Senior Programme Lead, Food Fortification at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

About the Role

• The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Senior Programme Lead, Food Fortification to lead the combined micronutrients interventions portfolio and to maintain and enhance GAIN’s strong track record in the field of food fortification. This role will be on a permanent contract basis, subject to availability of funding. This position is open to GAIN’s country offices in London, Utrecht, Washington D.C., Nairobi and Abuja.
• Reporting to the Deputy Director, Programme Service Team (PST), you will work with the broader Programme Services Team (PST), senior leaders in GAIN country offices, Knowledge Leadership (KL), and Finance team and to support and line manage the Lead, Nutrient Enriched Crops and Lead, Large Scale Food Fortification.
• In addition, you will work closely with external partners and stakeholders to ensure that fortification is optimised as a public health strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiencies.
• Internally, you will support the design, resourcing and implementation of programmes and projects which are technically sound, aligned with GAIN’s corporate strategy, and meet the needs of vulnerable populations. Externally, you will act as GAIN ambassador to partners, donors and beneficiaries, representing excellence in GAIN programming.
• You will help galvanize donor support and provide a critical link between country operations and programming on resource mobilization. The role will also link food fortification to other key food systems interventions, building a strong team with strategic partnership with many different stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include

• Engaging with the thematic leads in UN agencies and major donors, contributing strategic direction and good practice to build evidence-based innovations leading to Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) and nutrient enriched programmes that address challenges and fill gaps in food systems
• Developing and managing relationships with other organisations active in the LSFF and biofortification space, identifying technical networks, strategic partnerships, forums etc., where GAIN needs to play a strategic role
• Supporting the delivery of the programme’s dissemination and visibility plan including by leading on dissemination workshops, manuscripts, publications, blogs, white papers, articles, factsheets, brief
• Providing technical support to Development Office on major bids for multi-country / multi-sectoral proposals and strategic donors
• Identifying new and existing donors and regularly meeting with them to canvass for new business and report back on existing funded work
• Developing a new approach to food fortification, taking full advantage of technical, systems, data and policy innovations in the field and piloting new business models
• Supporting the design process and providing technical know-how to deliver strategically relevant, sound and feasible project design through leading on implement country level activities and projects in non-GAIN office countries and support for GAIN office countries
• Mentoring and coaching Programme Leads and other senior professional staff and ensuring they are growing into leaders within the organisation and externally

About You

• The ideal candidate will have substantial leadership and programme management experience in a relevant field at a strategic management level, with experience in designing, resourcing and implementing large scale programmes and projects which are technically sound. You will have solid experience in working with key donors, government, internal and external stakeholders and a demonstrable track record in fundraising and business development is required. Candidates’ with extensive experience working in the public and private sector is preferred.
• The postholder will also posess a successful track record of designing and managing multi-million-dollar, donor-funded projects and managing (directly and indirectly) extended multi-disciplinary project teams, technical advisers and consultants.
• You will have excellent communication skills and must be willing to work in multicultural and multi-lingual environments as well having a demonstrated ability to present to large audiences with authorities. Also, you will be highly flexible and be willing to travel in-country and overseas when required.
• In addition to this, you will possess fluent written and spoken English, candidates' with proficiency in French will be an additional advantage.
• A Postgraduate degree in agricultural science, food science, public health, nutrition, economics, business administration or related field is preferable. You will also have strong experience with Large Scale Food Fortification work with a broad understanding of the nutrition-food systems nexus, public health, and community development, as well as a demonstrable understanding of the key trends in international and humanitarian development. Experience in agricultural value chains is desirable.