Senior Associate, Malaria Program

Overview

of the Position

CHAI is seeking a Senior Associate based in Abuja, Nigeria, to support the malaria program team in the planning and implementation of a Private Retailers for Improved Malaria Outcomes (PRIME) project across the 2000 PMRs. The Senior Associate will provide overall oversight and coordination of the project, including leading the development of key project materials, facilitating effective stakeholder engagement, and ensuring strategic alignment and accountability across all phases of the project lifecycle. The role will also involve monitoring progress, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality outputs that meet project objectives. S/He will oversee the implementation of all program activities, ensuring that established protocols are followed and that resources are effectively managed in line with approved budgets and guidelines. S/He will also provide oversight to state-level consultants engaged to support program delivery, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and coordination with relevant federal and state institutions.

The candidate should be a highly motivated individual with strong stakeholder management and communication skills and desire to use those skills to develop practical solutions in challenging environments and achieve impact. In addition, the candidate must be able to engage with diverse stakeholders to drive implementation. Additionally, the successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following core CHAI values: resourcefulness, responsibility, patience, tenacity, humility, frugality, independence, energy, and work ethics.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of state-level implementation to ensure effective execution, quality, and accountability of all project components across target locations.
• Facilitate smooth implementation of program activities in line with the established workplan, ensuring timely reporting of progress, challenges, and risks to the country and global program teams.
• Support the planning and coordination of commodity procurement processes, including forecasting needs, developing procurement plans, and liaising with vendors to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of malaria commodities to the state.
• Coordinate comprehensive pharmaceutical retailers’ (PMRs) mapping in the project states to improve understanding of the landscape and to support identification of PMRs in the project states that will be engaged in the project.
• Map and engage private sector pharmaceutical distributors and suppliers to support implementation of project in the program states including defining suppliers’ scope of work, support contract management, project implementation and reporting.
• Lead and undertake malaria commodities’ market intelligence assessments including conducting field assessments, stakeholder engagements, developing periodic and comprehensive market intelligence reports to drive better understanding of the malaria market both nationally and in the project states.
• Coordinate the development of technical materials, including training content, implementation guides, and data collection tools to support effective program delivery.
• Develop, lead and monitor the implementation of clear and innovative strategies to optimize pharmaceutical retail distribution channels that reach the last mile, especially in underserved geographies.
• Work closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to define appropriate commodities sales targets, linkages with service provision, mechanisms for real-time performance tracking and necessary project adjustments to be made.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, particularly at the national level (., NMEP, PCN, NAPPMED), as well as with state governments, implementing partners, and academic institutions.
• Support the management, cleaning, and analysis of program data; ensure data quality and readiness for use in program monitoring, decision-making, and reporting.
• Produce high-quality reports (Word, PowerPoint etc) to support data-driven decision-making.
• Provide technical support and supervision to state team and field teams, including training on implementation protocols, data tools, and analysis methods.
• Contribute to the documentation and dissemination of program insights and outcomes through reports, presentations, and other communication materials for internal and external audiences, including on international platforms.
• Uphold scientific and ethical standards in all aspects of program execution, particularly with respect to data management, stakeholder engagement, and intervention delivery.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Program Director or Country Director to support the success of the project and broader malaria program goals.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in a related field (., Pharmacy, Marketing, Business, other health related field) is preferred.
• 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in public health, preferably with exposure to pharmaceutical retail, or service delivery scale-up; experience with similar projects is an added advantage.
• Strong supply chain/logistics expertise (especially in rural, low-resource settings). Familiarity with 3PL management, PMR landscape, wholesaler engagement, and peer detailing models.
• In-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical products, market dynamics, and the healthcare landscape is a strong advantage.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including the ability to lead, plan, execute, and monitor multiple workstreams while ensuring timely, high-quality deliverables.
• Proactive and resourceful, with strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to analyse market data, interpret trends, and develop data-driven strategies.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with government stakeholders, partners, and other external institutions.
• Experience conducting or supporting operational research, including protocol development and ethics submissions.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop high-quality reports and compelling presentations for diverse audiences.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to thrive in a dynamic, results-driven, and fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently, manage complex tasks, and propose innovative solutions.
• Highly detail-oriented, with strong problem-solving and organizational capabilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet tight deadlines, and maintain composure under pressure.
• Experience working with large datasets, including data validation, cleaning, and quality assurance processes.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical data into actionable insights to support programmatic decision-making.
• Willingness to travel domestically within Nigeria as required.

Advantages:

• An advanced degree, . MBA or master’s degree in public health.
• Knowledge of malaria and/or other major global infectious disease problems.
• Experience in the monitoring and evaluation of surveillance systems and/or implementation of public health programs.
• Experience in project management
• Experience living or working in resource-limited countries.

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