Associate, Agriculture Nutrition Programme at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is driven by the vision of a world without malnutrition. GAIN is a Swiss based foundation, operating internationally, that mobilizes public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. The organization is delivering improved nutrition to an estimated 1 billion people in more than 30 countries, half of whom are women and children. This is achieved through nutritional products such as fortified cooking oil and flour in Africa, soy sauce in China and biscuits in India, as well as specialized products for infants and young children, and through interventions to improve the quality of food along agricultural value chains.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Associate, Agriculture Nutrition Programme

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Job Description
Overall Purpose:

• The Associate will support the implementation of GAIN’s new initiative on reducing postharvest losses and waste in key nutritious commodities and value chains while contributing to shaping GAIN’s broader agriculture and nutrition agenda in Nigeria.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Initiate and manage a detailed landscape analysis to effectively analyze the extent of postharvest loss and waste along key horticultural and other value chains, clarify causal pathways in the 3 pillars of the program: Cold storage,
• Crating/packaging & Processing define actors and target groups in urban and rural areas as well as identify disruptions and opportunities in food production, consumption patterns, market trends and investments.
• Implement a mapping of key stakeholders and key political policy players at national and state levels, currently implemented post-harvest projects, opinion formers across sectors critical to reducing postharvest loss and food waste across key sectors in Nigeria
• Establish the Post-Harvest Loss Initiative in Nigeria and develop a framework of multi-sector partnerships to advance the objectives of the initiative around three pillars of cold chain technologies, packaging and crating, and processing.
• Foster and sustain partnerships with the Government of Nigeria at federal and state levels, Nigerian private sector companies and research institutes, as well as with relevant international partners and stakeholders across sectors.
• Be able to engage relevant stakeholders nationally but especially within the focus states of Lagos (industrial and consumption), Kano (production, consumption and industrial) and Cross River (production and consumption).
• Support the establishment of Nigerian coalition of experts and inventory of knowledge around the key innovation areas of cold chain technologies, packaging and appropriate crating; and processing.
• Participate in developing a community of practice of actors and stakeholders in Nigeria that will serve as a platform to create and nurture a coalition of leaders who will share skills, technologies, information and knowledge, emerge as champions for the postharvest loss reduction agenda in Nigeria and develop and deploy business capabilities for sustainable investments for reducing postharvest losses and waste of nutritious commodities.
• Facilitate a series of workshops, consultations and manage events in fostering and building relevant partnerships across sectors especially covering experts in the industry, finance, the academia and the regulatory and policy subsectors.
• Develop and a framework for tracking and monitoring progress on key deliverables towards achieving the objectives of postharvest losses and wastes across key value chains for improved nutrition
• Participate and support GAIN’s collaborative agenda with a range of national and international partners towards maximizing the potentials of agriculture for improved nutrition in Nigeria.

Key Organizational Relationships:

• The Associate directly reports to the GAIN Nigeria Country Manager, and will work with the Senior Advisor on Food Security and Nutrition to contribute to the goals and objectives of GAIN’s global Agriculture and Nutrition Team.Job Requirements

Competences (Skills and Attributes)

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with a broad orientation to development
• Self-motivated with an ability to work without close supervision to deliver results.
• Ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder processes and foster cross sectoral partnerships
• Proactive with a commitment to quality and accuracy with close attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational and communications skills.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work. Must be a team player.
• Experience working in an entrepreneurial, matrixed, global organization.
• Comfortable in dealing with a wide range of internal and external clients - program staff, regional offices, and consultants.
• Effective oral and written communication skills in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions with individuals at all levels inside and outside an organization.
• Able to prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure with frequent short deadlines.
• Reliable and enjoys working in a multi-cultural, cross functional team with flexible and adaptable approach to work.
• Computer literacy with excellent MS Word, MS Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills.

Experience

• Relevant work experience in the agricultural sector especially in horticulture value chain analysis and in the private sector; cold chain, packaging and food processing is preferred and a demonstrated understanding and experience on the role of markets and private sector development for improved food and nutrition security are desirable.

Education

• At a minimum, a Master's Degree in Food Science and Technology, Economics, Business or other relevant fields is required.

Salary

• Competitive.

Application Closing Date
8th December, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here for more Information (PDF)