Strategy Associate

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, climate and 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 skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with majority of our staff based in program countries. Our alumni secure placements in reputed business and policy institutions (Harvard, Columbia, MIT, INSEAD, etc.) and pursue high-impact professional opportunities globally.

In India, CHAI works in partnership with its India registered affiliate William J Clinton Foundation (WJCF) 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. Currently, WJCF supports government partners across projects to expand access to quality care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, tuberculosis, COVID-19, common cancers, sexual and reproductive health, immunization, and essential medicines.

**Programme overview**

WJCF, in partnership with its affiliate CHAI, is leading an initiative to transform India's air conditioning market—a climate impact opportunity addressing one of the fastest-growing sources of global emissions. Driven by worsening heat, rising incomes, and urbanization, the world will buy 3 billion additional room air conditioners by 2050—more than 1 billion in India alone, where currently less than 10% of households own an AC unit.

India's AC market is caught in a clear trap preventing efficient cooling adoption. Price-sensitive consumers typically purchase less energy-efficient units due to the ~$80 upfront price gap between 3-Star and 5-Star ACs. Consequently, high-efficiency units account for just ~20% of sales, slowing energy standard upgrades and discouraging innovation. Existing users often operate ACs well beyond the recommended 8-year lifespan, keeping outdated units in use long after standards improve.

A business-as-usual trajectory will create severe impacts. Inefficient AC usage, already contributing to urban grid vulnerability, will drive 20-fold electricity growth and 4 Gigatons of cumulative CO₂ emissions by 2050—nearly twice India's current total emissions. With AC demand rising 15% annually, there's a limited window to act before millions more inefficient units are locked into homes for another generation.

WJCF has successfully addressed similar market inefficiencies in global health by acting as a strategic convenor to align stakeholders, inform markets, and unlock access through innovative financing. We are adapting this proven market-driven approach to India's cooling sector, where scaling high-efficiency adoption offers gigaton-level climate impact and significant peak energy demand reduction.

**Role overview**

Over the past two years, WJCF has worked across government, industry, utilities, and civil society to identify and catalyse the most effective levers for shifting India’s air conditioning market toward high-efficiency products. Our first phase of work has yielded critical insights and traction. Key stakeholders are aligned, high-potential interventions have been identified, and we are now entering a scale-up phase to accelerate impact.

**Responsibilities**:
**Program Leadership & Execution**
- Take complete ownership of program workstreams from inception to completion, supporting the Lead in strategic planning, t