Associate, Dengue

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 in conjunction 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.

CHAI LAC Overview

In 2014, CHAI began working in Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) to support the Ministries of Health in their goal to eliminate malaria. Since then, CHAI has continuously grown in the region and has worked on multiple projects including Digital Health, Dengue, Essential Medicines, Medical Oxygen; providing support to various countries: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, among others.

Program Overview

CHAI’s global malaria & neglected tropical diseases program provides direct technical and operational support to countries around the world to strengthen their vector borne diseases programs and reduce the burden of malaria, dengue, and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). We support governments to scale up effective interventions for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance, with the goals of sustainably reducing the number of malaria, dengue and NTD-related illnesses and deaths worldwide.

Dengue Control Project

An estimated 50-100 million dengue cases occur each year, claiming >40,000 lives and imposing a global economic burden of $9-$39 billion. Without intervention, this number will continue to escalate due to warming temperatures and urbanization. To date, dengue control efforts have primarily focused on traditional mosquito control measures, such as treating larval habitats and fogging. However, these approaches will be inadequate to address the mounting dengue. Innovative approaches to combat this escalating threat are urgently required.

Wolbachia-based interventions to control dengue and other arboviruses have demonstrated promising efficacy and long-term protection. Certain strains of Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacteria that infects insects, inhibit viral growth in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, demonstrating potential for reducing disease transmission. To unlock the global potential of this technology, there is a need to enhance the cost-efficiency of Wolbachia programs. This will involve the establishment of a comprehensive political, funding, and market ecosystem to facilitate the scale-up of Wolbachia interventions.

Overview of the Role

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated and mission-driven professional to support national efforts to prevent and control dengue, with a particular focus on the introduction of innovative technologies. This position will play a cross-cutting role, supporting technical, epidemiological, entomological, and community-level strategies to strengthen the national response. It offers a unique opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team committed to reducing the burden of vector-borne diseases.

The selected candidate will work closely with CHAI’s country and regional teams to provide strategic and technical support to governments across Central America. Key responsibilities include helping design and implement high-impact strategies for the introduction and scale-up of new tools, supporting the generation and use of evidence, and engaging with stakeholders to ensure community acceptance and integration of interventions into national programs. The role will also include coordinating multisectoral efforts and strengthening collaboration with national and local health authorities.

The ideal candidate is proactive, solutions-oriented, and thrives in dynamic, field-based environments. They must demonstrate a strong interest in public health, particularly in vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria. Strong communication, leadership, and partnership management skills are essential, as is the ability to work across sectors and disciplines. Empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a passion for health equity are critical to success in this role.

This position will report to the Country Manager and collaborate closely with the regional team. The role is initially based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but candidates should be open to travelling to other countries in the region or relocating as program needs evolve. Frequent travel to remote areas with limited infrastructure and health services will be required.

Responsibilities

• Support national programs in reviewing, updating, or drafting strategic plans for dengue control, ensuring alignment with government priorities and implementation feasibility.
• Collaborate with CHAI’s country team to ensure project plans integrate national strategies and address local needs, incorporating technical and community engagement components.
• Build and manage relationships with key regional and local stakeholders, including government staff, partners, and academic institutions, to enhance coordination and collaboration.
• Use data to inform decision-making, ensuring effective monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation of strategies.
• Promote knowledge-sharing by disseminating best practices, lessons learned, and innovations across CHAI, government, and other stakeholders.
• Conduct assessments to inform planning for community engagement and vector control strategies, considering local dynamics and operational needs.
• Lead field visits to assess target areas, evaluating security, urban/rural characteristics, and the capacity of local health teams.
• Assess the capacity of local and central health teams in implementing dengue control activities, providing recommendations for improvement.
• Engage key stakeholders to enhance, strengthen community trust in dengue control efforts.
• Develop systems to address community feedback related to project activities, ensuring effective communication and response.
• Participate in technical working groups with Ministries of Health (MoHs), contributing to the development and implementation of comprehensive dengue control strategies.
• Document lessons learned, develop training materials, and lead courses to build capacity for sustainable dengue control interventions.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience, or bachelor’s degree with at least 4 years of relevant experience in projects related to community, entomology or public health. Acceptable fields of study include public health, entomology, anthropology, or other health-related disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships in a challenging environment.
• Exceptional problem-solving, organization, including time management.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to create compelling presentations, briefs, and reports.
• Proven experience in translating analysis into action and supervising execution of activities to meet results.
• Demonstrated ability to learn technical subjects quickly and communicate complex issues clearly.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.
• High levels of proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and internet applications.
• Capacity to work diplomatically with policymakers and other partners.
• Ability to travel within the region 30% of the time.
• Fluency in Spanish and English.

Advantages

• Technical expertise in dengue transmission dynamics and interventions, including Wolbachia-based approaches
• Experience working remotely with a decentralized team.
• Experience living and working in Central America.
• Fluency in Haitian Creole is an advantage.

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