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.

In India, CHAI works in partnership with its affiliate the William J Clinton Foundation (WJCF), an independent not-for-profit entity, registered under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act 2013. WJCF’s mission is to save lives and improve health outcomes by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. To that end, the organisation has been working in India, since 2007, under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) at the Central and states' levels on an array of high priority initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes. These, inter alia, include infectious diseases (COVID-19, hepatitis, HIV, TB, vector-borne diseases), non-communicable diseases (cervical cancer, diabetes, sickle cell disease), maternal and child health (anaemia, immunisation, diarrhoea, pneumonia), sexual and reproductive health, health insurance and digital health (AB PM-JAY, ABDM), oxygen and hypoxemia management, safe drinking water, and climate and health.

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 15 states of India with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. 

Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

Program Overview:

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Health Organization-led National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) began in 1997 to support India’s polio eradication efforts. After achieving that goal in 2014, the network broadened its focus to include active and passive, population-based and case-based surveillance of other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, and neonatal tetanus. Today, it remains the most reliable source of VPD case incidence data in the country.

NPSP’s complete transition to the Government of India is underway in a phased manner and is expected to conclude by 2027. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been designated to take over the functions currently managed by NPSP. Established in 2004, IDSP tracks more than 33 infectious diseases and conditions through near real-time, case-based reporting on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).

The planned integration of the National Polio Surveillance Network into the existing IDSP will be carried out comprehensively and responsibly to maintain the high standards of data quality, investigation, and sample collection that NPSP is known for. The initiative will ensure continued effectiveness in monitoring VPDs, especially for measles and rubella elimination and polio eradication, with a strong focus on capacity building and strategic oversight at both national and sub-national levels. Through this transition, the programme will support India’s long-term health security goals, leveraging government partnerships, community engagement, and cutting-edge innovations.

Project Background:

WJCF is privileged to support IDSP, NCDC’s vision for a sustainable transition of the existing VPD surveillance network through an embedded program management unit (PMU) model at the Central Surveillance Unit (CSU). The PMU will work under the direct supervision of NCDC, MoHFW leadership to facilitate the achievement of key strategic goals:

• Smooth transition of all functions related to VPD surveillance from WHO’s VPD surveillance network to IDSP in a time-bound manner.
• Enhance sustainable leadership, management and technical capacity of IDSP-NCDC and consequently the state IDSP units for maintaining the appropriate standards for VPD surveillance by evidence-informed programmatic, financial and policy decision-making.
• Trigger development and comprehensive implementation of newer strategies, implementation frameworks and approaches for further building on the gains achieved thus far.
• Increase and sustain multisectoral responses, advocacy, and political momentum towards elimination goals.

Position Summary:

The technical lead for MR surveillance will support in strengthening case-based MR (FR) surveillance, monitoring investigation timeliness and specimen adequacy, facilitating the development of targeted implementation approaches (identification of high-risk geographies), providing tangible suggestions to resolve implementation bottlenecks without compromising on best-in-class standards, communication with nodal agencies such as NTAGI, certification commissions etc. This role is directly tied to India’s Measles-Rubella elimination by 2026 goal and is indispensable to preventing surveillance gaps. Ensuring timely delivery of technical outputs corresponding to the program and synchronicity of interventions with existing standards from a technical and feasibility lens. We seek a highly motivated and entrepreneurial individual with outstanding technical, analytical, and program implementation skills. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, be able to function independently in a dynamic environment, be self-motivated, thrive in challenging situations, and have a strong commitment to excellence.

• Ensuring adherence to the international standards for MR (FR) surveillance, currently being maintained under the existing system, post transition.
• Close monitoring of MR (FR) surveillance indicators and timely identification of bottlenecks/risks in adherence to best-in-class standards.
• Conduct trend analysis, identify high risk areas, and generate periodic feedback to all relevant stakeholders including immunization teams and surveillance units.
• Review completeness and timeliness of the reports and provide feedback for corrective actions at appropriate levels.
• Support in development of implementation guidelines and strategic frameworks and ensuring synchronicity with international benchmarks.
• Facilitate the development of capacity building modules for MR (FR) surveillance and other allied IEC collaterals for change management.
• Provide strategic insight into workflow adaptations required for transition to the new systems and develop detailed SoPs and frameworks for the same.
• Support in development of bespoke tech-enabled solutions to improve the existing VPD workflows.
• Cultivate and develop deep engagement and collaborate with health leadership across the Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) and State Surveillance Units (SSUs) to jointly develop and implement pathways for a comprehensive and sensitive MR (FR) surveillance system through the public health infrastructure.
• Build and maintain trust-based relationships with relevant government stakeholders, development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Lead subject matter development among program leadership ensuring thorough grasp of key program principles.
• Develop a reading culture and challenge program teams to spotlight their work during internal and external WJCF engagements.
• Lead knowledge management and sharing of best practices at national and global convenings.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive stakeholder matrix for the portfolio of programs supported ensuring stakeholder needs are identified, negotiation avenues and mapped and healthy relationships are maintained.
• Guide program team in navigating complex stakeholder relationships and favourably influence decision making in a professional and collaborative manner.
• Represent the PMU at technical forums for MR (FR) surveillance and foster productive partnerships for collaboration with medical institutions, professional medical bodies, government agencies, and development partners.
• Participate in sub-national visits for collaboration with State health leadership for building alignment of priorities for MR (FR) surveillance, identify programmatic gaps on ground, and ensure adherence to interventions deployed in a sustainable manner.
• Travel frequently to various parts of the country.
• Synthesize and document key learnings, and support dissemination to key stakeholders through reports, briefs, presentation decks and other collaterals as needed.
• Support with other responsibilities as requested by the program leadership.

• MBBS and MD or post-graduate degree in public health, public policy, management or development
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in demanding, results-oriented environments in public health with senior managerial or leadership positions
• Demonstrated experience in MR (FR) surveillance at national or state level is a must
• Proven record of developing and maintaining strong and effective partnerships and shaping policy and project decisions with senior government and donor officials
• Experience in leading teams in similar assignments i.e. providing high end technical support in public health directly to department will be a plus
• Strong written and oral communication skills including development of analyses/ presentations for varied project audience/stakeholders
• Proven track record of working in challenging multi-stakeholder environments & ability to build relationships with a range of stakeholders and drive immediate results
• Entrepreneurial mind-set, including ability to work independently, self-motivated, and propose and implement new initiatives
• Prior expertise in domains of surveillance data management, disease epidemiology, laboratory coordination, outbreak investigation is preferred
• Basic levels of proficiency in data analytics utilising the MS Office suite (Excel and PowerPoint) are strongly preferred
• Willingness to travel frequently across the country
• Fluency in English and Hindi

Last Date to apply: 30th Nov 2025