Associate Programs Director

Company: Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)

Location: Tanzania

Job Type: Full-Time

Program (Division): Country Programs - Tanzania

Telecommute: Yes

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 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 skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with 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 and Position Overview

CHAI Tanzania operates a diverse and growing portfolio of programs in close partnership with the Government of Tanzania. Current areas of engagement include HIV/AIDS, malaria, vaccines, sexual, reproductive and maternal health, cancer, health financing, medical oxygen, and mental health. Across these areas, CHAI acts as an operational and strategic partner to the Ministry of Health, providing technical assistance to strengthen, plan, monitor, and implement priority health interventions that advance national health goals and improve outcomes for the most vulnerable populations.

As the portfolio has expanded, CHAI Tanzania requires dedicated senior programmatic leadership to ensure high-quality, coordinated implementation across all program areas, serve as the primary liaison with CHAI's global program teams, and enable the Country Director to focus more strategically on government engagement, donor relations, and fundraising.

CHAI is seeking an Associate Director, Programs (AD, Programs) to provide senior leadership over CHAI Tanzania's full program portfolio. Reporting directly to the Country Director, the AD, Programs will oversee Program Managers across all program areas and serve as the primary operational and technical liaison between CHAI Tanzania's country teams and CHAI's global program teams.

The AD, Programs will be responsible for establishing the programmatic strategy for CHAI Tanzania in alignment with Ministry of Health priorities and CHAI's global strategies, and providing comprehensive oversight of implementation across all programs. The role requires a leader who can set priorities across diverse work streams, ensure programs deliver measurable results within scope and budget, and build effective coordination mechanisms to maximize impact and optimize resources across the portfolio.

The successful candidate will bring proven experience in managing complex, multi-program health portfolios; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; and a deep commitment to working collaboratively with government partners. Tanzanian nationals and candidates with experience in the Tanzanian health system are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Program Strategy and Oversight

• Establish and drive the programmatic strategy for CHAI Tanzania in close collaboration with the Country Director, aligned with Ministry of Health priorities and CHAI global strategies.
• Oversee implementation across all programs, ensuring delivery on time, within scope and budget, and with measurable results.
• Strengthen communication and coordination across program teams to maximize impact and optimize resource use.
• Lead regular portfolio reviews and adaptive management processes to identify risks, resolve bottlenecks, and capture opportunities for greater impact.
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• Identify key implementation challenges and work with the Ministry of Health and partners to develop practical solutions.
• Identify opportunities that can catalyze program growth and expand CHAI’s technical assistance to government partners.

Technical Assistance and Government Engagement

• Provide strategic technical guidance to program teams and support the Government of Tanzania in leading discussions and decisions across priority health areas.
• Contribute technical input to national policies, strategies, plans, guidelines, and programs across CHAI’s areas of engagement.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior government counterparts and partners, representing CHAI in technical working groups, partner forums, and regional meetings.
• Strengthen partnerships and support cultivation of new funding opportunities.
• Ensure CHAI’s work remains aligned with national priorities while reinforcing government ownership.

Team Leadership and People Management

• Directly supervise Program Managers, providing coaching, mentorship, and regular performance feedback.
• Support Program Managers in strategic planning, budgeting, problem-solving, and monitoring performance against work plans and budgets.
• Build and develop a high-performing, diverse team that promotes accountability, growth, and collaboration.
• Partner with global teams on talent acquisition, management, and staff development.
• Contribute as a member of the senior management team on cross-cutting office priorities, including HR, team culture, and DEI.

Quality Assurance and Knowledge Management

• Ensure high-quality technical outputs and external communications aligned with CHAI standards.
• Promote effective documentation, knowledge sharing, and learning across programs.
• Strengthen the use of data and analytics to guide decision-making and improve program quality.
• Support integration of monitoring, evaluation, and learning across programs and ensure compliance with donor requirements.

Coordination with Global Teams, Resource Mobilization and Donor Management

• Serve as the primary coordination point between CHAI Tanzania and global program teams, aligning priorities, technical standards, and support to strengthen country implementation.
• Synthesize and share best practices, tools, and approaches across programs to institutionalize learning and maintain consistency.
• Support fundraising strategy and the development of high-quality grant proposals alongside the Country Director and global teams.
• Oversee portfolio-level work planning, budgeting, and efficient resource utilization, including reforecasting and reallocations as needed.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Identify and mitigate programmatic and operational risks.
• Ensure adherence to CHAI policies, ethical standards, and donor compliance requirements.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Country Director.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Health, Public Policy, International Development, Health Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least 8–10 years of progressive experience in public health program management in low- and middle-income countries, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership, including resource mobilization and strategic planning.
• Proven track record as a strong leader, with substantial experience in building, managing, and mentoring diverse, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Critical and strategic thinking and problem-solving skills; ability to think creatively about long-term program goals and the detailed steps needed to achieve those goals.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to diplomatically and clearly communicate complex ideas with well-developed structure and logic.
• Ability to navigate complex government processes and favorably influence decision-making in a professional and collaborative manner.
• Ability to work with humility and not seek personal credit for the work or contributions, even where credit is due; commitment to ensuring our government partner is the owner of our work together.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Well-developed project management skills, including experience managing program budgets, work plans, and performance monitoring.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously under pressure and with limited resources.
• Strong work ethic, integrity, and a deep personal commitment to producing results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Advantages

• Experience working with government authorities in Tanzania or the East African region, particularly Ministries of Health.
• Experience working with international donors and partner organizations in the global health landscape.
• Familiarity with a broad range of key health issues relevant to Tanzania, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, vaccines, maternal and reproductive health, cancer, health financing, and health systems strengthening.
• Experience in capacity building and working with decentralized teams.
• Swahili language skills.