Country Support Associate

Terms of Reference – Country Support Associate

Position: Country Support Associate

Work place:  Hanoi, Vietnam

Duration: 1 year, extendable based on performance and funding

Start date: 1 March 2018 

Founded in 2002 by President William J. Clinton and Ira Magaziner, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems around the world and expanding access to care and treatment for critical diseases. Based on the premise that business oriented strategy can facilitate solutions to global health challenges, CHAI acts as a catalyst to mobilize new resources and optimize the impact of these resources to save lives, via shaping commodity markets and strengthening country health systems. By working in association with governments and other partners, CHAI is focused on large scale impact and, to date, CHAI has secured lower pricing agreements for treatment options in more than 70 countries. In addition, CHAI’s teams are working side-by-side with over 30 governments to tackle many of the largest barriers to effective treatment and care. 

In Vietnam, CHAI works with a number of departments in the Ministry of Health to help reach national HIV, TB, Hepatitis C, and malaria targets. Established in Vietnam in 2006, CHAI has emphasized a sustainable and integrative approach to health systems strengthening premised on a close partnership with government to build national capacity. 

CHAI’s team in Vietnam consists of a dynamic core of 12 staff in addition to resources available at the regional and global levels. 

Description

The Country Support Associate (CSA) will work to ensure the introduction and scale-up of high-quality antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS patients. Based in Hanoi, Vietnam, the CSA will travel frequently between countries in the Southeast Asia region to provide end-to-end technical assistance to Ministries of Health and CHAI country teams to enable rapid uptake of optimal ARVs. This will include overseeing all aspects of developing and costing optimal ARV introduction strategies for four countries in Southeast Asia.  S/he will be expected to build consensus among a range of stakeholders, including senior-level government and NGO partners, and to independently find creative solutions to systems or process challenges that delay progress towards program goals

Responsibilities

• Through a blend of advocacy, relationship-building, and evidence dissemination, and in coordination with the Regional Country Support Manager, make an effective case for optimal ARV introduction to governments and key opinion leaders. This may include preparing cost analyses to help governments see the budgetary impact of product shifts, developing different introduction scenarios, and collating, translating, and disseminating clinical information. 
• Help governments ensure an uninterrupted supply of optimal ARVs to the region by building stock monitoring tools and dashboards and working closely with procurement agents and government logistics units to understand and map funding flows, ordering cycles, and delivery timelines.
• Help countries build their capacity on quantification issues through leadership in forecasting workshops, participation in technical working groups, and/or training of forecasting models, in order to avoid stock-outs, reduce waste, and minimize costs.
• Catalyze and coordinate the drafting of rollout planning documents, policy guidance, and standard operating procedures that clarify and ensure smooth implementation of ARV product shifts.
• With a client-focused approach, serve as a trusted, accessible advisor to governments and CHAI country teams on a variety of ARV access topics. 
• Support the country teams and Regional Country Support Manager in other relevant duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts or Science degree (BA/BSc)
• At least four years of professional experience in global health, international development, and/or management consulting
• High level of comfort conducting quantitative analyses and using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Exceptional communication skills, with a structured and assured oral and written communication style
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships independently with senior government and NGO representatives and navigate complex government processes in a collaborative manner
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving approach
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, set priorities, and work independently with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment
• Comfort performing in low-resource settings
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Willingness to travel regionally up to 50%

Advantages

• Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH), Business Administration (MBA), or other graduate degree
• Pharmaceutical / healthcare industry experience
• Experience working on procurement and supply chain management in resource-limited settings
• Experience working with governments and/or international organizations
• Fluency in written and spoken Vietnamese, Burmese, Laotian, or Bahasa Indonesia

A one-page cover letter should specify the position sought and highlight why the candidate believes they are the right person for the position. A CV, in English, detailing professional experience, relevant qualifications and three reference contacts should be provided. Interested candidates should send materials to [email protected]. Indicate position sought in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, but must be received by 15 February 2018. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.