Associate, Supply Chain, Sexual Reproductive Maternal Newborn Health

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization dedicated to its mission of saving lives and alleviating the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. We collaborate with governments at their invitation to bolster their efforts and those of the private sector in establishing and maintaining high-quality health systems.

Founded in 2002 to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, CHAI's initial objective was to significantly reduce the cost of life-saving drugs and expand access to these medicines in regions most affected by the disease. Over the past two decades, CHAI has broadened its scope. Today, in addition to HIV, we partner to prevent and treat infectious diseases like COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work also extends to cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, we strive to accelerate vaccine rollouts, decrease maternal and child mortality, address chronic malnutrition, and enhance access to assistive technology. We are investing in broad-reaching strategies to strengthen health systems through programs focused on human resources for health, digital health, and health financing. Each new and innovative program is underpinned by a strategy to maximize sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, programs are designed for national implementation, and lessons learned are shared globally.

At CHAI, our people are our most valuable 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 operating in 40 countries, bringing a wide array of skill sets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply rooted in the countries we serve, with the majority of our staff based in program countries. Discover more about our impactful work at www.clintonhealthaccess.org.

CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an environment of fairness and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI champions diversity and inclusion, recognizing that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of individuals with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and cultures.

Program and Position Overview

Although Malawi has achieved significant progress in improving maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes, this advancement has plateaued since 2019. High maternal mortality rates (224 per 100,000 live births) and neonatal mortality rates (24 per 1,000 live births) highlight substantial deficiencies in the quality of care provided. Malawi's health system grapples with numerous challenges in delivering high-quality MNH services, including inadequate facilities, insufficient medical equipment and supplies, and a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals in terms of both numbers and skill mix.

To address these challenges, CHAI is collaborating with the Government of Malawi and a consortium of partners to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate a comprehensive Country Investment Plan aimed at strengthening MNH services and improving MNH outcomes. The MNH Investment Plan will concentrate on operationalizing priority interventions during antenatal care, labor and delivery, and newborn care, targeting the primary causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirths. Within this program, CHAI staff will work closely with the Ministry of Health to execute evidence-based strategies that will enhance the availability of quality MNH commodities; increase the number, competence, and skill mix of the MNH workforce; reinforce MNH data within national health information systems; support the development of maternity and neonatal unit infrastructure; and strengthen referral systems and emergency transport for obstetric and newborn emergencies.

CHAI Malawi is seeking a Supply Chain Associate, to be based in Lilongwe and seconded to the Ministry of Health, Reproductive Health Directorate. The Supply Chain Associate will report directly to the Director of the Reproductive Health Directorate. For administrative and contractual matters, the role will report to the Program Manager, Sexual Reproductive Maternal and Newborn Health (SRMNH) at CHAI.

This is a demanding yet highly rewarding position that will directly contribute to the government's capacity to deliver enhanced health services to the nation's population. It offers an opportunity to work closely with a government committed to identifying avenues for bolstering the national and subnational delivery of Reproductive Health (RH) services and establishing a more robust health system for the people of Malawi.

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to the Ministry of Health, Reproductive Health Directorate on various supply chain strengthening initiatives.


• Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health to enhance the quantification, prioritization, forecasting, procurement, inventory management, distribution planning, regulation, and governance of RH commodities at both national and sub-national levels.


• Assist the Ministry of Health in routine supply chain monitoring, review, and data utilization for programmatic decision-making.


• Collaborate with the Ministry of Health and partners to forecast and quantify health commodities based on annual national demand.


• Work closely with the Reproductive Health Directorate (RHD), Health Technical Support Services (HTSS), Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST), and relevant partners to develop distribution plans, monitor delivery schedules, and facilitate the timely delivery of commodities.


• Offer technical assistance to districts in monitoring stock levels, anticipating future needs, ensuring appropriate storage conditions, and maintaining accurate records of all health commodities, including inventory levels, distribution, and consumption trends.


• Monitor stock levels, consumption patterns, and pipeline data, and support the development and updating of health commodity supply plans to ensure consistent product availability at all service delivery points.


• Strengthen national planning by supporting the Ministry of Health in routinely collecting, analyzing, and reviewing commodity consumption data through participation in the supply chain core group. The Supply Chain Associate will play a significant role in conceptualizing and developing supply chain dashboards as needed for Ministry of Health utilization, facilitating ease of data visualization and programmatic decision-making.


• Support the design of additional supply chain tools where necessary to improve data utilization for decision-making, including the design of data collection tools, leading data collection efforts, managing and analyzing datasets, and presenting analyses to inform decision-making.


• Support/coordinate training and mentorship for pharmacy personnel as required, by working closely with the Ministry of Health and district coordinators.


• Coordinate with district coordinators on the support provided to strengthen district commodity tracking committees and drug therapeutic committees.


• Collaborate with HTSS, RHD, and other stakeholders to identify available resources, analyze funding gaps, and mobilize resources to fund the national plan.


• Perform any other relevant duties and lead day-to-day activity implementation as assigned.

• Possess a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as Pharmacy, Supply Chain, Logistics, Public Health, Nursing, or Social Sciences; experience in supply chain management is preferred.


• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in a demanding, results-oriented environment within the public and/or private sector.


• A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in supply chain management within the public sector or other relevant public and private sector experience.


• Demonstrated experience in health commodity quantification, Logistics Management Information System (LMIS), and data analysis.


• Proficiency with supply chain management tools and software (e.g., QAT, GFPVAN).


• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.


• Ability to clearly and tactfully communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.


• Exceptional Microsoft Excel skills are required, including experience using Excel for quantitative analysis or costing.


• Strong ability to communicate effectively using PowerPoint and Word.


• Robust analytical, problem-solving, and quantitative skills, with the capacity to use data to inform program development and strategy, and to present results both narratively and graphically.


• Proven ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and achieve ambitious targets with minimal supervision.

Desirable Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Global Health, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, or a related field.


• Demonstrated experience working with government ministries and partner organizations within the SRMNH sector.


• Experience supporting supply chain management systems for SRMNH commodities and supplies.