Senior Project Manager, Supply Chains for Commercialisation at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Classification: C5 – Senior Project Manager
Direct reports: 1 - 5
Travel required: Up to 40%

Overall Purpose

• The supply Chain for Commercialization Programme portfolio aims to develop and strengthen supply chains for nutritious and safe foods through improved access to agricultural inputs, improved market linkages, support to businesses to address other supply chain gaps that will hinder access to markets and commercialization of nutritious and safe foods.
• The post holder will oversee programmatic offerings such as the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops and the Advancing Nutrition in Staple Crop Value Chains in Nigeria as well as other projects to strengthen agricultural supply chains by supporting the development of an efficient supply chain system from farm to market while working with key value chain actors to improve accessibility and availability of nutritious and safe foods especially in states where GAIN Nigeria is implementing projects.
• The Senior Project Manager will be directly responsible for the delivery of all projects under the program portfolio to achieve GAIN Nigeria’s Business Plan. They will be responsible for leading teams under this initiative and will bring excellent project management skills. They will provide technical leadership, manage resources and handle the strategic and day-to-day activities that support the achievement of the project’s objectives. The post-holder will be expected to quickly develop strong relationships with relevant partners, exploiting synergies within GAIN and with external stakeholders to ensure continued, effective, and timely project delivery. They will be responsible for influencing, providing leadership, and reconciling stakeholders’ interests in the project ensuring that the agreed objectives and aims are achieved.

Tasks and Responsibilities
Project management and oversight:

• Deliver project management in accordance with the GAIN guidelines.
• Provide high-level oversight and leadership, integrating all workstreams under this initiative into a coherent project, including planning resource allocation, keeping full view of overlaps between workstreams.
• Lead and manage the development of project workplans and budgets and track progress, including direct provision of regular updates to the Workstream global leads, funders, and country team leadership.
• Provide technical oversight to the implementation of activities that strengthen businesses and advance nutrition in target crop value chains.
• Provide mediation to resolve any project implementation issues including differences between stakeholder and internal groups.

Knowledge Management:

• Work closely with the Knowledge and Learning Lead and ensure project outputs are well informed and up to date by keeping an eye on the relevant literature to ensure that the project remains fully informed by advances in the field.
• Maintain a reference document repository.
• Maintain high level liaison with government stakeholders and other organizations working on complementary projects in the country context to share knowledge and best practice.
• Plan and lead the creation of communications materials and capture lessons learned with support from the Communications Lead.
• Take part in and lead webinar presentations etc. to share GAIN’s experience.

Donor Relations:

• Manage donor relationships; lead and initiate donor engagement and calls in relation to the country project implementation.
• Coordinate, prepare and be accountable for periodic donor reporting cycles and manage global collation of wider programme reports and updates.
• Lead the identification of new funding opportunities to fund the project as part of a long-term strategy.
• Support resource mobilisation efforts for GAIN Nigeria programme, based on the business plan and wider strategic objectives.

Gender Focus:

• Ensure the initiative is gender-sensitive, and where feasible, gender-transformative working through project design and implementation to continuously strengthen gender focus.
• Keep track of gender results, ensure the initiative is gender-sensitive, and where feasible, gender-transformative.
• Synthesize and disseminate knowledge and evidence from GAIN Nigeria programmes that can help drive the agenda for nutritious and safe food in Nigeria

People Management:

• Line manage a number of senior direct reports including supporting work plan development and performance management.
• Develop team members in order to maximize their contribution to the team and organization;
• Coach, guide and mentor leaders within programme team and the department so that they are effective as leaders and managers in managing their teams.
• Ensure the recruitment, management and development of high performing team in line with the demands of the programmatic strategy

Key Organizational Relationships:

• Reports to the Country Director (and subsequently, the Head of Programmes)
• Close working with the colleagues working on the EatSafe Project, Marketplace for Nutritious Foods, Nutritious Foods Financing Facility (N3F), Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops (CBC), and the SUN Business Network (SBN)
• Regular engagements with global Workstream Leads and colleagues in other GAIN Country Offices delivering similar projects.
• External partners including government, complimenting organizations and donors.
• Line manages 1-5 direct reports.
• Close collaboration with the project teams in GAIN Nigeria
• Other Nigeria Country Office staff

Job Requirements
Competencies:

• Strong leadership, motivational, analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to lead across smallholder farmers and other businesses.
• Demonstrated success in leading projects and project management staff to achieve high quality results
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to present sometimes complex information to a diverse audience.
• Ability to build relationships and influence at a high level.
• Able to work effectively within a multi-cultural, matrix-style organization.
• Analytical skills, able to review data and present meaningful reports.
• Able to effectively prioritize and multi-task, often working under pressure to achieve deadlines.
• Computer literate, with the ability to use MS Office Suite and other bespoke systems to support effective delivery

Experience:

• Proven track record in project management for agribusiness to improve Agricultural market linkages within an international development setting.
• Experience of working with government at municipal, state and national levels.
• Experience or deep understanding of the private sector especially MSMEs
• Understanding and some experience/technical knowledge in food systems
• Understanding and some experience/technical knowledge of health systems
• Prior experience working within a donor-funded environment and of donor reporting.
• Demonstrated success in building strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Working with stakeholders from business, civil society, government, donors at national international level
• Experience in working across sectors to deliver complex projects/programmes.
• Experienced in report writing and the ability to analyze and make recommendations for the improvement of technical reports and business documents (business plans, market research etc.)
• Experience organizing and facilitating meetings with public officials.
• Experience of state and national-level governance systems and politics.

Education:

• Minimum degree level qualification related to food science, nutrition, health, agriculture, business management or suitable equivalent
• Master’s level qualifications in the above or similarly relevant field of study/expertise highly preferred

Other Requirements:

• Excellent communication and command of English (written and spoken)
• Project management qualification desired
• Ability/fluency in one or more of the major Nigerian languages an asset

What Gain Offers

• Salary: Starting salary up to NGN 11,035,919 (depending on experience). A higher starting salary may be available for exceptional candidates.
• Flexible working hours
• Friendly working environment
• Professional development opportunities