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 Lao PDR Program Overview

Supported by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), CHAI commenced in 2018 working with National Immunization Program (NIP)/Maternal and Child Health Center (MCHC) within the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Lao PDR, to strengthen and sustain immunization services in the context of declining external resources, and transition from Gavi support at end 2023.

CHAI’s work with the NIP/MCHC focuses on three areas:

• Institutional strengthening at national and sub-national levels to plan, budget, manage, review and adapt the immunization program towards sustained improvements in immunization outcomes, including coverage;
• Sustainable financing of the immunization program in the context of health sector and service delivery reforms; and
• Supply chain strengthening, with focus on improving data visibility and ability to address supply chain management issues across the health system and improving distribution systems particularly at the sub-national level.

An increasing focus is on supporting MoH to improve and sustain immunization coverage through more integrated, patient-centered maternal and child health, and in and vision for strengthening primary health care and moving towards universal health coverage by 2030.

Summary of Position:

Based in Vientiane Capital; the Program Manager (PM) will oversee and provide strategic guidance to the country vaccines team as well as leading implementation of the CHAI vaccines support to the government at the national and sub-national levels. The PM will report to the Associate Director – Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health.

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated individual with outstanding credentials, excellent grounding and experience in vaccine delivery, preferably in developing country setting, analytical ability, and communication skills. The candidate must be self-driven, adaptable and have a high level of comfort with fast-paced work. They must be self-assured, a fast learner, resilient, and a strong team player.  They should have proven ability at capacity building others as this will be an integral part of the role. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic. Travel will be required within Laos 30% of the time. 

• Lead and manage overall implementation of the Lao PDR vaccines program strategy including the development of assessments, budgets, dashboards, training and other program materials according to work plan;
• Provide strategic and technical leadership for the country vaccines program in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, in country development partners and donors;
• Drive internal strategic planning and budgeting processes related to the program work streams and oversee performance against work plans and budgets;
• Serve as the primary point person to the National Immunization Program (NIP)
• Maintain and build strong working relationships with NIP, MOH and key stakeholders in government, international partners, donors and NGOs, to leverage opportunities for synergies and enhance program impact;
• Produce high-quality reports for donors and government counterparts, ensuring the appropriate data is collected during project periods to support adequate reporting and assessment;
• Manage the vaccines team comprised of national and sub-national staff on a day-to-day basis including activity planning, provide mentoring and feedback, and encourage innovative, sound approaches to achieving program results;
• Working closely with the CHAI Global Vaccines Team and others to enlist support, capture emerging best practices and ensure alignment with global standards;
• Take a leading role in guiding future program development;
• Lead in development of innovative approaches and tools as well as documentation and dissemination of best practices; and
• Perform other tasks as necessary. 

• Master's degree in a scientific or health related discipline with at least 5 years relevant work experience
• Experience in a health systems and public health, preferably with solid experience in health service delivery work in developing country setting or related field. Experience in vaccines, integrated health services and/or health financing preferred.
• Proven program management skills, based on several years of experience in strategic, operational, and/or financial management of complex, multi-stakeholder programs/projects
• Proven track records in the planning and execution of large scale projects; including budgeting and activity planning
• Excellent problem solving, analytical and quantitative skills
• Ability to navigate complex government processes and influence decision-making in a professional and collaborative manner.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in high-pressure, fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously whilst mentoring a team to perform consistently
• Exceptional diplomatic and interpersonal skills, and ability to build strong professional relationships with a range of stakeholders in a challenging, multi-cultural environment
• High levels of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Words
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present compelling presentations and program planning and memo documents in English

Advantages

• Fluency in Lao

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