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.

Summary of Position:

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated Program Manager to lead the day-to-day implementation of the Food and Alcohol Safety project. The Program Manager will coordinate across a wide range of government and international partners, manage project workplans and budgets, and ensure timely and quality reporting to the donor. They will serve as CHAI's main point of contact for the Australian Embassy and international technical partners, while maintaining strong working relationships with key Lao government counterparts at central and provincial levels.

The Program Manager will directly supervise Associate, Food and Alcohol Safety, and will work closely with CHAI's operations and finance teams to ensure project compliance and smooth implementation. The position is based in Vientiane, with some travel to provinces required.

We are seeking a self-driven individual with strong coordination and communication skills, and a high level of comfort with ambiguity. The candidate must be adaptable and able to function independently and flexibly across multiple workstreams. They must be a strong team player with the ability to build trusted relationships across government, technical, and donor partners. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, and strong work ethics.

• Lead overall project coordination and implementation, ensuring all activities are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Develop and maintain detailed workplans and activity budgets; monitor progress and proactively identify and address risks or delays.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with the Australian Embassy and international technical partners, coordinating visits, activities, and communications.
• Maintain strong working relationships with Lao government counterparts across the Ministry of Health and relevant departments, supporting government leadership and ownership of project outcomes.
• Lead the preparation of donor progress reports and financial updates, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with agreed deliverables.
• Oversee equipment procurement, logistics, and asset management in coordination with CHAI's operations and finance teams.
• Support planning and delivery of technical activities including laboratory strengthening, inspector training, emergency response planning, and risk communications.
• Facilitate coordination between international technical experts and Lao government counterparts to ensure activities are contextually appropriate and effectively delivered.
• Coordinate with CHAI's internal teams on contracts, compliance, and financial management to ensure all agreements and expenditures meet grant requirements.
• Represent CHAI in relevant technical working groups, inter-agency meetings, and partner coordination forums.
• Directly supervise the Associate, Food and Alcohol Safety, providing day-to-day guidance, performance feedback, and professional development support.
• Participate in any other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in public health, health sciences, international development, or a related field.
• At least 3–5 years of professional experience in program coordination or management, preferably in a public health or development context.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal and coordination skills, with experience engaging across government, technical, and donor counterparts.
• Experience preparing reports, work plans, or budgets for externally funded programs.
• Entrepreneurial mindset — able to work independently, take initiative, and propose and implement new approaches.
• Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity, and problem-solve in a fast-paced, limited-structure, multicultural environment.
• Able to work well in a diverse work environment, easily adaptable and respectful in cross-cultural settings.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in both Lao and English.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Advantages:

• Experience working in a donor-funded project environment, including familiarity with reporting and compliance requirements.
• Background or interest in food safety, laboratory systems, or public health emergency response.
• Experience supervising or mentoring junior staff.

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