Program Manager, MCH

Reports to: Country Director

Location: Port Moresby (up to 20% Provincial Travel)

Background

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 Overview

CHAI has been supporting the Ministry of Health in PNG since 2005, working across HIV, immunization, malaria, nutrition, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and broader health system strengthening. This long-standing partnership reflects CHAI’s commitment to sustainable, government-led health system improvements in PNG.

CHAI’s support for the MCH program began in 2019 and has focused primarily on immunization and nutrition. Over the past six years, CHAI has worked closely with the Government of PNG to set program priorities and drive strategic improvements. Key achievements include spearheading the development of the National Immunisation Strategy, supporting the government to conduct a comprehensive zero-dose analysis, and providing instrumental technical and programmatic support in close collaboration with government and other partners.

PNG continues to face significant maternal and child health challenges, including uneven immunization coverage, difficult service delivery contexts, and constrained sub-national capacity. As the Government of PNG implements its National Immunisation Strategy and prepares for the introduction of new vaccines while strengthening routine immunization and primary health care, CHAI is expanding its support at both national and provincial levels. This includes providing hands-on implementation support in select provinces, strengthening government planning and coordination systems, and building sustainable capacity for improved MCH service delivery.

Position Summary

CHAI is seeking a Program Manager for MCH to provide leadership for CHAI’s MCH cluster in PNG, covering the Immunization and Nutrition programs. This role will provide strategic leadership, technical oversight, and project management for the cluster.

The ideal candidate is a credible program leader who excels at managing high-performing teams, overseeing grant implementation and nurturing deep trusted relationships with government partners. We are specifically seeking a candidate with strong monitoring and evaluation capabilities, technical capabilities and exceptional project management skills. The position requires someone who can engage confidently with senior government counterparts, lead complex vaccine and immunization workstreams, and support effective implementation at provincial level.

Reporting to the Country Director, the Program Manager will have day-to-day leadership responsibility for CHAI’s MCH portfolio and will be responsible for growing it. The Program Manager will directly set and manage the program workplan, manage the budget, monitor performance and report to donors, and manage relationships with government and donors. The role requires balancing strategic thinking with hands-on program management, ensuring strong execution while also shaping the future direction and growth of CHAI’s MCH work in PNG.

Performance in this role is reviewed monthly against the role’s accountability scorecard.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as CHAI’s primary day-to-day counterpart to the National EPI Program and National Nutrition Program within the National Department of Health, keeping the engagement log current and holding a weekly HPV and AIHSS huddle.
• Build and maintain strong, respectful working relationships with senior government officials, Provincial Health Authorities and key partners.
• Represent CHAI in national and sub-national technical working groups, coordination forums and joint reviews.
• Provide leadership, mentoring and support to the MCH team, ensuring staff receive timely guidance and support to address challenges, with issues escalated when necessary. Foster a supportive team culture grounded in accountability and learning.
• Oversee the program budget, monitor utilization, flag potential over- and underspends early, and ensure program requests are reviewed and approved promptly.
• Ensure high-quality program delivery in line with donor commitments, manage donor relationships, and lead the development of concept notes and proposals as the portfolio evolves.
• Lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of CHAI’s MCH workplan, including annual operational plans and Nutrition and AIHSS deliverables, ensuring alignment with government priorities and drawing on CHAI’s global technical expertise where relevant.
• Provide hands-on management of CHAI’s support to routine immunization service delivery, including outreach, supervision and performance improvement at provincial level.
• Lead CHAI’s technical and programmatic support for new vaccine introductions, including the introduction roadmap, readiness planning, coordination and implementation.
• Support the Government of PNG to operationalize and roll out the National Immunization Strategy, translating national priorities into practical implementation plans.
• Oversee CHAI’s support to the National Nutrition Program, ensuring effective coordination and implementation, including timely payment of village health assistants and regular supportive supervision.
• Work closely with the Country Director to translate strategic direction into practical workplans and measurable results.
• Contribute to shaping the future direction and growth of CHAI’s MCH portfolio by identifying emerging priorities, gaps and opportunities for impact, in line with CHAI’s regional and global strategies.
• Identify implementation risks and operational challenges and develop practical mitigation measures.
• Ensure program data is used effectively to inform decision-making, monitor progress and guide course correction.
• Lead the preparation of clear, high-quality reports and updates for government counterparts, donors and CHAI leadership, including a one-page monthly report to the Country Director.
• Share key lessons and risks from PNG with regional and global counterparts to inform CHAI’s broader strategy and learning.
• Support other organization-wide priorities as assigned by the Country Director.
• Uphold CHAI’s values and standards of professionalism and accountability and contribute to internal leadership initiatives and cross-team problem-solving.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public health, health sciences, or a health-related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in public health or development, with demonstrated responsibility for program leadership and delivery.
• Strong experience in vaccines and immunization, including service delivery and new vaccine introduction; nutrition experience is an asset.
• Strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including experience designing M&E frameworks, analyzing program data, and using evidence to drive program improvements.
• Demonstrated excellence in stakeholder management and relationship-building, particularly with government partners in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Proven experience working closely with government counterparts in low-resource or complex settings.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage multiple workstreams, and support field-based implementation, including managing managers and provincial teams.
• Strong financial and grant management skills, including managing a donor-funded portfolio against clear performance measures and raising risks early.
• Strong judgment, maturity, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to earn credibility and trust with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Application Email: [email protected]

Application Deadline: 30 November 2026