Research Associate in Food Safety at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Location: Abuja - Nigeria, Washington DC - USA or Geneva - Switzerland
Classification: D3 - Associate Direct reports:
Travel required: Up to 30%

Overall Purpose

• The EatSafe Evidence and Action Towards Safe Nutritious Food program at GAIN will lead a consortium to generate evidence on the potential for increased consumer demand for safe food to substantially improve the safety of nutritious foods in informal market settings in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Research Associate in Food Safety will support the implementation and quality assurance of multiple research activities within the EatSafe project
• They will work closely with the Senior Technical Specialist, the GAIN EatSafe team and consortium members to contribute to activities including, but not limited to, methods development, refinement of objectives, data collection, data analysis and visualisation, development of written reports and other project documents, development of presentations, project organisation, and internal and external communications.

Tasks and Responsibilities
Research implementation, communication, and application of research findings:

• Under the guidance of the Senior Technical Specialist, and in coordination with the global EatSafe team, contribute to implementing the research strategy as illustrated in the EatSafe work plan
• Support the implementation of high-quality, technically sound research activities in alignment with GAIN and other relevant research good practice guidelines
• Under the supervision of the Senior Technical Specialist, carry out literature reviews, stakeholder consultations and other desk-review activities from development of the approach through to conduct, report writing, and report publication / dissemination
• Support in-country field implementation of research activities, including potential study site visits and project partner interaction
• Carry out analyses on qualitative and quantitative data, including statistical analyses and format / design results for oral and written dissemination
• Contribute to the development of project reports and other knowledge products including research articles, briefings and presentations
• Support the Senior Technical Specialist and the broader team to liaise with consortium members on research related activities to ensure a smooth and appropriate collaboration
• Provide technical support to other programming areas as needed.

Key Organisational Relationships:

• Senior Technical Specialist, Food Safety (reporting line)
• Technical Specialist
• Senior Manager, Food Safety
• Head, EatSafe Country Programmes
• Relevant external stakeholders.

Job Requirements
Education:

• Minimum of a Masters level qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant area such as Public Health, Food Science, Food Safety, Nutrition, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Engineering, Sociology, Economics, or other relevant fields

Experience:

• Demonstrated work experience in programmatically relevant area, preferably post- masters
• Experience in food safety research, or closely related research in the food and health space
• Experience implementing research activities
• Experience with data analysis, visualization, and reporting
• Experience with both qualitative and quantitative or mixed methods research would be an advantage
• Experience working across disciplines would be an asset

Other Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English essential
• Willingness to travel 30%.

Competencies
Technical Competencies:

• Analytical and technical competence in food safety or public health, or closely related domains
• Knowledge of research approaches that integrate multiple lines of evidence and include a range of variable types such as attitudes, practices, hazard measurements, risk and health outcome metrics, etc.
• Ability to understand and work with qualitative and quantitative data (e.g. from ethnographic studies, structured surveys, cohort studies, intervention assessment experimental and quasi-experimental studies, supply chain or risk models, behavioural economics experiments, etc.)
• Ability to conduct literature reviews, and systematically synthesize information
• Understanding of issues related to food safety and quality in LMICs
• Understanding of field data collection in low- or middle-income countries, and associated challenges
• Fluency in data analysis, such as statistical or epidemiological analyses or risk modelling, including the use of appropriate software or coding languages
• Appreciation of different project design approaches, and their customisation to specific cultural contexts
• Ability to visualize and communicate data and research outcomes for multiple audiences, orally and writing.

People and Project Leadership Skills:

• Flexible and goal-oriented
• Ability to take initiative, prioritise, problem solve, work on multiple assignments, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines
• Ability to liaise with team members and consortium partners to deliver high-quality results under short deadlines
• Skilled with organisation, planning, and time management
• Comfortable being in the field to conduct in-country work, including interacting with field study partners and visiting both urban and rural areas
• Strong communication skills (oral and written)
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural, multi-lingual environments
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work alone and in a team setting.

What Gain Offers

• Flexible working hours
• Friendly and intellectually stimulating working environment
• Professional development opportunities.

Salary

• Starting salary for this role is listed per location below:
  • USA:  USD 60,200 - 64,486
  • Nigeria: NGN 5,530,870 - 6,315,830
  • Switzerland: CHF 76,117 - 81,538
• In addition to competitive salary, GAIN offers an attractive pension scheme, 25 days holiday (plus public holiday), flexible working and home working
• We will support you to grow in your career through formal and informal professional development opportunities and we offer this within a supportive and collaborative environment.