Senior Associate, Communication and Liaison, Health Systems Strengthening

Overview

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 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 skill sets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with the 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 Rwanda’s Health System Strengthening (HSS) programs work on a day-to-day basis with Government leadership and the goal of those programs is to support the Government to accelerate progress towards UHC by ensuring the sustainable delivery of quality, essential health services. This includes designing and implementing national Primary Health Care (PHC) reforms from health center level down to community health, to increase health workforce availability, to prioritize and sustainably finance essential services, and to support improved management, financing, and delivery of quality primary health care.

Rwanda's Vision 2050 sets ambitious targets for a healthy and productive society, yet progress on maternal and neonatal mortality and stunting remains slow, while the country simultaneously faces a growing burden of non-communicable diseases and emerging health threats. To accelerate progress and ensure affordable access to quality care, the Government has committed to four priority PHC reform areas:

Strengthening primary healthcare system and public health security; 

Optimizing health workforce production, performance, and retention; 

Developing evidence-based medicine and systems; 

Enhance leadership and management decisions, coordination, and planning by leveraging digital integration.

Position Overview

CHAI is seeking a Sr Associate, Communication and Liaison to be seconded to the Ministry of Health, supporting strategic communication and liaison functions within leadership. The candidate will oversee internal and external communications to raise the profile and visibility of the Ministry's priority health reform agenda, ensuring all communication adheres to Government of Rwanda standards and guidelines. Working closely with the Rwanda Health Communication Centre and key technical departments, the candidate will manage communication with donors, stakeholders, and partners while ensuring consistent messaging across all levels of the health system.

The Sr Associate will be seconded to the Ministry of Health. In parallel, the candidate will report to CHAI's HSS Associate Director for CHAI and will work closely with other CHAI teams at the country and global level. 

Responsibilities

• Support the design, planning, and implementation of the Ministry's communication strategies in alignment with Government of Rwanda communication standards.
• Support the development and quality assurance of written, visual, and digital communication materials, ensuring consistency with Government key messages, branding, and style guidelines
• Identify and develop impact narratives, thought leadership articles, and advocacy materials that disseminate the Ministry's strategic objectives.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including donors, government agencies, media, and partner organizations to strengthen the Ministry's visibility.
• Act as liaison between the Ministry of Health and key partners, ensuring effective communication networks and timely follow-up on priority issues and policy processes.
• Coordinate and support the organization of technical working group meetings, high-level briefings, and joint events between the Ministry and its partners.
• Monitor media coverage of health-related issues and provide timely updates and recommendations to Ministry’s senior leadership.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in communications or public relations, preferably within the health sector.
• Experience developing content for diverse platforms including news articles, newsletters, advocacy resources, and social media.
• Familiarity with media content creation software and strong skills in social and traditional media engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to liaise with senior government officials, NGOs, donors, and other high-level stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of the Rwandan health system and the public health landscape.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French; Kinyarwanda is an added advantage.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

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