[1][2] Martin taught nursing courses at Dillard University[3] before she joined the United States Public Health Service in 1953.

She held a similar position in Ghana in 1957, and also worked as a health policy advisor in Sierra Leone.

She worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Africa and Washington, D.C.,[5] mostly on family planning policies, nutrition,[6] and maternal and child health.

[12] Jean Martin married Frank Pinder, an agricultural economist who also worked in Africa.

[1] The University of Washington created the Jean M. Pinder Endowment to support advanced education in healthcare fields among minority students.