Senior Associate, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) Visit website

Full-time Expires In -1 week Kampala Duty Station - Kampala, Uganda Bachelor's Degree 3 years experience Healthcare Business Operations

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About Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to building a world in which everyone is able to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Its mission is to save lives and improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain 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 disease.

Today, along with HIV, CHAI works with partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis, and has expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, other non-communicable diseases, vaccines, nutrition, assistive technology, and horizontal approaches including human resources for health, digital health and health financing. CHAI operates as a Market Shaper, Trusted Strategic Partner and Operational Partner, and as an Ecosystem Catalyst at the nexus of government, business and health. CHAI is present in over 35 countries with a highly diverse team across 40 countries, with the majority of staff based in program countries. CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Relevance to this role: This role sits within CHAI Uganda's Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health (SRMNH) Program, which partners with the Ministry of Health to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by expanding access to priority family planning, maternal and newborn health products and services, while strengthening emergency referral pathways at community, health facility and district levels. Uganda has reduced maternal mortality by 44% (338 to 189 deaths per 100,000 live births) and neonatal mortality by 18.5% (27 to 22 per 1,000 live births) since 2016, but deaths remain high due to delays in recognizing danger signs, seeking care, reaching capable facilities and receiving timely treatment. Strengthening emergency referral systems through functional communication and transport linkages, improved triage and referral protocols is therefore critical.

Job Details

Position: Senior Associate, Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health - Emergency Referral Systems
Reporting to: Program Manager — Emergency Referral Systems
Organization: Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) - Country Programs, Uganda
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda (with work across community, health facility and district levels)
Employment Type: Full-time (Work Hours: 8)
Telecommute: No
Base Salary: Not Disclosed
Industry: Healthcare / Social Services & Nonprofit
Program Focus: Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health (SRMNH) - strengthening emergency referral systems for mothers and newborns to ensure timely, appropriate care for obstetric and neonatal emergencies, including design and piloting of interventions, development of protocols and tools, and performance tracking.
Key Stakeholders: Ministry of Health Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Department and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department, district health teams, health facility managers, community structures, donors and partner organizations.
Country Type: Uganda - Full Time, Level: Senior Associate

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Support the design, planning and implementation of emergency referral system strengthening interventions, ensuring alignment with SRMNH program goals and Ministry of Health strategic guidance.
Develop and maintain program work plans, activity trackers and performance monitoring tools for the emergency referral systems workstream.
Ensure program documentation, tools and resources are up-to-date, accessible and effectively shared with relevant stakeholders.
Draft subcontracts for communication system specialists and technical consultants to facilitate design and set-up of the call and dispatch system and oversee their execution.
Oversee performance management approaches including KPI tracking, progress reviews and reporting to the Program Manager.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with Ministry of Health RCH and EMS department leads, district health teams, health facility managers and community structures engaged in emergency referral.
Provide technical assistance to government counterparts in development and implementation of national and district-level emergency referral guidelines and protocols.
Coordinate with other SRMNH workstream teams (monitoring, evaluation and learning, supply chain, and service delivery) to ensure integrated approaches.
Engage with partner organizations and donors to share learnings, coordinate activities and ensure alignment with national referral system priorities.
Represent CHAI in relevant technical working groups and stakeholder forums related to emergency obstetric and neonatal care.
Synthesize complex data and field findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for diverse audiences including government officials, donors and internal teams.
Prepare high-quality program reports, presentations, case studies and other knowledge products on emergency referral systems interventions and outcomes.
Contribute to development of abstracts, success stories and lessons learned documents for external dissemination.
Develop concept notes and funding proposals to support expansion and sustainability of emergency referral systems interventions, in collaboration with the Program Manager.
Collaborate with Program Manager to track expenditures and ensure appropriate grant reporting.
Lead development of activity budgets and ensure activities are implemented in line with approved workplans and financial plans.
Ensure compliance with CHAI Uganda finance and operational policies and procedures.
Provide support in preparation of financial and donor reports on budget execution.
Conduct landscape assessments and situational analyses to identify gaps in emergency referral pathways across community, facility and district levels.
Analyse program data and referral performance metrics to identify challenges, bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
Develop evidence-based recommendations and practical solutions to address gaps in communication, transport, triage and inter-facility referral processes.
Support adaptation and contextualisation of global best practices in emergency obstetric and neonatal referral to Uganda context.
Conduct data quality assessments and support improvements to referral data capture and reporting systems.
Provide technical input to design and rollout of emergency referral protocols, triage tools, referral forms and communication systems (e.g., community-to-facility and facility-to-facility referral).
Support assessment and strengthening of transport and communication mechanisms including community ambulance schemes, motorcycle ambulances and facility communication tools.
Contribute to mapping of emergency referral networks, including identification of EmONC-capable facilities, referral routes and community linkage structures.
Lead development of training materials and facilitate capacity building sessions for health workers (including community health workers) and district health teams on emergency referral protocols and communication systems.
Provide technical support to health facilities to implement and sustain standardized referral and counter-referral documentation systems.
Assist integration of emergency referral data into existing health information systems and support use of digital tools for real-time referral tracking.
Perform any other tasks as requested by supervisor.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

Bachelor's degree in public health, nursing, medicine, health sciences or a related field; Advanced degree in a similar discipline is a plus.
3–5 years' experience in a demanding, results-driven environment with increasing responsibility in health systems strengthening, maternal and newborn health, or related field.
Proven track record of managing or supporting complex projects involving multiple stakeholders at national and subnational levels.
Experience working with government agencies and/or international organizations in a technical assistance capacity is highly preferred.
Demonstrated experience in health facility assessments, referral system strengthening, or emergency obstetric and neonatal care programs is an advantage.
Strong analytical skills with demonstrated proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
Ability to design and implement program monitoring frameworks and performance tracking tools.
Proficiency in data visualisation and reporting.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to work collaboratively in diverse teams.
High emotional intelligence, patience and adaptability in high-pressure situations.
Strong organisational skills and attention to detail with ability to manage multiple activities under tight deadlines.
High levels of proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Advantage: Experience in fast-paced environments (e.g., management consulting, international development).
Advantage: Familiarity with Uganda's health system, district health structures and HMIS/DHIS2 platforms.
Advantage: Knowledge of emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) standards, referral protocols or community-based maternal and newborn health programs.
Advantage: Experience with digital health tools for referral tracking or health information management.
Advantage: Experience in Maternal and Newborn Health.
CHAI values diversity and inclusion and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Application Procedure

Visit the official CHAI careers portal and submit your application online via the application link below.
Prepare an updated CV/resume and cover letter highlighting relevant experience in health systems strengthening and maternal/newborn health.
Complete the online application form and upload required documents as instructed on the portal.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; early application is encouraged before the deadline.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for next steps.
Apply via: Apply Now

Job Summary

Job Category: Healthcare, Business Operations, NGO
Job Type: Full-time
Deadline of this Job: Friday, September 25, 2026
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda (Uganda | Kampala)
Date Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2026
No of Positions: 1
Application Link: Apply Now
Location pin: 📍 Kampala, Uganda