CASCADE - Project Manager at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

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Position: CASCADE - Project Manager

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Bahir Dar - Ethiopia

Salary: ETB 661,224 – ETB 756,216 per annum

Posted date: 1 year ago

Deadline: Submition date is over

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, we aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN?s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving the consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.

Classification: Grade 4 ? Project Manager

Direct reports: 1 - 5

Work location: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Travel required: Up to 60% to zones, woreda, and kebeles

Overall purpose

GAIN fights malnutrition in Ethiopia through innovative and sustainable models that increase access to affordable nutritious foods among communities vulnerable to malnutrition. In line with this objective, GAIN implements various programs in Ethiopia and across the Globe.

GAIN in consortium with CARE implements Catalyzing Policy Action for Healthy Diets and resilience (CASCADE) program, will work to improve food security and contribute to the reduction of malnutrition of at least 5 million women of reproductive age and children in Benin, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. The consortium identified the following two strategic objectives, that represent the long-term outcomes of CASCADE: Strategic objective 1: To increase access to and consumption of healthy diets among household members in the six programme countries, particularly women of reproductive age and children. Strategic objective 2: To increase resilience to price and climate change-related shocks and stresses of household members in the six programme countries, particularly women of reproductive age and children.

The Project Manager is responsible for the overall strategic management and delivery of the project activities, ensuring the effective implementation of the project and will lead the project team in supporting enabling environment to increase access to and consumption of healthy diets, and to increase resilience of households.

The project will provide technical support to key stakeholders including government offices and private sector players for proper implementation of the National Food and Nutrition strategy. In addition, the Project Manager will ensure the project?s achievements are monitored, tracked, and documented in a timely manner.

The Project Manager will also lead efforts to address behavioral barriers and the enabling environment towards nutritious foods consumption in Ethiopia.?

This position will be based in the Amhara region, in Bahir Dar city. 60% of the Project Manager?s time will include travel within Amhara to the woredas and kebeles

Tasks and responsibilities

Project Management

• Leading and managing the development and implementation of project work plans, outputs and budgets and tracking progress, including direct provision of regular updates to the Workstream global leads, funders, and country team leadership.
• Responsible for the overall strategic management, effectiveness and delivery of the project activities, ensuring achievements are met, with emphasis on creating enabling environment for nutritious foods accesses and consumption.
• Ensuring efficient management of project funds through regular tracking of funds utilization and gaps thereof along with Ethiopia and global finance point persons
• Coordinating with Head of Policy and external relations program, Knowledge, and Leadership (KL) Team, CARE Ethiopia CASCADE team, and internal stakeholders to successfully implement all components of the project with emphasis on Catalyzing Policy Action for Healthy diets and resilience of the target community.
• Identifying and assessing project risks. Reporting on them and developing strategies to address any risks.
• Supporting to develop policy briefs and factsheets for informed decisions
• Working with the Head of Policy and Advocacy/Program Manager, Knowledge and Leadership Team, Global Programme Support Staff and other internal stakeholders to successfully implement all components of the project
• Supervising reporting staff and consultants.
• Submitting reports and other technical documents that align to GAIN, donor and Government requirements.
• Representing GAIN in various platforms and partners?/government meetings

Policy and Advocacy and stakeholder management

• Collaborating with country and global teams to facilitate stakeholder alignment and develop key partnerships between public / Government and private sectors
• Engaging with key Government departments, including regional and zonal bureau, the standard and regulatory bodies, to revise, cascade and harmonize policies, directives, standards, regulations, and guidelines appropriate to the project
• Collaborating with partners to identify influencing agendas, engaging with key opinion leaders, professionals, and policymakers on improving the enabling environment for increased investment in healthy and nutritious diets, public-private partnerships and healthy diets consumption through proper implementations of food and nutrition strategies and guidelines, generating demand and mitigating other healthy consumption barriers.
• Engaging with key partners including national and regional government bodies to identify influencing agendas and support proper implementation of food and nutrition-related policies, and directives.

Project implementation

• Collaborating with other relevant GAIN departments for contracts, purchase orders and project financial accounts
• Supporting the project team including GAIN staff and external service providers and suppliers
• Providing the required technical support to government bodies and selected MSMEs to make safe and nutritious foods accessible and affordable to the target community
• Ensuring that activities and outputs are achieved in line with the agreed project deliverables
• Tracking lessons learned, ensuring they are documented and shared within GAIN country and global teams to ensure continued learning
• Any other project activities as required by the Head of Policy and Advocacy/Sr Program manager

Key organizational relationships

• GAIN Ethiopia Country director
• Reports to Senior Program manager ? Food Systems Policy and External engagement
• Line management of the Project staff (Business Development Associate, Project Associate, Project Assistant, Driver)
• GAIN Ethiopia Head of Operations, Finance, Administration, Sr. Program Assistant.
• Global program support teams, including KL, finance, and HR
• Interaction with key project partners CARE team, private and service providers, and external stakeholders

Competencies

• Proven project management and advocacy skills
• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure with frequent deadlines.
• Strong facilitation skills
• Analytical, with the ability to effectively liaise with government offices and private business sectors.
• Proactive with a commitment to quality and accuracy with close attention to detail.
• Basic computer literacy with Excel, MS Word, PowerPoint skills and other software.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural, cross-functional team with a flexible and adaptable approach to work.

Experience

• Proven experience in project management within similar roles with aligning responsibilities
• Good understanding of food systems and enabling environment for businesses.
• Experience in nutritious food demand creation
• Demonstrated success in working with various partners and service providers in time-bound projects
• Understanding and experience with international development, particularly food systems, agricultural value chain, nutrition, and other similar topics.
• Understanding the role of business in contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Experience working on food quality and food safety.
• Experience with writing comprehensive reports and development tools to be used for scaling projects
• Knowledge/working experience of working within the zones and woredas of the Amhara Region

Education

• A bachelor's Degree in Economics, business management, Food Science and other relevant field is required or equivalent work experience
• A degree/diploma in development study/project management is advantageous

Other requirements

• Fluent written and verbal English is required
• Good command of Amharic
• A willingness and ability to travel

WHAT GAIN OFFERS

• Flexible working hours
• Friendly working environment
• Professional development opportunities