Program Assistant, Neonatal Nurse

CHAI RWANDA

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

TITLE: Program Assistant, Neonatal Nurse

Program: Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (SRMNCH)

Job Location: Rwanda (Embedded within high-burden District Hospitals and their catchment areas)

Type: Full-Time

Start date: May 2026

Number of Positions: 4

Organization 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.

Program Overview

The Government of Rwanda has demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to improving maternal and newborn survival through the Fifth Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP V) 2024–2029. The strategy sets ambitious targets to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio from 105 to 60 per 100,000 live births and the Neonatal Mortality Rate from 20 to 15 per 1,000 live births by 2029, prioritizing quality of care, system performance, and sustainability.

In support of the national goals, CHAI is partnering with the Ministry of Health, the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) and the Beginnings Fund to strengthen the foundations required for impact at scale. CHAI’s assistance spans access to MNH lifesaving commodities, institutional strengthening, digital and data system enhancement, and workforce capacity development, through government structures.

With this investment CHAI will provide focused technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and RBC, particularly the Maternal, Child, and Community Health (MCCH) Division. This investment targets the most critical delivery and systems bottlenecks while embedding capabilities, processes, and accountability mechanisms that will sustain improvements well beyond the funding period advancing MNH workforce capability through professional development and mentorship.

Position Overview

CHAI is seeking four (4) skilled Neonatal Nurses as Program Assistants to provide embedded technical assistance to high-burden district hospitals (Muhima, Nyagatare, Nyanza, and Kabaya) and their catchment areas (Health Centers, Second Generation Health Posts, private clinics). Fully integrated into facility MNH teams, Program Assistants will deliver hands-on clinical mentorship, lead data-driven Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives, and bridge the gap between policy and frontline neonatal care. Reporting lines run to hospital leadership, RBC/MCCH Division, with streamlined reporting to the CHAI SRMNCH Program Manager.

Key Responsibilities

1.Clinical Mentorship and Service Delivery
• Provide bedside mentoring to nurses and clinical staff across delivery rooms, neonatal units, and postnatal wards, covering Essential Neonatal Care (ENC), Helping Baby Breathe (HBB)2nd edition, and management of complex neonatal complicationsin alignment with national protocols.
• Lead the rollout of high-impact neonatal interventions including Caffeine Citrate, CPAP, and small and sick newborn care bundles among others.
• Support supply chain management to prevent stockouts of essential neonatal commodities and ensure timely equipment maintenance.
• Conduct structured outreach to catchment health facilities, delivering mentorship and QI coaching.
• Identify and develop facility-level Neonatal Health Champions to sustain clinical improvements beyond the project.
• Support adoption of digital tools (e-Buzima, Internet of Things for monitoring) for improved clinical decision-making.
• Promote continuous professional development engagement among healthcare providers and support review and update of neonatal protocols, training materials, and job aids in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and RBC.

2. Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting
• Routinely review neonatal health indicators, conduct quarterly performance gap analyses, and
co-design facility-led QI projects.
• Support the integration of neonatal health indicators into facility and district health plans to
strengthen accountability and tracking.
• Document program activities and contribute to monthly indicator reports and learning briefs for
national dissemination.
• Submit quarterly programmatic reports highlighting achievements, challenges, and
recommendations

3. Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance (MPDSR)
• Coordinate neonatal death audits and near-miss case reviews, and support development and follow-up of corrective action plans.
• Ensure proper documentation and follow-up of critical newborn and adherence to referral protocols.

Participate in joint supervision visits and monthly coordination check-ins with RBC/MCCH, the Ministry of Health and CHAI.

Qualifications
• Master's degree in Neonatal Nursing is required.
• At least 5 years of experience in a neonatal unit and results-driven environment.
• Valid license from the National Council of Nurses and Midwives.
• Trained in EmONC, PNC, HBB (2nd edition), Kangaroo Mother Care, and ENC.
• Proficiency in MS Office; strong communication skills in English, French, and Kinyarwanda.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in mentorship
• Experience with the Rwandan health system (RBC, district hospitals, health centers).
• Familiarity with digital health tools and EMR systems (e-Buzima, Internet of Things solutions).
• Certification as a national trainer in HBB or related neonatal specialties.
• Experience with QI methodologies and MPDSR processes.

Application procedure:

Interested candidates should email a letter of interest (maximum 1 page) outlining how their professional background meets the requirements outlined above; CV (maximum 3 pages); and the names of three references to chairwandarecruiting@clintonhealthaccess.org with “Program Assistant, Neonatal Nurse’’ in the subject line. The deadline for applications is April 27, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

In compliance with the data protection law of Rwanda and by submitting your application and CV, you explicitly consent to the collection, processing, and storage of your personal data by Clinton Health Access Initiative for the sole purpose of managing and conducting the recruitment process for the position for which you have applied.