Project Manager, Large Scale Food Fortification at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Overall purpose

• The Project Manager provides functional, technical, and managerial leadership to projects and teams in the Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Portfolio. The Large-Scale Food Fortification portfolio focuses on activities including strengthening fortification governance mechanisms, implementation of systems innovations, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and technical assistance, and generation and dissemination of fortification knowledge.
• The Project Manager will lead a high performing cross-functional project team, establish, manage, and maintain relationships with relevant partners and stakeholders globally and in Nigeria such as NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, FMoH, staple food producers and millers.
• They are responsible for the overall project management leadership and ensure the project team implement project activities within approved plans, budget, and quality standards 
• The Project Manager, throughout the project life cycle, ensures accurate planning, management and reporting of activities, budgets (resources), monitoring, external services and any other key areas required to deliver successful projects.
• They are also key in supporting cross-organizational activities and fundraising for the country office.
• The Project Manager will work closely with the GAIN Nigeria Deputy Country Director, the global GAIN Food Fortification team and our network of stakeholders to deliver key outcomes, including:
  • Coordinating multi-sectoral efforts across government, private sector, NGOs, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders to improve LSFF coverage and compliance.
  • Supporting governments to establish and strengthen LSFF programs; specifically enabling a strategic, systematic, collaborative, transparent and economical regulatory landscape in Nigeria, and therefore, improving LSFF impact overall.
  • Supply chains for fortification inputs such as premix, fortification equipment (hardware), system inputs (such as laboratory reagents), and diagnostic devices.
  • Sharing information and best practices and advocating for increased support and adoption of LSFF including sharing digital tools to streamline LSFF data collection and analysis by the private and public sector, e.g., Scaling of digital supply chain traceability systems to track fortification.
  • Private sector mobilization on food fortification and supporting efforts to strengthen and scale new food vehicles for fortification in Nigeria such as rice and bouillon.

Tasks and Responsibilities
Project Design, Planning and Implementation:

• Provide strategic leadership in the design, planning and implementation of LSFF projects in Nigeria as per the GAIN Project Management Guidelines (PMG).
• Lead the next phase of a digital traceability system implementation and scale up with key stakeholders: fortified staple food producers/millers, premix companies and regulatory agencies to strengthen compliance of food fortification in Nigeria.
• Lead on innovations in LSFF including the establishment of an Innovations Fund for LSFF in Nigeria, a platform to advance innovations in collaboration with the three major regulatory agencies.
• Strengthening capacity of key stakeholders including fortified foods producers, laboratories, local premix
• blenders and government capacity to monitor both food processors and premix blenders.
• Lead on advocacy and accountability initiatives involving private sector leaders such as CEOs, public- sector, third-party advocates, implementing partners and other key stakeholders on scaling up new programmes (e.g. rice) and improvement of existing programmes.
• Define LSFF project scope, activities, and objectives in line with the GAIN business plans, program frameworks, and organizational strategic priorities. Lead/facilitate design, planning, and implementation workshops with support from the other teams in GAIN.
• Facilitate project review meetings at regular cycles and ensure (track) documentation of findings and recommendations in PRISM.
• Coordinate communications between government institutions, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and private industry, including organizing meetings and workshops.
• Work with relevant environment, gender, and safeguarding specialists to ensure that they are integrated in project designs and implementation plans.
• Present to GAIN leadership and Project Oversight Committee (POC) on project progress, budget and outcomes.

Project Management and Oversight:

• Ensuring that all project activities are completed according to the Nigeria project implementation timeframe.
• Preparing and ensuring timely submission of implementation, progress, and financial reports.
• Delivering technical assistance and monitoring progress on the field.
• Leading the delivery of the food fortification portfolio in Nigeria
• Contributing to the monitoring and evaluation and subsequent dissemination of the outputs.
• Responsible for consulting and/or communicating on any change requests or course corrections.
• Identify, track, and resolve project issues on an ongoing basis, and proactively seek support where issues require wider attention and resolution.
• Monitor risks and develop contingency plans to respond to emergencies and escalate issues where appropriate.
• Ensure that implementation of project activities is in line with the policies and best practice standards of GAIN.

People and Team Management:

• Lead a high performing project team consisting of people across the portfolio and across the organization; bringing together the skills, experience and competencies required for successful project delivery.
• Build a positive and inclusive culture and working environment. for the staff to carry out their activities.
• Recruit and manage staff in line with GAIN policies, including performance management, ensuring that they have the necessary induction, training, and support as required.
• Coach and/ or mentor the project team members and support the development of their capacity.
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles
• Support the uptake and ensure staff accountability on the GAIN code of conduct.

Relationship Management

• Engage key external partners in project design, implementation, and review.
• Act as Lead Representative for GAIN at strategic and technical meetings/workshops pertaining to food fortification as agreed with the Deputy Country Director.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with civil society, INGOs, government entities, private sector and other organizations.
• Build and maintain a culture of mutual accountable partnership with other teams within GAIN that supports programs and projects.
• Work closely with Project Sponsors, QUADs and the POC to manage and deliver effective projects.
• Work closely with GAINs technical teams and monitoring network to ensure projects are implemented in line with the relevant quality standards.

Resource Management:

• Write donors’ reports in collaboration with project teams, technical teams, funding teams and support teams and contribute or lead on fundraising proposals as appropriate.
• Ensure narrative reporting and financial accounting meet GAIN and donor’s requirements.
• Work with international finance to ensure that accurate budgets and forecasting are drawn up for all activities, and that activities costs are kept within budgets.
• Ensure monthly project reporting (in line with GAINs Project Management Standards) to update management on program progress achieved, program plans, changes in direction and challenges encountered.

Key organisational relationships:

• Reports to the Deputy Country director
• GAIN’s global food fortification team and the QUAD project management mechanism.
• Local partners and stakeholders to ensure optimal project implementation.
• Consultants and experts who provide technical assistance to the project.
• Partners, donors, and other stakeholders to safeguard GAIN’s external reputation and to support resource mobilization.
• GAIN Programme Team and Knowledge Leadership teams

Requirements
Competencies

• Excellent stakeholder management, with the ability to operate within the corporate and public sectors to effectively liaise with local organizations, civil society, private companies, development agencies, and governments at senior level.
• Excellent project management capabilities.
• Excellent team leadership abilities with the ability to motivate and mobilise individuals within or outside their reporting line.
• Ability to advocate, cultivate and negotiate significant senior level partnerships and relations and operate in high level meetings and similar settings
• Knowledge of digital tools and systems implementation.
• Excellent follow-up skills within a diverse set of concurrent operation, programme, and business development related function
• Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgement, expert problem solving, and creativity.
• Good interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, diplomacy, tact and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrable understanding of the gender and protection dynamics of humanitarian and development work, and ability to capture this in the analysis and design of interventions.
• Strong ability to be flexible and adaptable in times of unexpected challenges and provide creative solutions, whilst maintaining the ethos and objectives of the work at all times.
• Computer literacy with good Excel, MS Word, Outlook, and Power Point skills.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing projects and programmes in international development (experience of nutrition or related areas would be an advantage).
• In-depth experience and knowledge of compliance, quality and impact of Large-Scale Food Fortification and working with industry.
• Experience working on advocacy efforts and working with civil society organizations.
• Experience working closely with government and private sector in Nigeria.
• Experience in strategy development, advocacy, communications, and documentation of best practices.
• Experience in providing on-the-job and formal training to various partners as well as management of workshops and other public events.
• Proven experience in project management in complex and diverse environments delivering projects on time / on budget, using project management processes and tools including risk management, benefits management, financial management and quality assurance 
• Demonstrable experience in staff management and development, including coaching, motivation, performance assessment, conflict prevention and management.
• Experience in group facilitation to ensure effective stakeholder participation and consensus building.
• Experience in donor contracting & budget management.

Education:

• Degree in social sciences, international development, business management, public health, nutrition, or related fields. Masters level or above would be an added advantage.

Other requirements:

• Must be willing and able to travel
• Fluent written and verbal English.

What GAIN offers

• A competitive renumeration package
• Flexible working hours through hybrid working opportunities
• Friendly working environment
• Professional development opportunities
• The chance to make a lasting contribution to reducing global malnutritio