Senior Associate - Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health

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

Uganda has made significant progress in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality since 2016, with maternal mortality declining by 44% from 338 to 189 deaths per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality by 18.5% from 27 to 22 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, mortality remains unacceptably high, driven by causes such as birth asphyxia, prematurity, and maternal hemorrhage, with many deaths resulting from delays in recognizing danger signs, seeking care, reaching capable facilities, and receiving timely treatment. Strengthening emergency referral systems is therefore critical and requires functional communication and transport linkages, improved triage and referral protocols, and timely, safe transfer of women and newborns requiring emergency care. CHAI Uganda’s Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health (SRMNH) Program 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.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Program Manager — Emergency Referral Systems, the Senior Associate will provide technical and analytical support to strengthen emergency referral systems for mothers and newborns in Uganda. He/she will work across community, facility, and district levels to assess referral pathway gaps, design and pilot interventions, support the development of protocols and tools, and track the performance of emergency referral systems.

The Senior Associate will collaborate closely with the Ministry of Health, district health teams, health facilities, and community structures to ensure that women and newborns experiencing obstetric and neonatal emergencies receive timely, appropriate care. CHAI is seeking a motivated, analytical, and mission-driven individual with experience in health systems strengthening or maternal and newborn health, and a strong commitment to reducing preventable maternal and neonatal mortality in Uganda.

Responsibilities

Program Management

• 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 that 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 the 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.

Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Ministry of Health Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) department and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) department leads, district health teams, health facility managers, and community structures engaged in emergency referral.
• Provide technical assistance to government counterparts in the 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 to emergency referral system strengthening.
• 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.

Strategic Communication

• 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 the development of abstracts, success stories, and lessons learned documents for external dissemination.
• Develop concept notes and funding proposals to support the expansion and sustainability of emergency referral systems interventions, in collaboration with the Program Manager and relevant stakeholders.

Financial Management

• Collaborate with the Program Manager to track expenditures related to emergency referral systems activities and ensure appropriate grant reporting.
• Lead the development of activity budgets and ensure that program activities are implemented in line with approved workplans and financial plans.
• Ensure compliance of program activities with CHAI Uganda finance and operational policies and procedures.
• Provide support in the preparation of financial and donor reports on budget execution for the emergency referral systems workstream.

Problem-Solving

• Conduct landscape assessments and situational analyses to identify gaps in emergency referral pathways for mothers and newborns across community, facility, and district levels.
• Analyse program data and referral performance metrics to identify challenges, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement in emergency referral systems.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations and practical solutions to address identified gaps in communication, transport, triage, and inter-facility referral processes.
• Support the adaptation and contextualisation of global best practices in emergency obstetric and neonatal referral to the Uganda setting.
• Conduct data quality assessments and support improvements to referral data capture and reporting systems.

Technical

• Provide technical input to the 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 the assessment and strengthening of transport and communication mechanisms for obstetric and neonatal emergencies, including community ambulance schemes, motorcycle ambulances, and facility communication tools.
• Contribute to the mapping of emergency referral networks, including identification of EmONC-capable facilities, referral routes, and community linkage structures.
• Lead the 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 in the integration of emergency referral data into existing health information systems and support the use of digital tools for real-time referral tracking.
• Perform any other tasks as requested by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, nursing, medicine, health sciences, or a related field.
• Advanced degree in a similar discipline is a plus.

 Experience

• 3–5 years’ experience in a demanding, results-driven environment with increasing responsibility in health systems strengthening, maternal and newborn health, or a 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.

 Skills

• 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 the 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 the ability to manage multiple activities under tight deadlines.
• High levels of proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

 Advantages

• Experience working in fast-paced environments (e.g., management consulting, international development).
• Familiarity with Uganda’s health system, district health structures, and HMIS/DHIS2 platforms.
• Knowledge of emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) standards, referral protocols, or community-based maternal and newborn health programs.
• Experience with digital health tools for referral tracking or health information management.
• Experience in Maternal and Newborn Health.

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