Associate Director, Lead Exposure (Governance Strategy & Operations)

This is an exciting and challenging role to help address one of the most pressing global health challenges while scaling CHAI's Lead Exposure program.

As Associate Director, Lead Exposure Strategy & Operations, you will serve as the strategic and operational backbone of the Lead Exposure program’s Governance work, with a particular focus on supporting impactful engagements with national and subnational government partners.

You will ensure that country teams are well-supported and well-coordinated, that program performance is rigorously tracked, and that relationships with governments, donors, and partners are proactively managed.

You will work closely with the Senior Director and Vice President of Innovation, alongside colleagues in CHAI's Global Markets, Global Diagnostics, and country teams.

You will coordinate across country-level implementation and global programmatic functions to ensure coherent strategy and efficient delivery.

We are seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding problem-solving abilities and communication skills who share CHAI's values.

The Associate Director must be able to function independently, recruit and manage talented staff, and demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence.

CHAI places great value on qualities such as humility, resourcefulness, and tenacity.

The base location is flexible and could include CHAI program countries, pending Country Leadership approval.

Due to time zones and existing team location, we have a strong preference for candidates within 7 hours of US Eastern Time.

This role will require up to 20% travel.

• Develop and maintain cross-country management tools — including KPI dashboards, work plan trackers, and regular program review processes — to monitor progress against grant milestones and strategic objectives.
• Partner with country teams to identify and resolve emergent programmatic issues, providing problem-solving support and escalating where needed.
• Coordinate cross-country learning and lesson-sharing to ensure insights from one country context are systematically applied across the program portfolio.
• Maintain a strategic view of the overall program portfolio, tracking interdependencies across country and thematic workstreams.

• Partner with country teams to develop in-country implementation roadmaps and work plans, drawing on experience from across the program, the global lead community, and broader multisectoral governance work.
• Provide targeted strategic and programmatic support to in-country implementation — including engaging global or regional stakeholders, providing technical input into country-level work products, and adapting global frameworks for country-specific needs.
• Interface with internal expert teams (e.g., CHAI's Global Markets, Global Diagnostics) to bring in relevant expertise for program execution.

• Maintain collaborative relationships with key global partners and peer organizations working in the lead exposure space, and support country teams in building and maintaining these relationships at the country-level.
• Represent CHAI externally with donors, technical partners, and at international fora as relevant.
• Build and sustain relationships with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, and other stakeholders to advance the global lead exposure agenda.

• Develop new funding concepts and lead the preparation of high-quality grant proposals, in close collaboration with the Senior Director and country teams.
• Maintain strong relationships with current and prospective funders, ensuring proactive communication, timely reporting, and accountability to donor commitments.
• Oversee donor reporting processes, ensuring outputs are accurate, compelling, and delivered on schedule.

• Hire, manage, mentor, and support staff within a matrixed team environment.
• Manage program hiring, onboarding, and staffing processes to build and sustain a high-performing team.
• Oversee financial management across grants and projects, including budget tracking, forecasting, and compliance.
• Liaise with CHAI headquarters functions — including Finance, HR, Operations, and Communications — on behalf of the Lead Exposure program.

Other responsibilities as needed.

• Bachelor's degree plus at least 10 years' work experience, or advanced degree plus at least 8 years' work experience, or equivalent work experience.
• Strong track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects and programs in dynamic environments.
• Experience working directly with government stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in global health, public health, environmental health, or a related field.
• Experience in program management, monitoring & evaluation, or operational roles in a global health or development context.
• Experience building and managing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional analytical (qualitative and quantitative) and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Ability to navigate complex organizational and government processes and to influence decision-making collaboratively.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Commitment to humility, resourcefulness, tenacity, and CHAI's values.
• Experience living or working in low- and middle-income countries.

• Advanced degree in business, public health, public policy, international affairs, or related fields.
• Experience facilitating, supporting, or participating in multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms (e.g., technical working group, cross-sectoral or interministerial task force, technical support unit).
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, and donor relationship management.
• Expertise in lead exposure, environmental health, or related fields.
• Experience in the private sector (e.g., strategy consulting, investment banking, pharma, or similar fast-paced, results-oriented environments).
• Experience working remotely with decentralized teams across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Professional fluency in additional languages such as French, Hindi, Yoruba, or Swahili.

#jobreference3 #region1 #region2 #region3 #region4