Program Manager – Beginnings Fund Health Facility Renovation and Expansion Project

Background:  

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. CHAI has worked in Ethiopia since 2005 in partnership with the Ministry of Health, supporting programs including Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH), HIV Access, Lab Services, Vaccines, Child Survival/Essential Medicines, NTD and Health Financing.

The Beginning Fund investment, designed with the Government of Ethiopia (Ministry of Health), aims to accelerate reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality and prevent stillbirths through the renovation/expansion of 25 health facilities across eight regions. Health infrastructure — facilities, equipment, supplies, and communication systems — is foundational to service delivery and emergency/chronic-care readiness. Ethiopia’s facilities face substandard designs, poor maintenance, weak planning, and lack of standardization; addressing these gaps through standardized, region-specific designs is central to improving service quality and cost-effective construction.

Ethiopia has made significant progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) through strong political commitment, decentralization, and expansion of primary health care. The maternal mortality ratio declined from 871 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to approximately 141 in 2025, and under-five mortality fell from 166 to 55 per 1,000 live births over the same period. [Confirm source/citation for these figures.] Neonatal mortality, however, remains high at around 25 per 1,000 live births, accounting for nearly half of infant deaths. Persistent inequities, limited emergency obstetric and newborn care, inadequate infrastructure, and poor access to lifesaving commodities continue to challenge progress.

Within this partnership, CHAI’s RMNCH program addresses priority reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health service-delivery gaps innovative, high-impact, scalable interventions designed and tested in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia, with the aim of scaling successful approaches to achieve national targets. In particular, the project focuses on expanding BEmONC/CEmONC capacity and OR-block infrastructure which are foundational to reducing mortality through closing infrastructural gaps.

Position Summary

The Program Manager will provide overall leadership, coordination, and management of the Health Facility Renovation and Expansion Project, supporting the renovation and expansion of 25 health facilities (18 Health Centers, 3 Primary Hospitals, and 5 General Hospitals) to strengthen maternal, newborn, child, and emergency health services. The Program Manager will ensure timely, high-quality implementation in accordance with donor requirements, Government of Ethiopia priorities, and CHAI policies, overseeing project planning, financial management, stakeholder engagement, contract oversight, and monitoring and reporting, while ensuring effective coordination among the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, consultants, contractors, and development partners.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Coordination

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for project implementation.
• Develop and oversee annual work plans, implementation schedules, and project budgets.
• Coordinate implementation across all project sites and ensure timely achievement of project milestones.
• Supervise project staff, consultants, and technical teams to ensure effective delivery.

Infrastructure and Technical Oversight

• Lead the development of facility designs, bills of quantities, and technical specifications for renovation/expansion works in consultation with infrastructure Engineer.
• Ensure designs incorporate RMNCH-specific requirements (e.g., maternity waiting areas, labor and delivery suites, neonatal care units, infection prevention and control, privacy, and universal accessibility).
• Align project plans with national health infrastructure norms, building codes, and relevant donor standards.
• Review and manage contracts, work plans, procurement of construction materials/medical equipment, and payment certifications.
• Work closely with RMNCH/health program teams to ensure renovated/expanded spaces support planned service delivery models (antenatal care, delivery, postnatal, newborn care, immunization, family planning).
• Coordinate equipment procurement and installation (e.g., delivery beds, neonatal resuscitation equipment, autoclaves) with clinical teams.
• Support facility readiness activities, including staffing, commissioning, and handover for RMNCH service continuity.

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

• Serve as the primary liaison with the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, Beginnings Fund, consultants, contractors, and other partners.
• Facilitate Technical Working Group meetings and strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders.
• Represent the project in national coordination and donor review meetings.

Financial and Contract Management

• Oversee project budget implementation, financial performance, and resource utilization.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, procurement procedures, and contractual obligations.
• Support procurement processes in line with organizational and donor procurement policies
• Monitor implementation risks and recommend corrective actions.

Quality Assurance and Monitoring

• Oversee technical quality of infrastructure implementation in collaboration with the Infrastructure Engineer.
• Monitor project performance, review progress reports, and ensure timely submission of technical and financial reports.
• Promote learning, documentation of best practices, and adaptive project management.
• Track and report against defined success measures/KPIs

Sustainability and Capacity Strengthening

• Support institutional capacity building of Ministry of Health teams.
• Promote sustainability planning, government ownership, and effective transition of completed facilities.

Safeguard, Ethics and Compliance

• Uphold CHAI’s safeguarding standards, including prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and child protection, across all project sites and contractor/consultant engagements.
• Comply with environmental, health, and safety (EHS) requirements applicable to construction and renovation activities.
• Adhere to CHAI’s anti-fraud, anti-corruption, and conflict-of-interest policies, particularly in the management of high-value construction and procurement contracts.

Other Activities

• Carries out other duties as appropriate and as assigned by immediate supervisors
• Reports To: Senior Program Manager, HF

 Duty Station:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with regular travel to project sites approximately 40% of time, including multi-day travel to regional/remote locations).

Contract Duration:

• Project-based (one year with possibility of extension)

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Systems Management, Project Management, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible experience managing large health, infrastructure, or health systems strengthening programs.
• At least 5 years’ experience managing donor-funded projects involving government and development partners.
• Demonstrated experience working on health programs, ideally with exposure to RMNCH, health systems strengthening, or public health infrastructure.
• Experience managing contractors, consultants, and multi-stakeholder construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience in program management, financial oversight, stakeholder engagement, contract management, and multidisciplinary team leadership.

Core Competencies

• Strategic program and project management
• Financial and grant management
• Health systems strengthening
• Infrastructure program oversight
• Stakeholder coordination and partnership management
• Risk management and problem solving
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills