POSITION VACANT: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)

LOCATION: We are flexible regarding base location and positions can be based in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, or Guwahati, India.

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Fixed-term contract till the end of the project, currently September 30, 2026. Performance assessment will coincide with the USAID work plan cycle, i.e October to September.

REPORTS TO: Chief of Party, FHM Engage

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:

ACCESS Health International (AHI) is a non-profit, think tank and advisory group with the mission of improving access to high-quality and affordable healthcare for all people. AHI advises national and regional governments and the private sector on the design and management of healthcare finance and delivery systems. Established in 2007, the organization is located in India, Singapore, Dubai and is headquartered in the USA.

AHI’s vision is that all people, no matter where they live, and no matter what their age, have a right to access high-quality and affordable healthcare and to lead healthy and productive lives.

ACCESS Health International seeks a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the ongoing USAID Frontier Health Markets Engage project in India. Building on over 30 years of USAID investment, FHM Engage focuses on strengthening local health markets by addressing the root causes of market failures in the core market functions to create the necessary behavior change that catalyzes supply and demand and supports sustainable change.

In India, FHM Engage is working to improve gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by catalyzing market-based partnerships to improve access to women’s healthcare interventions which can enable young girls and women to continue their career aspirations. The FHM Engage in India project update can be found here: https://healthmarketlinks.org/index.php/highlights/introducing-womens-health-and-livelihood-alliance-wohla

JOB SUMMARY

Expected Outcomes:

• Engagement with the private sector (across women’s healthcare and women’s economic empowerment), government, and civil society actors in USAID/FHM Engage priority areas (in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, and Delhi NCR) contribute to improved contraceptive access for the young population
• Women’s skilling and entrepreneurial institutions engage with the healthcare ecosystem to better enable young girls and women to plan their careers around reproductive goals;
• Local government functionaries, innovators, private sector actors, and investors can better collaborate in FHM Engage priority areas.

The DCOP will support the Chief of Party in all aspects of project implementation, including leadership, technical direction, and management oversight for project activities and results. The DCOP will lead the activities for stewardship strengthening for improving private sector engagement in partnership with women’s livelihood promoting agencies and value chain actors to increase demand and utilization of private sector contraceptive and/or women’s health interventions. This will require establishing/leveraging collaboration opportunities and platforms for government and private and commercial sectors to align on contraceptive market priorities, build and sustain relationships/partnerships, and work with other implementing partners and teams to generate intelligence and data analysis. The Deputy Chief of Party will also draft the Scope of Work and activity description for India’s implementing partners and finalize them in coordination with Chemonics’ Partnerships Team.

We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of young girls and women around the world. We are open to flexible working options for suitably skilled candidates. The position will require travel for frequent interactions with public and private sector market actors.

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Stewardship Technical Advisor

• In cooperation with focal points across think tanks (including Niti Aayog), multiple Ministries such as the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Chambers of Commerce, Industry Associations, FP2030 teams, Donors, WHO/UNFPA to support evidence-based dialogue and deepened engagement of private sector (for products, services and information) to improve the health outcomes of the most vulnerable women populations in India.
• Development of technical units or a broad range of technical assistance activities to support the state or national government for consistent engagement with private sector market actors. Promote a greater understanding of private sector resources for Women’s Health and enable the agenda leading to building women’s ability for decisions related to healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP). Establish resourcing needs and build business cases accordingly.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with new and emerging partners to forge thematic alliances with corporations, industrial associations and development partners to improve access, quality, and affordability of women’s healthcare products and services
• Work closely with private sector regulatory and product development teams, to address regulations and rules to improve understanding of constraints and barriers that inhibit the functioning of local markets in India. Enable coordination between the public and private sectors to establish the most appropriate policy, regulatory, and operating environment for the business

Deputy Chief of Party

• Coordinating closely with and at the direction of the Chief of Party, this position will be responsible for managing programmatic representation, technical implementation, and direct supervision of the project office.
• The Deputy Chief of Party will closely oversee day-to-day implementation, personnel management, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting for FHM Engage activities in India.
• They will serve as an alternate point of contact for Chemonics and USAID and acting Chief of Party when the Chief of Party is unavailable.
• Mentor WOHLA Advocacy Team and FHM Communications Teams on success stories and best practices through annual progress reports, newsletters, social media, and other channels in collaboration with country partners and with the Communications team.
• The DCOP will work together with the STA leads to identify program opportunities and potential local partners and ensure effective implementation of interventions.
• Draft the scopes of work (SoW) and activity description for local partner organizations in India and work with the PMU and FHM Engage HQ Partnerships Team to create teaming and partnering arrangements
• Maintain frequent communication with and be the primary technical contact for government stakeholders and counterparts.
• Assist in the preparation of all required USAID reports and deliverables including monthly activity plans, annual work plans, and all periodic project progress reports.
• Serve as acting Chief of Party when the Chief of Party is on leave or away from the post.
• Supervise, coach, and support professional development of project technical and administrative staff, ensuring staff are successfully managing project activities and operations. In cases when performance issues arise, take immediate action in accordance with relevant policies and procedures to address and resolve the issues.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Academic Specialization: Advanced degree in public health, pharmaceutical systems, supply chain, or related discipline preferred
• Experience:
• At least 10 years experience in Government and Public or Corporate Affairs within a transnational or multinational company(s) (biotech desirable) with extensive experience in dealing with Indian governments and the commercial sector at multiple levels.
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory work experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and proven track record managing and coordinating collaboration among stakeholders (including regional and national-level governments, the private sector, and local organizations)
• Prior experience working on USAID-funded development programs within the private sector market development context is strongly preferred

 SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Ability to think strategically, leverage market information to generate market intelligence which will guide investments or regulatory changes and improve market performance, and drive project implementation.
• Project management expertise with an ability to move projects forward from inception to implementation to completion. Ability to break down tasks into short-term goals as in consulting experience in a coordination and operations management role
• Experience in working with multi-stakeholder partnerships including governments, donors, multi-lateral agencies, developing countries, and civil society organizations.
• Excellent writing, editing, communications, and research capabilities, with advanced knowledge of and proficiency in the MS Office Suite (OneNote, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Leadership and team management skills, i.e. ability to build good relationships at all levels and to be able to advise, influence, and coach
• Experience developing USAID work plans and budgets
• Communicates clearly and concisely in both verbal and written communications; strong cross-culture communication skills
• Deep knowledge of communication fields such as government relations, stakeholder management, crisis and issues management
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, requiring a high degree of communication and ability to meet deadlines.

HOW TO APPLY:

Eligible candidates interested in this position are requested to share their CV and cover letter with the job title mentioned in the subject line to below email id.

[email protected]