems to ensure ongoing access to the most effective diagnostics and pediatric treatment nationwide
•Assist the Ministry of Health in the development of policies and strategic plans to support the effective delivery of pediatric and diagnostic services
•Design and implement monitoring and evaluation systems to measure impact and assess progress against project goals
•Develop progress reports for MOH, CHAI’s global teams and donors
•Other responsibilities, as needed


Qualifications:


•Master’s Degree in business administration, medicine, public health or a related field, or equivalent job experience
•A minimum of 5 years experience in a rigorous private or public position, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership
•Exceptional communication and relationship management skills with the ability to diplomatically and clearly communicate complex ideas with well developed structure and logic
•Comfort working independently with a diverse set of counterparts. (Experience in a consultative capacity, especially in a multicultural setting, is an added advantage)
•Ability to navigate complex government processes, favorably influence decision-making in a professional and collaborative manner, and build strong relationships with government officials
•Ability to develop and execute a coherent programmatic strategy, amidst substantial ambiguity and changing circumstances
•Ability to lead as a team player, manager, and role model, demanding top performance from oneself and the entire team
•Strong quantitative skills, including proficiency in Excel
•Ability to create compelling, logical presentations and reports, using PowerPoint, Word and other media
•Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and achieve maximum impact and efficiency with limited resources
•Strong work ethic, flexibility, and a personal commitment to producing results
•CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, entrepreneurialism, flexibility, independence, humility, and work ethic

Advantages:
 •Experience in a rigorous private sector environment such as strategy consulting or finance
•Experience working in public health, particularly with a focus on HIV/AIDS
•Experience with mHealth and/or a strong IT background