William Clinton Foundation: Deputy Country Director

Job Overview:
The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI – formerly the Clinto HIV/AIDS Initiative) under the leadership of former President William Jefferson Clinton III has worked since 2002 to reduce the pricing of HIV/AIDS medicines and tests, and to work with governments around the world to further turn the tide on the disease by building the systems needed to deliver care and treatment.

In seven short years, President Clinton and the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative have made a substantial impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This includes seven breakthrough price reductions for drugs and diagnostics. Today, more than two million people living with HIV/AIDS are on lifesaving treatment using medicines purchased under CHAI agreements with manufacturers. This includes two out of every three children who are on HIV/AIDS treatment. CHAI’s greatest work is as a trusted partner to national governments whose efforts have made possible tremendous gains in HIV/AIDS services and public health.

In addition to programs focused on HIV/AIDS, CHAI has expanded in recent years to assist efforts to fight malaria, lowering the prices and improving access to malaria medicines. CHAI has also worked with a number of governments on improving the underlying systems needed to deliver comprehensive health care. Given CHAI’s expansion and growth, on December 10th, President Clinton announced that the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative will become the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). Since 1 January 2010, it became a separate non-profit organization under President Clinton’s leadership as chairman of the board of directors. This change recognizes the expanded role CHAI has played for some time in strengthening health systems broadly while still playing a leading role in HIV/AIDS.

Earlier last year, CHAI signed an MOU with the South African government to expand its work in South Africa. Under the leadership of CHAI Vice Chair Ira Magaziner and Country Director Vishal Brijlal, this work includes support to strengthen health systems in the most challenged districts, HIV/AIDS pricing and programmatic work including prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), malaria eradication, and addressing TB/HIV coinfection challenges.

To support CHAI’s huge undertaking in partnership with the South African government’s Department of Health, CHAI is seeking a dynamic and self driven individual of high integrity to fill the position of Deputy Country Director for its operations in South Africa with immediate effect.

Job Position overview:

Based in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area, the Deputy Country Director (DCD) will be a key partner to the Country Director and Foundation staff to ensure the overall success of the Program. The DCD will help coordinate and support the Foundation’s team on the ground to achieve the Program’s objectives and forge stronger relations with the Department of Health and other government agencies and partners. The DCD will also have overall responsibility for financial and administrative management of CHAI’s South Africa Operations..

Job Responsibilities:
As a representative of the Foundation in the country, the DCD will:
Help the Country Director develop and implement the Foundation’s agenda in the country, in cooperation with the government;
Help establish and achieve aggressive operational milestones for the newly developed country program;
Help determine and recruit the required human resources;
Plan and execute specific programmatic initiatives, as well as support the team in doing so;
Provide high-quality technical assistance to the government as needed/requested,;
Coordinate efforts with the Foundation’s partners, and identify and establish additional partnerships as appropriate;
Maintain a thorough understanding of the HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB landscape and overall health systems priorities and gaps throughout the country.
Manage processes and tools for planning, budgeting, financial reporting, and monitoring and reporting programmatic progress;
Maintain appropriate bi-directional communication and information flow with HQ to ensure the Foundation’s capabilities are being fully leveraged on-the-ground.
Evolve, develop, and expand the position to be a most valued and trusted asset in CHAI and South Africa without being constrained by formal lists of responsibilities

Job Qualifications:
Skills & Attributes Required:

Comfortable in a peer relationship with political leaders such as the Minister of Health, senior Departmnet of Health Staff, Provincial government and health sector leaders, as well as a broad array of civil servants
Ability to navigate complex government processes with multiple influencers, and at negotiating and achieving consensus
Proficiency with working on highly complex problems without extensive structural or operational support from HQ
Great mentor, manager, role model and team player who demonstrates exceptionally high performance him/her-self and is able to lead similar performance from the entire team;
Equally adept and comfortable from a broad strategic perspective and able to drill down to a very granular level of detail
Able effectively to lead and manage in a fast-paced, highly ambiguous, and changing environment, both internally and externally
Seasoned operator who knows how to get things done – on time and on budget
Strong analytical skills and insight
Ability to work within budgetary constraints typical in a small foundation;
Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and health systems desired (but not required)
English language fluency, both written and verbal, required. Knowledge of additional languages of South Africa a plus. Good familiarity with South African cultures preferred.
Excellent business-oriented verbal, visual, and written communication skills

Education/Experience:

A minimum of 10 years experience in private or public sector enterprise, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership
Experience conceiving, planning and executing programs or projects with verifiable results
Professional experience in South Africa is strongly preferred
Master’s Degree (preferably in Business or Public Health) from a well-recognized, high-calibre institution is strongly preferred; Bachelor’s degree, also from a well-recognized, high-calibre institution required.

Note: Given the high profile of CHAI’s work in South Africa and the critical nature of this position, screened applicants will be interviewed by CHAI Human Resources (HR), the Country Director, the Regional Director, the Vice-Chairman and other leaders and managers at CHAI before the successful applicant is identified and hired.

Apply to William Clinton Foundation here